[Dick Boneske]

Reading the posts on the SS makes it clear that most of you don't like any of the attempts by GM, Ford, or Chrysler to build performance cars. Below is what I gathered from the comments. It also tells me you haven't driven one of these cars.

*GM's 2004-2006 GTO's were not retro enough. The SS is not a Pontiac and costs too much.

*Ford's 2015 Mustang looks too much like a '69, costs too much.

*Chrysler's Challenger, Charger, & Hellcat weigh too much--4300 lb., and cost too much.

Having owned a 2000 Bonneville SSEi, a 2004 GTO, a 2007 Grand Prix GXP, and now a Chevrolet SS, I can tell you GM is doing very well in the performance sedan area!

I'll never get over the fact that Pontiac no longer exists, but face the reality that there are much better performance cars now than when our beloved Firebirds, GTO's, Grand Prix's, and others were new. I'm reminded of that whenever I drive my '64 GTO or my wife's.

Prices seem high when looking at dollars on the window sticker, but adjusted for inflation, not really priced higher. I earned $9,500/yr. in 1970, not a bad salary for then. I earned about $74k/yr. in 2004 when I retired. In both 1970 and 2004, a decent sedan cost about half my yearly salary (1970 Grand Prix $4900, 2004 GTO $32,000). You get features on new cars today that we never even dreamt about in the '60's and '70's.

We nearly bought a '09 G8, but passed on it because it had no heads-up display, driver memory, heated seats, etc. Our 2000 Bonneville did have all these toys and my wife had gotten used to them and wanted them on our new car. We compromised and bought a '09 Buick Enclave--a great crossover, but definitely not a performance sedan.

In some ways, the SS reminds us of the G8 we almost bought, but it has much better tires for performance, huge Brembo brakes, a high performance automatic transmission, 21 mpg highway, 12 second quarter mile times out of the showroom, and all the bells & whistles we've become accustomed to--heads-up display, heated seats, Bluetooth, Navigation, driver memory seat and mirror settings, CD/FM/XM, 10-way power seats, collision avoidance, automatic 2-way a/c, rear camera, Stabilitrak, rain-sensing wipers, etc. It will also park itself if you choose to use that option.

I don't understand all the negativity toward the SS. If you don't like the bells & whistles along with 12 second quarter miles, buy a Plain-Jane sedan for $18K.