Thinking About Selling Camaro SS 1LE For a Model 3

[Dana1]

Hi everyone,

First time poster on this board, so I apologize if i'm starting this thread in the wrong place.

In 2014, I bought a brand new Camaro 2SS 1LE from the dealership, and I would be lying if I said I didn't love this beast. However I've also been an avid Tesla supporter and follower and now that the Model 3 is out, I can comfortably say that i'd love to have one. The reason why i'm starting this thread is to ask if I should actually get one, or maybe wait a few more years until the Camaro has ran it's course and the Model 3 has been improved upon.

Below i've compiled a list of notes regarding my current car and my perception of it:

Camaro:
-The LS3 has that amazing V8 noise - I have a retro chambered exhaust setup. I will probably miss this.
-Dropping a gear to pass someone is so satisfying - it's a 6 speed manual
-The MPG is awful, as are the maintenance costs. 4 new tires cost me 1500 a few years ago. I use premium gasoline. New brake pads may be in the near future and the quotes i'm getting for that are stupid pricey.
-Interior is clean and has an overall nice feel, but it's nothing special. I do have a microfiber suede steering wheel & shifter
-It's been an overall solid DD, minus one or two minor things. I get looks and compliments all the time. If you don't know what a Camaro 1LE is, they're pretty unique cars. Not ZL1 unique, but definitely attention grabbing nonetheless. I don't care too much for the attention at this point in my life.

Tesla & Miscellaneous:
What a beautiful car this is. I love the features and selling points, the all-touch display - almost everything about it. If I could i'd get a Model X or S I would, but it's way out of my price range.

I've heard that the Tesla is quiet, smooth, brilliant, but there are still some quality control issues. That shouldn't be a problem however since the warranty is fantastic. The interior looks plain to the extreme, but that too isn't too much of a bother for me. It's oddly satisfying - but I don't know if it's comfortable. I only drive a total of 3 miles per day (to/from work), and some more on the weekend, but once I start going back to the gym it'll probably climb back up to 10 or 11 a day. FOR NOW I wouldn't do the installed wall charger, because i'm going to be selling my condo probably in the next year or two - which makes me think I should wait until the move before selling the Camaro.

Here's the real dilemma I face: I still owe 6k on the Camaro. MSRP was 45 and I got it for 39. I could probably sell it today for maybe 20k (it has 40k miles). The Tesla i'm looking at would have blue paint (1500), Long Range premium Interior (33,950), and i'm still undecided on the wheels. The purchase price ends up being 47,500 "before savings" (whatever that means) which is a bit out of my line - But I really don't want to compromise on performance compared to what I have now. I could probably use some pointers here. I live in AZ so I don't get as many tax breaks as say someone in California.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I think the fun factor, responsiveness of steering / acceleration, and the price are my biggest points. Thanks all.

BONUS:

What my car looks like now:

My possible future car:
View attachment 389238

So, you’ll have to get an app for engine noise, lol. Cars are a personal choice and I traded cars about every two years so I’ve had a lot of them: Jeep, Hummer H2, ‘66 Mustang, Porsche Panamera, Jaguar XF, BMW X6. Here’s my two cents...

I originally was going to get an X. My test drive was meh. I saw the two sedans in the gallery not initially realizing they were different. The S was nice until I saw the interior of the 3. Clean lines without the clutter of buttons and gauges. My minimalist heart soared. It feels peaceful and serene to me. But others might view it as plain..this is all personal choice. I like not having the presenting doors...the engineer in me views that as an unnecessary problem. If I had mobility issues I’d think differently. The hatch is nice on the S but my bike still fits in the back of the 3 so it wasn’t worth $40K to me.

I thought I’d miss the engine noise but I don’t. I definitely don’t miss the smell or having to go to the gas station in the rain and use Premium grade fuel. There will be a little more road noise, not bad, from not having the white noise of the engine. I bought plush leather mats to negate this.

Quality is tricky. There’s definitely more complaints posted than perfection. I had a July delivery and she’s perfect. While folks have legitimate issues there’s 100,000+ with perfection. My Panamera center console button dropped through to never never land and it peed on my feet. It is what it is. Inspect your car at delivery, you’ll be fine.

Technology works great but it’s not perfect. Read owners manual to understand limitations and practice.

The glass roof scared me here in Texas. Riding around in an easy bake oven doesn’t appeal. I was pleasantly surprised to have zero issues. I’ve never taken the roof sunshade out of its bag. I did tint the windows though.

With so little driving you can get by with wall plug and occasional supercharging. If you have a dryer outlet available even better.

