SSR questions??

[Tom S.]

I am looking at SSR'S and would like opinions.Most I have looked at are very low mileage! Other than engine sizes what are the major differences? Is it worth going for an 05-06 to get the LS-2? What years are the best to buy and why? Which years get the best fuel milage? Most have 3:73 gears in the rear with the towing package so I don't expect great mileage. Thanks in advance Tom

[Tom S.]

Re: SSR questions??

And while I am at it I might just as well ask what is the favorite color? Tom

[Kent K.]

Re: SSR questions??

Yellow, Red, Black.

[Joe L.]

Re: SSR questions??

I am looking at SSR'S and would like opinions.Most I have looked at are very low mileage! Other than engine sizes what are the major differences? Is it worth going for an 05-06 to get the LS-2? What years are the best to buy and why? Which years get the best fuel milage? Most have 3:73 gears in the rear with the towing package so I don't expect great mileage. Thanks in advance Tom

Tom----

Yes, it's worth it to look for a later model with the LS-2; earlier models with the 5.3L are GROSSLY underpowered, The SSR is a very heavy vehicle.

Which get the best mileage? NONE get good mileage. My brother bought an 06 new and tells me it gets terrible mileage. I have a friend with an older one with the 5.3 and he tells me his gets terrible mileage. Neither of them ever use it for towing, either.

[Tyler T.]

Re: SSR questions??

If you damage any of the body work finding a replacement will be near impossible. GM outsourced the panels to companies that have gone out of business. Call a good body shop and ask aboutgetting one fixed after a wreck.

Tyler

[Bernard M.]

Re: SSR questions??

Tom,
I sold my 2004 SSR to buy my 07 Corvette. I had it three years. It is a fun toy but... There is absolutely no room inside the cab. The top consumes all the space behind the seats so my wife had to put her purse on the floor at her feet. Everything else went in the bed. It's useless for hauling anything in the carpeted bed. I did tow a utility trailer with mine on several occasions; several one-way hauls of 500 miles. We traveled in it like we would now travel in the Corvette. We used the bed for luggage and it's actually pretty small. Many items would fit easier in the trunk of my wife's Cadillac CTS. Gas mileage was about as advertised; 18 highway. It is heavy, 5400 pounds curb weight but even the smaller 300HP 5.3 was adequate for what it was. All in all, I'd recommend a used late model Corvette instead. By the way, I sustained damage to one of the rear fenders. Take a look at the body. That panel extends from the rear bumper to the back edge of the door and has a fender formed into it that takes special tooling. I had very good luck with the replacement and the painter was dead on matching the paint - no small feat, mine was Ultraviolet.
Bernie Myers

[Tom S.]

Re: SSR questions??

Thanks for all the great input. I have 2 corvettes and was looking for something else to play with. Maybe I should rethink this idea and just get another corvette.If I do get a SSR I think I will stay with the newer ones with the LS-2. Thanks again for the input !! Tom

[Clem Z.]

Re: SSR questions??

Thanks for all the great input. I have 2 corvettes and was looking for something else to play with. Maybe I should rethink this idea and just get another corvette.If I do get a SSR I think I will stay with the newer ones with the LS-2. Thanks again for the input !! Tom

get the turbocharged HHR SS. 260 HP in that little car makes it fun to drive. a friend bought a black one and his wife told him it looked like a hearse so he has his last name put in the back side windows and now it does looks like a mini hearse. here is a write up. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2...26/074040.html

[Tom S.]

Re: SSR questions??

My wife has an 08 HHR with the 3 lt package and the 2.4 liter engine. It is a nice little truck and the fuel mileage around town is abot 23 avearge. On the highway it is not much better. It only gets 25-26, I am not happy with that.. I get that with my 08 Vette..Tom

[Kent K.]

Re: SSR questions??

Yellow, Red, Black.

Sorry, Tom. My responce didn't even come close to addressing the question. I would not attempt using an SSR to towing. I would probably get an extended cab or 4-door pick-up with a diesel engine and towing package.

[Jim B.]

Re: SSR questions??

I would reccommend a Trailblazer SS. It has the LS2, 395HP and has a towing rating of 6900lbs plus is a midsize SUV with all the seats and storage. It is almost 1000 lbs lighter than the SSR (2WD) and comes in AWD as well.

I have one and while the mileage is not great, it beats an SSR and is very fast. Most get a high 13 sec quarter.

Check it out.

[Joe L.]

Re: SSR questions??

My wife has an 08 HHR with the 3 lt package and the 2.4 liter engine. It is a nice little truck and the fuel mileage around town is abot 23 avearge. On the highway it is not much better. It only gets 25-26, I am not happy with that.. I get that with my 08 Vette..Tom

Tom-----


That's EXACTLY the problem with most US-built "small" cars with 4 cylinder engines. They get MPG that's only marginally better than intermediate size or, even, large cars with V-6 engines.

I once had a 1980 Honda Civic GL with 5 speed. That car performed great and was a lot of fun to drive. From the time I purchased it new until I sold it with 190,000 miles on it, it averaged 38 MPG. I still have the log book I registered every tank of gas I put in the car. Other than hybrids, you'd be hard-pressed to find ANY car today that would even come close to 38 MPG AVERAGE. I don't understand why they could do it 28 years ago, but not today.

[Bill W.]

Re: SSR questions??

I work at a Chevy body shop.SSR parts can be very hard to get . We just sent a repairable roll over to the bone yard because the ins. co. was afraid it would be tied up 6 months + waiting on parts. Even small things like outside mirrors are discontinued. Ive heard some are being bought back due to no parts ?.....Bill

[Clem Z.]

Re: SSR questions??

Tom-----


That's EXACTLY the problem with most US-built "small" cars with 4 cylinder engines. They get MPG that's only marginally better than intermediate size or, even, large cars with V-6 engines.

I once had a 1980 Honda Civic GL with 5 speed. That car performed great and was a lot of fun to drive. From the time I purchased it new until I sold it with 190,000 miles on it, it averaged 38 MPG. I still have the log book I registered every tank of gas I put in the car. Other than hybrids, you'd be hard-pressed to find ANY car today that would even come close to 38 MPG AVERAGE. I don't understand why they could do it 28 years ago, but not today.

back them you did not have A/C,crumple zone and all the other govt mandated safety stuff. the weight hurts the MPG now.

[Joe L.]

Re: SSR questions??

back them you did not have A/C,crumple zone and all the other govt mandated safety stuff. the weight hurts the MPG now.

clem-----


Yes, weight is a big factor in the poor-to-mediocre MPG that cars get these days. The KEY to greatly improving this is getting the weight out. If they don't go in that direction, I don't think they'll ever be able to make major strides in fuel economy.

After the 1973 "oil shock", I came very close to buying a 1974 Lotus Europa. This was an extremely high performance car that got outstanding fuel economy. The whole key there was it was astoundingly light. To buy it at that time, though, I would had to have sold my 1969 Corvette. In the end, I didn't want to do that. Parts availability problems was another issue for the Lotus, especially when I would be driving it on a day-to-day basis. Still, I think about that car all the time.