Hey guys,

I still have a few years left of college (thus, a few more years left of zero money), but I've been thinking about starting up a savings account or something to save up for a new car once I graduate.

I really like the affordability of the 06-07 Monte Carlo SS, but the raw power of the Camaros/Mustangs/Chargers/Challengers is quite attractive as well.

Anybody who owns any of the above cars or other V8s: What are your opinions, pros, cons, etc. on your ride?

This is nowhere near urgent (see first sentence) but having something of a target $$ amount to save up to seems like a good idea.

 

Powerful RWD vehicles + Philly Winters = Bad Idea.

 

4th gen

PRO: RWD! aftermarket availibility, stuff any motor you want in it

keep the 01 and your set for all seasons

 

I don't own a '06-07 V8 Monte, but as a '84 Camaro owner (and I know Chibi has a difference in opinion a little bit to me), I have one word:
SAFETY!

If you have to drive a RWD performance vehicle (like a Camaro or a 'stang) in any serious snow, even with snow tires and weight in the rear, I feel you are not as safe in harsh winter conditions as a FWD car. I know many people drive all kinds of cars RWD/FWD in harsh winters, this is just my opinion.

 

Fair point - I wasn't considering that. My brother just got an '05 Mustang GT. Really nice but worthless in anything but nice weather.

 

Exactly, having FWD is much better than RWD for harsh weather. My mother has a 2010 Camaro and she is completely scared of taking it out in anything other than nice weather, and I completely understand that. It got stuck in 2 inches of snow, had to push it out last winter. She wants to buy a cheap little FWD car just to get through the winters here.

 

It's all about the driver. Yeah, other drivers are idiots, but that's not going to change whether you're in FWD or RWD. If the snow is low enough that I can get over it, I can drive in it. To be completely honest, I'm so inexperienced with FWD on slick roads that I'm far better off in the Camaro or the truck (if I can get the transmission in there on time) than I would be in the Monte. I never had any problem in my IROC in 4" of snow and I got caught in a snowstorm in the 73 and was in 6"+ inches of snow in the mountains of NC and had no problem. Assuming you have the skill to drive in it, the limit will be how high the snow is. I'd take a RWD regular cab pickup in the snow over a much lower FWD vehicle. One, I know it better, and two, it can snow more and I'll still be able to get around.

 

I know I'm hypocritical here, since my daily driver and beater is a RWD car. Once the snow hits, if I don't feel safe in it though, I do have the Monte as a back-up and will weigh a lot of options myself haha

 

Chibi, the 4th gen camaros have a pretty ideal F/R weight ratio. I never had any problems with the 96 I had in the snow (at the time I could only keep one of my vehicles where I lived and had to drive to get the truck). Keep in mind too, you can play with the clutch to really help with traction. I'm still not completely comfortable driving automatics in the snow because I don't have the same level of control that I do with a manual.

 

I had an 05 Mustang V-6 (and I was running it without snow tires) and only got stuck once and that was because I slowed down to make a turn - almost got stuck with the Monte doing the same thing. I want to replace my 05 SS with a Challenger cause out of all of the pony cars it weighs the most and with snow tires I'm sure I will not have any problems.