When the Chevrolet SS performance sedan was first announced, enthusiasts in the U.S. were still reeling from the loss of the Pontiac G8, which was GM’s answer to the Dodge Charger and helped bring four-door rear wheel-drive fun to the masses before it was axed as part of Pontiac’s closure in 2009. The SS helped mark the G8’s spiritual return to the U.S., but the lack of a manual transmission option was a constant criticism that dogged the SS since its launch in 2014. GM solved that issue earlier this year with the unveiling of a no-cost manual option for the 2015 Chevy SS Sedan, which also received Magnetic Ride Control suspension for its second year on the market. But does the addition of the stick make it a better car?
Motor Trend decided to tackle that very question by acquiring a model equipped with the manual transmission model and taking it through the publication’s regimen of on-road testing. What they discovered is that the manual is not only the better of the two transmissions available, but it also helps completely transform the overall driving experience of the SS, making it very close to the beloved Pontiac G8 GXP.
The folks at MT also loved the short throws and tight gear spacing of the transmission, and claimed the car is very close to the 2000-E39 era BMW M5 not only in terms of its fun to drive character, but also in terms of horsepower, with the SS’s LS3 V8 engine making 415 horsepower, only slightly ahead of the older BMW’s 400 horsepower. This is a very impressive set of accomplishments for the SS, especially when one considers how popular and capable that iteration of M5 was during its time in production.
What’s more, the manual option also sharpens the SS’s performance figures, shaving a 10th of a second from its 0-to-60 time, and a similar amount from its quarter mile time. Both are welcome news to enthusiasts, especially those that take their cars drag racing or prefer stoplight to stoplight races (in a closed environment, of course).
Overall the 2015 Chevy SS Performance Sedan appears to be a much better package for performance-minded buyers, but with the chances of a second-generation SS slowly fading away due to the closure of GM-Holden manufacturing as well as the associated end of production of the Commodore that serves as the basis for the Chevy SS Sedan, buyers may only have a limited amount of time to obtain this unique vehicle before the door of opportunity closes for good.
Comments
I am not a GM insider so take this with a grain of salt, but the Cadiilac CTS-V appears to be the luxury/high-end replacement for this car. Could GM provide a Chevy/Holden badged alpha platform replacement by the 2017 or 2018 MY? Me thinks yes.
Agreed! CTS is a great car, but wayyy pricey, and includes a lot of unnecessary flash and luxury. We need an alpha platform, lower cost, lower luxury option –with a manual trans.
“includes a lot of unnecessary flash and luxury.”
U WOT M8?
This is Cadillac we’re talking about, not a rejected matthew mcconaughey lovechild with a chrome mustache.
WOW! A Newer manual car that is actually FASTER than it’s Auto equivalent?! Thought those days were over.
I had so much trouble with this car.
On paper its everything I want… but two things keep me from being able to pull the trigger- 1. looks, 2. fuel economy.
2. While I love to say I don’t care about fuel economy, between the gas guzzler tax and the increased fuel economy, your looking at $14,000 more than another sedan for the first 75k miles. While that may not sound “too bad”, its more than the depreciation on a C6 Z06, so I’d almost prefer to drive a Cadillac or BMW plus have a Z06 for the weekends…
1. Looks. Do I like the look of the SS? Sure, but it just doesn’t LOOK the part that its acting. It looks like an impala, and to 99% of the population, they wouldn’t know the difference. A G8 on the other hand looked special to me. the CTS-V Looks like a powerhouse. In fact to really throw design into the loop, the impala to me looks SPORTIER and edgier than the SS? I went so far as to use the dealership’s “Add-On-Auto” system to look into body kits to the SS, but since its such a low production volume vehicle, they didn’t have any. Interior I think is spot on though.
0. Delivery. Every dealer I spoke to said I really needed to order it- many months in advance. I’ve ordered before, and I like the idea of ordering it, but its not like you’ll drive into a dealership and say “wow thats the one I want!!!”
Anyway, I think the stick is great. I love this car. I can’t precisely pinpoint why I havaen’t bought it, but just something isn’t there for me… which is sad because I gripe about the lack of a stick everywhere else and I am ready to buy,…
If you’re looking for a car that has over 400hp but complain about the fuel economy then a car with over 400hp might not be for you. I pulled the trigger on a MY14 automatic and I could not be happier. It’s a sleeper; it’s not flashy. Another plus for me. You should go test drive one and I bet you leave the dealer with a big ‘ole smile on your face. Hopefully with a MY15 on order. 🙂
GM Authority – please stop saying the Chevy SS is based on the Commodore. It’s not based on the Commodore at all. It IS the Commodore, just with a Chev badge on it! The Camaro is based on the Commodore. The SS on the other hand, is a rebadged Commodore!
Excellent point! If you want to know more about this, just look how many SS owners are spending hundreds of dollars or more to rebadge the car as a Holden! I even read about a guy who paid several hundreds of dollars just to get the steering wheel air bag unit with the holden badge on it.
The ugly front end, the too-short trunk lid opening, thinly padded rear seat, mandatory black interior, and the price are all enough reasons to keep driving my Monte Carlo SS.
What kind of idiot would ever dream or compare this in the same realm as the decade old & mighty BMW E39 M5?, that was automobile engineering perfection and GM’s still not even close.
Personally I would have preferred the new eight-speed auto. But I don’t knock the people that still think they can beat a computer.
It’s not about “beating the computer”. Driving a manual transmission allows one to be engaged in the driving experience — you ANTICIPATE rather than REACT to situations as they occur. With a manual, one can coast downhill. One can downshift to decelerate into a red light. One can drive for performance or for maximum economy at any time. The manual transmission is lighter, cheaper, more reliable, and far easier to service. And these days, its the single best anti-theft device you can buy. Auto transmissions will never surpass the value that a simple refined manual transmission offers — but i don’t knock people who have to rely on a computer to drive.