Get the biggest battery you can afford and, if making a choice, get EAP rather than premium wheels. Autopilot is fantastic. Folks like changing wheels out so you can pick those up later. I like my premium wheels but the stock wheels without the aero covers look really good on the blue cars.

 

[1LE McQueen]

It depends and I'd say it's often a mixture.

Take the 4th gen Fbody compared to C5 vettes. Same LS1 engine, same internals, different air intake etc. to make sure the Vette was faster. Either way, it is what it is. We buy software, music, movies all the time that are just as "artificial". Amazon could let me own every movie on their website and it would cost them nothing. Phones are another example. A 64BG IPhone costs 200 more than the 32GB version and I suspect it's the same actual drive.

There were some very minor internal changes between the LS1's; the overall build stayed mainly the same however. As far as I understand, the electric motors in the AWD / M3P are exactly the same %100.

Your monthly payments will not change if you make additional principal only payments. It's also important to tell the bank to apply extra payments to the principal.

I just turned 30 myself. Not married no kids and bought a house and model 3 last year. I was on life support 4 years ago so I understand live like it's your last day, but just in case it's not, be careful lol.

I'm all for doing things you want to do so don't take it wrong. I'm just trying to pass on some things I've learned these last 5 years or so as I geared up to be financially ready for a family, house etc. I have 5 cars because I never bought them new, leverage depreciation on someone else's dime. Just some advice from an "old fogey" lol. Do whatever makes you happy and is reasonable. Good luck!

Unbelievable that they default to paying your interest with the extra payment. They know how to play the game don't they.

But really, i'm appreciative of your advice. You're bringing sense into this and payment / debt is a legitimate point that needs to be considered, so thank you. Also very happy that you have recovered, that's terrifying.

 

[adhoc]

That depends entirely on the loan terms.

Lots of folks on here got loans in the ~1-2% range over the last year- it's much smarter to take loan money at/below the rate of inflation than it is to pay cash, and for as long a loan as you can get

it doesn't depend on loan terms,
it depends if the loan rate is below
the rate of potential return minus inflation,

AND (big 'AND' here!)

the borrower is able to invest the principle
not paid on loan or reason for loan.

taking a loan on a depreciating asset, when
it's not affordable to purchase that asset outright
is a double whammy!
I too have taken 0.00% interest rate financing
and kept principle invested, but here we're talking
about rising interest rates and no ability to avoid
financing to change vehilces.

 

[adhoc]

So, you’ll have to get an app for engine noise, lol.

I've been trying, with no success,
to get an mp3 file (LS7 start up)
to play upon engaging D in my 3!

 

[1LE McQueen]

So, you’ll have to get an app for engine noise, lol. Cars are a personal choice and I traded cars about every two years so I’ve had a lot of them: Jeep, Hummer H2, ‘66 Mustang, Porsche Panamera, Jaguar XF, BMW X6. Here’s my two cents...

I originally was going to get an X. My test drive was meh. I saw the two sedans in the gallery not initially realizing they were different. The S was nice until I saw the interior of the 3. Clean lines without the clutter of buttons and gauges. My minimalist heart soared. It feels peaceful and serene to me. But others might view it as plain..this is all personal choice. I like not having the presenting doors...the engineer in me views that as an unnecessary problem. If I had mobility issues I’d think differently. The hatch is nice on the S but my bike still fits in the back of the 3 so it wasn’t worth $40K to me.

I thought I’d miss the engine noise but I don’t. I definitely don’t miss the smell or having to go to the gas station in the rain and use Premium grade fuel. There will be a little more road noise, not bad, from not having the white noise of the engine. I bought plush leather mats to negate this.

Quality is tricky. There’s definitely more complaints posted than perfection. I had a July delivery and she’s perfect. While folks have legitimate issues there’s 100,000+ with perfection. My Panamera center console button dropped through to never never land and it peed on my feet. It is what it is. Inspect your car at delivery, you’ll be fine.

Technology works great but it’s not perfect. Read owners manual to understand limitations and practice.

The glass roof scared me here in Texas. Riding around in an easy bake oven doesn’t appeal. I was pleasantly surprised to have zero issues. I’ve never taken the roof sunshade out of its bag. I did tint the windows though.

With so little driving you can get by with wall plug and occasional supercharging. If you have a dryer outlet available even better.

Get the biggest battery you can afford and, if making a choice, get EAP rather than premium wheels. Autopilot is fantastic. Folks like changing wheels out so you can pick those up later. I like my premium wheels but the stock wheels without the aero covers look really good on the blue cars.

