Repair-It

That market comparison graphic on Cars.com is very interesting.

You should update that you drove another SS and learned some more things about the infotainment.

Finally drove a Vsport today. I have to say, it did not disappoint.

Steering and Chassis

The steering feel was one of the things I noticed immediately while driving it. It was noticeably more communicative than the SS and very nicely weighted. The chassis was rigid, but not overly firm. I took the car over some bad roads and it was very composed. I drove mostly in Sport mode, but also tried out Tour. I have to say the Alpha chassis is so good that it makes the car worth buying.

Powertrain

The 3.6L had nice linear power with little lag. The 8A shifted fast at WOT and was generally unobjectionable in every day driving. It didn't seem to hunt around too much like some other 8A cars.

Interior

The interior felt fairly high quality with some classic GM touches here and there. I used Cue quite a bit and I must say it isn't as terrible as a lot of reviews make it out to be. I think it is somewhat non-intuitive, which turns a lot of new users off, but once you learn the quirks, it's okay.

Overall, I think I like the Vsport better than the SS, mainly because I am more of a chassis guy than a powertrain guy. Of course the ultimate car would be a Vsport with LT1...

I know it was a short test drive but...

How were the brakes? Bite, firmness, travel. I know you would have no data on fade.

Did the car feel lighter/smaller than the SS? If you were able to push it a little, how did that feel?

Quiet/refinement?

Did you push it hard off the line? How did that feel? Traction issues?

What a shame people have a problem with the badge. It sounds like an awesome car.

The brakes generally felt good. I know the stopping distances are super short for the Vsport, but I didn't really get to try them out.

I didn't get to floor it from a dead stop due to traffic, but rolling acceleration was very satisfying and responsive.

It felt much lighter and smaller than the SS, even though I think they are pretty close in weight and exterior dimensions. It had the feel that I like.

This car may be one of the best kept secrets out there. I'm hoping it stays that way.

I've said it before: The Vsport does to the SS what the SS does to the Charger.

kevm14 wrote:I've said it before: The Vsport does to the SS what the SS does to the Charger.

I think this is a good analogy. The Vsport is just so much more athletic feeling than the SS. The worst thing I can say about the Vsport is that the powertrain is a bit soulless, but it gets the job done.

Now I want drive both and see what I think.

Maybe I will just live vicariously though my CTS-V which maybe is only a few weeks away from coming out of hibernation. It's close enough to those cars and I already own it.

I would be interested to hear your impressions, especially compared to your CTS-V.

I should add that I do not like the stock gauges in the base Vsport. They look too cheap and boring for a car of this caliber. Another reason to get the Premium.