2015 Chevrolet SS review notes
Cost for selecting Manual Transmission option is same as for ordering a Neutron
Having spent a couple of nights with a 2015 model, it’s gotten real difficult to come up with a big complaint now. The manual has livened up the SS to the point where I went out for a spirited late-night drive (just because) and hurled it around my favorite expressway interchange ramps and stretches of road.
No surprises with the LS3 V8 that has good grunt everywhere in the rev range, quick throttle response and makes great V8 rumbly noises. The six-speed shifter is notchier than I would like and I did get hung up between second-to-third gear shifts a few times, but I’m guessing more seat time would ultimately remedy things. The clutch pedal isn’t overly light or heavy, and grabs in the middle of the pedal stroke and the pedals are spaced well for my tastes.
Besides the manual raising the SS’ performance game, the magnetic suspension helps make it a more user-friendly vehicle. You now have the best of both worlds with the ability to firm things up when you want and to soften the suspension when you’re commuting around normally. Even with things in sport mode, the ride is livable, but it’s real comfy in the tour setting.
Even the as-tested price of $46,865 doesn’t seem absurd considering the clean sheetmetal styling and amount of performance you get.
You can call the SS a budget BMW M3 of sorts. The M3 starts at $62,950 with 425 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque from its twin-turbocharged I6, which matches up fairly closely with the SS’ 415 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque from its V8. No, the SS doesn’t have a fancy carbon fiber driveshaft and roof panel or aluminum body panels and suspension bits. Without all those weight-saving efforts, the Chevy is quite a bit heavier than the M3 (3,940 pounds vs. 3,540 pounds), but it doesn’t feel overweight or lumbering on the streets.
The 6.2-liter V8 provides a ton of power. I even started in third gear by accident, but got going very quickly and didn’t bog out at all. Oh yeah, and hooray for a manual transmission!
Please, please people, buy this configuration, or we’ll never see them again.
Like our long-term Jaguar F-Type R, but to a lesser extent, if you leave it in gear a little long, or abruptly come off the throttle, you get a nice pop from the muffler. I’d like a little more exhaust volume, maybe with a button to turn it on and off. The actual gearbox is pretty easy to use, though it did get hung up a few times on the 2-3 and 4-5 shift, and in the morning it felt a little notchy.
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