Sound advice, thank you! I assume i'll feel exactly like you do when I ditch the Camaro. Just too bad Tesla doesn't have a "V8" mode that projects artificial sounds through the car speakers

The interior is a little plain, but I don't think that bothers me. The fact that I can constantly accelerate fast without having to worry about wear for 8 years, and decelerate without using the brakes, really makes up for it. I can't do that in my Camaro because something costly will happen - like enhanced wear and tear. Also the AC via app will be EXTREMELY helpful out in Scottsdale during the summer time.

I can hire an electrician to install a 240v NEMA 14-50 so I don't think it'll be a problem. All there is to worry about now is the loan

 

[1LE McQueen]

I might've overshot my estimates on the gasoline consumption. Looking at my statements, I paid this much:

41 in march
65 in Feb
43 in Jan
38 in Dec
48 in Nov

at 16mpg, there's two key takeaways here: 1, I don't drive often enough, and 2, my electric bill outta be stupid low with a Tesla.

This year will be the first in my Camaro ownership, where i'll have to get an emissions test done. Let's tack on the costs of that now (and reg). I have a first responders license plate which brings up reg by 50, I paid roughly 430+ last year, not sure what this year will be. Registration is due in Jun, so either I pay it for another year, or I sell for the Tesla before the summer.

 

[Matt L]

Good to know. This rubs me the wrong way, it sounds like the AWD isn't getting any love when it's perfectly capable of performing much better from the factory.

Lower 4 second 0-60 times really isn't anything to complain about, i'm just intrigued at Tesla's decision(s).

Very interesting they perform similarly in the higher speeds.

That continues to be echoed on this forum but I’ve yet to really see any evedence of it. You have what you paid for and we will all get the 5%. If you wanted more you should have paid for the P.

 

[yerEVan]

I going to chime in here. I ordered the AWD originally and it was delayed then delayed again. This was around September last year.

I test drove the P with PUP originally as that was all there was available. I was coming from a Lexus CT200. So not a Camaro.

When the 3rd time came to delay my delivery, I asked my local SC delivery specialist “do you happen to have any stock in my area where someone maybe bailed on a deal?” He said, why yes we do. I asked if he had any stealth P’s, as I live in the philly area with sleet/snow. He said yes. About 100 miles away, in my color as well. I asked excitedly to book me in that one and I’ll pick up next day.

If I may call you “dude”..... Dude, it is the most amazing vehicle I’ve ever driven or been in. I thought I would regret the choice to spend another 10k, at the time, but it’s about living life for enjoyment. And Elon accomplished it. This car is pure enjoyment. And improves on a monthly basis with OTA updates. If you can make it work $ wise, it’s beyond worth it.

 

[destructure00]

Well this went downhill fast. How about we argue about whether @1LE McQueen should get the white or black interior instead?


WHITE IS BETTER!!

 

[destructure00]

 

[MrMannnilow]

lol dont hate it till you try it. Its no Tesla but probably the 2nd best commuter car. Trust me I hated a prius till my commute became 100 miles and I only ever had to do oil changes and tire rotations for 50k miles plus was getting 48mpg.

Sounds awful. I work from home and have a lift to change my own oil and rotate tires. For a commuter they are a great option. Just wouldn't get caught dead in one lol

 

[MrMannnilow]

Well this went downhill fast. How about we argue about whether @1LE McQueen should get the white or black interior instead?


WHITE IS BETTER!!



View attachment 390660

White kills it all day!!! I get more compliments on the white than anything!!

 

[destructure00]

Love the white wrap on the center console...does it stay clean?

 

[Nocturnal]

There were some very minor internal changes between the LS1's; the overall build stayed mainly the same however. As far as I understand, the electric motors in the AWD / M3P are exactly the same %100.

Maybe a different cam? It's been a while. But either way, end of the day this is how things work. It's not something to be annoyed about.
It saves them money to not buy weaker motors and add them to the AWD versions. Would it make you feel better if the price when up 500 bucks and they put in a weaker set of motors?

 

[SammichLover]

The purchase price ends up being 47,500 "before savings" (whatever that means) which is a bit out of my line -

I'm very familiar with your car, and have been a "gear head" for most of my adult life. Your comment: "But I really don't want to compromise on performance compared to what I have now" leads me to believe that the Standard Tesla Model 3 will be a very big change. I think you should strongly consider the Model 3 Performance. The entry price for that car is $62,500 plus transport/fees. Fully loaded the car can reach near $70K. That's a lot of car for the money, and should be competitive with, and superior to, the Camaro in many areas. You'll have to decide if the seamless push of the EV powertrain is as satisfying as the "rowing your own" fun of a stick shift transmission. The second big change is how power is delivered. The EV powertrain will provide instantaneous torque, but if you have ever driven on the track you'll find that top end power of ICE cars is still impressive

The LR - D, which comes in around $10,000 cheaper, is probably around this Camaro's neighborhood, with the P above it. Although if you're going to track the D you'll need to prep it a bit more, and there's room for improvement there.

