shawn784

I am in the market for a daily driver.

Between the Camaro ZL1 and the Challenger SRT8/392, which would be the better daily driver?

Both can be had for around 35k with low mileage.

Drive around 12k miles a year, need 4 seats sometimes, not to concerned about the difference in gas mileage.

Live in Tennessee with 4 seasons but get very little snow mostly rain.

JerriVette

If you plan to keep a long time I'd buy the dodge scat PAC for 40 grand new....and I d buy in the first 3 years of ownership the lifetime unlimited mileage warranty....(2600 dollars)

It's not transferable but the lifetime mopar warranty rocks...

Even if you buy privately owned used you can still purchase the lifetime warranty within the first three years..

If your going to make it a long term daily driver...that lifetime full warranty from molar kicks @ss...

I prefer the zL1 but as a daily driver that lifetime mopar warranty gets me to move towards the dodge,

I'd buy a hellcat challenger as a loooong term daily driver with the warranty ...just keep it a long long time to justify the added cost to get the supercharger...

shawn784

thanks for the reply.

i was originally considering a used 2006-2008 z06 but without a warranty and such a low ground clearance would make it a difficult dd. A new engine installed on a z06 would probably be over 10k easily.

I was unaware of the lifetime warranty that is offered on the challenger.

I can get a 2013 or possibly a 2014 zl1 for around 35k and still have a warranty going into 2018 and if i bought the extended warranty probably into 2020 or 2021.

Any idea what warranty terms GM offers and at about what cost?

A fully loaded 2015 scat pack with around 10k miles can be had for 35k but a srt 392 can be had for around 40k.

what about cost of ownership between the 392 and zl1?

Crushinator

I had a '15 Scat Pack Challenger as my daily driver for about 6 months. I was going to keep in and put snow tires on it for the winter, but I pussed out and went front wheel drive instead.

The Challenger makes a great daily driver. It very comfortable, has a great ride, handles...ok at best and isn't too bad on gas. Mine averaged around 22mpg on 45mph back roads, up and down hills.

It is a surprisingly quick car. I say that, not because it only has 485 horsepower, but because it's a huge car. You feel the mass when you're driving it. The hood is big enough to land a helicopter on it. It's as wide as a Sherman tank and feel damn near as heavy when you're driving it. But the car flat out hauls ***. The 392 makes gobs of torque down low and pulls like crazy to redline. Mine was an 8 speed auto and the shifts are instant. So there is no hesitation in power delivery when the car shifts. It's a solid mid to low 12 second car. Let me put it this way, a great driver in a automatic 392 Challenger or Charger, will beat a good driver in a 6 speed ZL1 in a quarter mile drag race.

Biggest problem I found with the Scat Pack are the 245 tires on the back. They're way too small. The car will spin the tires at 40 mph in second gear pretty easily. Which is great for showing off, but sucks for going as quickly as you can.

Hell, guys have gone high 11's with just drag radials in the 8 speed Scat Packs.

I'd still have mine but I just couldn't trust 485 horsepower in the snow even with snow tires.

shawn784

which car you think is going to hold its value better and be cheaper to own?

i can get a scat pack or 392 easily here in town but there is not one zl1 for sale within 100 miles of here.

i am sure i would be happy with either one but on a side note the zl1 can easily make more power with add ons.

also still have not decided on manual vs auto yet....

bob guzzy

Chrysler products have always suffered with not so great resale.

Keep that in mind, I would buy a Hellcat if it wasn't for the resale the only way you can get a decent return is to not drive it, but why buy it if your not going to use it.

shawn784

my thought was a 2013 zl1 vs a 2015 scat pack is about the same price but the scat pack is going to lose more value than the zl1 would over the same period.

i plan on keeping the vehicle at least 4 or 5 years maybe longer.

Crushinator

Neither one is going to hold value better than the other at this point. The Scat pack will, at least give you some warranty where a $35K ZL1 is most likely out of warranty.

But yes, a ZL1 has the potential to make a ton more power with little money.

White Out

How big of a car do you need?
Which one looks better to you?
Are you going to track the car at all or keep it on the street?

four0nefive

ZL1

Pros:
- better resale (if you're worried about that)
- better handling/lighter
- smaller (than the Challenger)
- better brakes

Pro/Con: 580 HP (probably fun, but if you care about mpg, it's a con)

Cons:
- not as nice of an interior
- visibility (no personal experience, just what I've heard)
- smaller interior (rear seats are smaller)

Challenger

Pros:
- better visibility
- nicer interior
- larger rear seats
- lifetime Mopar warranty

Cons:
- doesn't handle as good as Camaro
- price (can be had used for ~ $35k, but probably harder to find)

Hope this helped.

shawn784

need to have 4 seats when i occasionally have extra people.

i think both cars look good.

will be a street car and very rarely at strip. will not be to a track ever.

shawn784

very well done. this sums up almost exactly what i have been thinking.

i am leaning towards the zl1 because its a better overall vehicle, but how often as a DD are you going to notice the 580hp, the better handling and brakes?

i have never had a vehicle as powerful as the zl1, but i would assume on all season tires or even summer tires, it would be difficult to not break loose trying to connect 580 to the ground.

2fast4ya

I have a 15 camaro ss 1le with Magnusson supercharger that puts down 580whp that my wife drives daily, 6spd with summer tires and she has no trouble driving it. Terrible trunk space, back seat is a joke, visibility in back is poor but back up camera fixes that, handling is very good, brakes are strong, gas mpg is around 17 average, and recaro seats are very comfy with seat heaters that go up much of your back and the bottom.

We traded in a loaded 2012 300 srt8 for it. Great power, looked classy, huge trunk, so so handling, great brakes, 20mpg average, car was in the shop a lot. Got tired of all the little things that went wrong.

FaSSt67

If you plan on putting anyone in the back seat get the Challenger. The Camaros back seats are awful.

Dominic Toretto

Wow, wasn't aware ZL1s were that cheap now.

-Alex

Vette_Minded

That's a pretty good summary. I'd only add that the rear visibility is an over blown complaint IMO. My wife DD a 2013 V6 RS Camaro and with the side mirrors adjusted properly there really is no issue but it does take a little getting used to.

Bucknut2006

I'd consider a CTS-V along with the ZL1. Two or 4 doors plus better visibility and leg room, plus practically the same weight. Shares the same suspension, brakes, engines and transmission. There are minor differences in those components but subtle. Might not handle as well, but not a factor on the streets.

Cadillac also offers a 4yr/40k warranty and then 100k powertrain. The GM extended warranty can then be added on top of that if you want additional security. We have forum vendors that can assist with that.

hawkgfr

No they haven't lol....Challengers srt's and 392 r/t's and Ram trucks in particular hold value very well...

hawkgfr

Its a chevy...

Wulverine

You just described a corvette to a T, not a Hellcat.