An Excellent Car for the Money

EXPERIENCE:
I have owned 3 Camaros now. I began with a 1989 which I traded for a 1992. I still have the 1992, but we have added to the collection with a 1997.
I have been very impressed with this car. We were originally planning on getting a Z-28. At the time however, I was under 25 years old and my insurance company would have rather put me in a "Chevy Chase Mobile." I was equally not as happy about not have a Z-28. Thankfully, we still purchased a v-6, and I am overwhelmed with this car!

The car now has about 50,000 miles on it and runs, drives, and feels like it did the day I drove it off the lot! The steering is still VERY tight. The body is great and has resisted most all of the wear and tear of the years. The paint still shines (candy apple red). Best of all, the car still performs as it did upon purchase.

Options:
Bright red paint with the blacked out headlights, roof, and mirrors.
It has:
T-tops, leather, automatic, fog lights, optional dual-exhaust outlets, 16 inch wheels and wider tires, power driver seat, electric windows, power locks, 12 cd changer, air, optional radio, and gear package. Basically, it has everything except the Z-28 package.

Engine:
The engine is a 200 horsepower v-6. It is a 3.8 liter engine that has more bang for the buck than I have seen in any other v-6. After 7 years, the car runs great. When you floor the car, it still jumps. This may be due to the gearing package. The car has plenty of power to pass. If you like smoking the tires and spinning the wheels, believe it or not, it will do it easily. The gas mileage is not bad; however, like a v-8, it's worse than a typical family car. I am very impressed with this engine. I would recommend the Z-28 first, but I have learned to enjoy the v-6.

Interior:
The car has black interior. This gets hot when the sun shines directly on the car. The black leather is great. It's very comfortable, even on long trips. I can see well without any knowledge of blind spots. The power package is well worth its weight in gold. When the tops are out, it is a little noisy, but it's actually not any worse than having the windows down. The t-tops do not leak either. The back seat is small. I am 5'11 and I can still sit back there without too much problem. On a long trip, I would not recommend the back seat. The radio is awesome. It has the advanced audio package. Get this! It adds to the drive when you have the windows down, tops off, and you have great music that actually thumps! Nice touch to the feel of driving a sports car. The car is also an anniversary edition, so you have nice 30th Anniversary stitching on the seats.

Feel & Drive:
What can I say? The car is awesome. The drive of this car is so tight! We have a 2000 Tahoe, 1992 Camaro, and a 2002
L-200 Saturn, and the 1997 Camaro tops all of them when it comes to a sporty feel. The car has no roll in it when you corner. In fact, this car corners as if it were on rails! That says a lot coming from a huge Corvette fan! The drive is typically nice. I say typically, because I have some people say that it's a hard ride; however, this is a Camaro, not a Caddy! The Caddy has a much softer ride and if your looking for that type of ride, you will be dissapointed in the Camaro. If you want a fun, fast, breezy, tough, corning machine, then the Camaro is great for that.

STYLE:
I like the style of Camaro. However, it is not fancy. The car is smooth and has little noticable looks. I typically get more comments on the fact that it's a Camaro than I do for its looks. Face it, the Mustang has more curves and designs, giving it a nice look. The Camaro is still a head turner though!

Conclusion:
I love this car. As I said in the begining, I wanted a Z-28, but since then I have come to enjoy the v-6. I would buy it again if I had the chance. I have actually been thinking about driving it instead of my new Saturn!