Of course at the end of the day if 1LE McQueen does, they'll probably end up wishing they had the P for the extra bottom end push (by 100mph D = P for acceleration ) and the Track Mode magic.

 

[MrMannnilow]

and the Track Mode magic.

Mountain Pass Performance will be releasing a traction control override unit for non P versions. So those of us that don't have the P and Track Mode will have a similar experience

does it stay clean?

So far after a few months it been fine. I mist it with isopropyl and water and wipe it down as per the installers instructions. I took it all apart and had a local shop wrap it outside the car so they could wrap all the edges instead of the pre printed kits that are available. changes the whole look completely I think it should have come like this factory

 

[MrMannnilow]

overshot my estimates on the gasoline consumption

Just for perspective I was paying between $350 to $400 a month in gas for my Infiniti SUV. In my case my gas costs = my Tesla payment per month so this was an even monthly trade

I'm still having a hard time coming up with any good reason for you to change up your payments and extended your debt by 84 months

 

[Knightshade]

Mountain Pass Performance will be releasing a traction control override unit for non P versions. So those of us that don't have the P and Track Mode will have a similar experience

While I think MPPs offering will be useful, it's not the same experience as track mode by a decent margin for a slew of reasons.

For one it won't be making any changes to the cooling system... for another it's simply "turning off" certain traction and stability features- while TM is actively using those features more to improve the cars performance (shifting power between front/rear to add over or understeer as needed for example)

 

[1LE McQueen]

That continues to be echoed on this forum but I’ve yet to really see any evedence of it. You have what you paid for and we will all get the 5%. If you wanted more you should have paid for the P.

Source? I read that the 5% upgrade isn't being pushed to AWD without P. Unless i'm mistaken and read something else here? It's easy to overwhelm an ICE owner with this stuff.

I going to chime in here. I ordered the AWD originally and it was delayed then delayed again. This was around September last year.

I test drove the P with PUP originally as that was all there was available. I was coming from a Lexus CT200. So not a Camaro.

When the 3rd time came to delay my delivery, I asked my local SC delivery specialist “do you happen to have any stock in my area where someone maybe bailed on a deal?” He said, why yes we do. I asked if he had any stealth P’s, as I live in the philly area with sleet/snow. He said yes. About 100 miles away, in my color as well. I asked excitedly to book me in that one and I’ll pick up next day.

If I may call you “dude”..... Dude, it is the most amazing vehicle I’ve ever driven or been in. I thought I would regret the choice to spend another 10k, at the time, but it’s about living life for enjoyment. And Elon accomplished it. This car is pure enjoyment. And improves on a monthly basis with OTA updates. If you can make it work $ wise, it’s beyond worth it.

lol, thanks for sharing. I mean it's not cool they delayed you like that but happy it got you to enjoy a Performance model.

Trust me i'd love to look into one. I'm not kidding when I have to say that i'm reallyyyyyy pushing for the AWD financially. At a 35k loan, my credit union wants 490 a month to my 407 now. And I have a gut feeling my loan is going to be well above it after selling my car and paying taxes on the M3. This weekend i'm planning on getting serious and finding my affordability here.

Well this went downhill fast. How about we argue about whether @1LE McQueen should get the white or black interior instead?

WHITE IS BETTER!!

View attachment 390660

White kills it all day!!! I get more compliments on the white than anything!! View attachment 390797

hahaha no argument here! But it's either I go RWD and do fancy things like interior / autopilot, or spend the dough on an AWD model

The LR - D, which comes in around $10,000 cheaper, is probably around this Camaro's neighborhood, with the P above it. Although if you're going to track the D you'll need to prep it a bit more, and there's room for improvement there.

Of course at the end of the day if 1LE McQueen does, they'll probably end up wishing they had the P for the extra bottom end push (by 100mph D = P for acceleration ) and the Track Mode magic.

Yeah don't let the Camaro fool you lol i'm not a track day man. Getting the P would be nice, but not at the expense of possibly going bankrupt. I originally wanted the RWD until you all convinced me I don't.

 

[1LE McQueen]

Just for perspective I was paying between $350 to $400 a month in gas for my Infiniti SUV. In my case the gas savings = my Tesla payment per month so this was enough to justify my purchase.

I'm still having a hard time coming up with any good reason for you to change up your payments and extended your debt by 84 months

Wow - no kidding lol.

Reality is unfortunately going to step in at some point, and there I will have to make a mature decision as to rather or not another 7 years of debt will be worth it, given my present situation. I've learned a lot from all of you so thank you.