Are up a Ford, Chevy or Dodge fan ????

[cruiser]

A friend of mine is in the market for a muscle car. It's that "middle age" thing. He's 50...and wants to spend 50k or so on a new toy.

He wants to stick to one of the big 3.

Chev Camaro - 2013 ZL1 Coupe
Mustang - 2013 Boss 302
Dodge - 2013 SRT Challenger

Now, of course when he was growing up, he was bias towards Chev. But now that he's middle age, he's open to being more particular. A new car offers warranty, etc., but at the same time, he will have to live with the brand/model that he chooses. One might have independent suspension while the next one might offer "quad exhaust", whereas one might get better fuel mileage, etc.

Just putting it out there to those in Perbland if they anyone that owns any of the above models and what what there experience has been? Do they have any regrets or wish that they would have went with something different? It doesn't have to be the "exact" model shown, but if they have a cheaper version of any of the above, that would work as well.

Appreciate and/and all feedback.

thanks,
Cruiser

 

[deathreborn]

use it as a downpayment on a nissan gtr to blow those cars away.

 

[kenchorney]

I read a head to head comparison on all three a couple of years ago.

The basic summary was as follows.

Camaro was the fastest and handled the best but was very tight inside and not a lot of head room. It also had the harshest ride and was deemed the best for a Sunday afternoon but the worst of the three to live with as daily transportation. If your friend is more than about 5'7 and 175 he may find it very uncomfortable.

The Challenger was the slowest but only had the 5.7 for the test not the 6.4 and the other two had the largest available motor. It had the most room inside, the biggest trunk and the best ride but is a lot bigger then the other two as it's on the same platform as the 300 and Charger. If you buddy waits a year I believe there is also supercharged 6.2 coming. The model they tested was rated the worst at the track but the best of the three for a daily driver or a long road trip.

The Mustang fell between the two for ride, power, handling, room etc.

I've been kind of shopping the Mustang vs Challenger myself over the last year. I don't really like the looks of the Camera but that's just personal taste and I've never found anyone worse than GM for service. I'm 6'1 and there was just no seating position I could find that was comfortable.

Mustang vs Challenger

The interior on both are good, Fords looks to be of better quality but the MyTouch is fucking annoying as hell.

Both have a ton more power than you'll ever need if you opt for the biggest motor or even the smaller V8, the cobra is about 500 hp if I remember.

No convertible for the Challenger if that makes a difference.

I've had both Fords and Dodges in the past and dealer service for both sucks as well but still not as bad as GM. The guy I go to now is an ex-Gm tech with 20+ years at a major GM dealership here in Winnipeg. He drives a Toyota and his wife has a Nissan.

Way more aftermarket goodies for the Ford if that's his thing.

Mustang is more of a true muscle car that you could live with daily but I don't think I could do a 10 or 12 hour trip in it where the Challenger is a more relaxed version that would be a blast to drive across the country but you won't win too many stop light drag races against Mustangs, Canaro etc.

Sorry I can't give you more info on the Camaro but I'm not really considering it so I didn't spend much time with it but I'm sure it would be worth a look for your friend.

 

[ValleyGuy]

I`ve owned both Camaros and Challengers. IMHO the Camaro was much the superior car on many levels. Good luck

 

[maximus]

The mustang is the better looking car get the Shelby big snake.

 

[who]

Go with the Chrysler 300 fully loaded will set you back 60k, better ride and lots of power

 

[badbadboy]

I drove a 540 HP Mustang a while ago and was impressed with its handling capability. I have had plenty of the big three manufacturers and wouldn't buy another one based upon poor service records from all three makers. If I were to rent a car to drive to Banff and back, the Mustang would be a good highway cruiser IMHO.

 

[bcneil]

Not an american muscle car. But for $50,000 he is way better off actually driving a few vehicles over simply comparing stats.
I took out a 2009 Cayman S with PDK. Much more fun to drive than a mustang. Nicer looking inside and out too.