Chevy SSR Forum banner

Is the SSR for me (and my wife)?

3K views 20 replies 11 participants last post by  randynbarb 
#1 ·
Please bear with me on this. Ya'll have knowledge that could help me and I would appreciate same. My wife and I have raised five kids and the youngest has just one more year of h.s. and then there will just be two of us and I have been strongly considering an SSR for about next spring. Now that I read black over silver will be available and they offer a decent engine with 6 speed, I think I can make a case for one and about next spring, another vehicle will have enough miles on it I can easily justify getting rid of it. So --- here is the quandry --- Momma has been through this with me SO-OOOOO many times already as I bought Vettes, LT4 F-Bodies, a Lingenfelter 383, trucks we didn't need, etc. She says I cannot make a case for the SSR vs. a Vette because the SSR will rust out and the Vette has better resale even though that does not matter much since we would be keeping either for many years. I get my vehicles rustproofed at OilGard in Windsor, Ontario and it works, but I really have no good comeback for why I want the SSR other than it has such dropdead good looks! I think that should be enough, but I REALLY would appreciate your suggestions and do NOT suggest a divorce, please!!! Happy Friday the 13th and thank you! ....also, my wife can drive sticks but her knees now tell her not to but this proposed vehicle will not be our only vehicle so a stick should work but a 6 speed auto would make this more doable in her eyes....... Any chance a competitive auto will make it into the SSR before they cancel it? Guesses? thnx again all!
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Other people with bad legs have said the SSR is way better to sit in than the Vette. In fact they choose the SSR over the Vette for exactly that reason.

Also, while I got the 6 speed, I test drove the auto. The auto has this way cool feeling of having infinite power. You punch the gas about half way down, the engine get a deep growl, and the automatic kind of slingshots you up to 60 before you know it.
 
#3 ·
Quandry

My wife wasn't very happy that I bought an SSR at first (she thought it was just another toy for me), but after she drove it a few times, she really liked it.
It was smaller than the Sierra 4x4, easier to manuver, great for getting the groceries, bettter for stopping at the drive up window at the bank (maybe I shouldn't mention that one), comfortable to sit and drive for long periods of time (I believe she's put more miles on it than I have), very easy to get in and out of with the top up or down (don't have to fall down into it, or climb out of it like you do with the vette), and bad knees aren't a problem in the SSR, with the 6.0 plenty of power to get up and go,with the 5.3 still pretty good get up and go along with 19-22 mpg on the highway. Largewr cargo area than the vette for shopping at the mall (oops, maybe I shouldn't mention that either), OH YEH, and it's the coolest looking vehicle any car company has produced in a long time.
Everyone has differant tastes, but in my opinion, once you get one you'll both love it.
And don't forget the attention it will get, so brush up on all the info you can so that you can impress them with your knowledge of the vehicle too.

HOPE YOU CAN CONVINCE HER.
 
#4 ·
I had a Chevy extended cab z71, looked around at several other trucks, it came down to two, Checy SSr and Ford Lightning. Ford sat up to high but I liked the supercharger concept. The look on the wifes face at the SSr told me it would be a hard sell to her.

Dealer gave me the keys for a test drive, pulled off the lot and nailed it to the floor. Her eyes looked like they were going to bug out of her head. (she's into speed, 03 350z) After driving around for about half a day, she was liking it more and more. One other thing she didn't know about was the top. When I told her it was a convertable, she says, oh they make it with a soft top. Foot on the brake push the button :ssr and her eyes lit up again. She says lets talk to the dealer.

Forget the resale approach, you won't get very far with it. Go with the, how many SSR's have you seen in the last year approach. Let her test drive it, my wife wouldn't even attempt to drive the z71, but she was looking for an excuse to drive the SSr.

Mines an 04 with automatic, I use mine as a daily driver and couldn't stand the clutch in rush hour. Whenever I need a dose of clutching in rush hour I ride the Harley. Plus with the Predator programmer, the auto shifting has firmed up and is plenty fun to drive.

Good luck in getting one, just remember to let her drive and put the top down. :)
 
#5 ·
Hey...no problem with this wife when my guy lusted after them. He has worked hard all his life and, I figure, if it makes him happy then I'm happy. Plus, it's just plain COOL driving around in one, top up or down, doesn't matter. In addition to all the practical reasons for having one (and we've had over 15 various classic cars and trucks in our 10 years together, so I'm a fanatic as well and know pretty much everything about whatever comes out on the market-new or old) all of the attention is overwhelming. Double takes, high fives, low fives from the bikers... fun stuff! I'd wager she will love it if she doesn't have all the facts in hand. Give her a chance! :cool
 
#6 ·
thnx!

Great input, so far! Thnx! I wish I knew how to e-mail Barb's post to Momma...... We are getting another new truck in a week or two so right now is not the best time to approach her about this, but we have a vehicle that would be right to sell about next spring and I think I may be able to make a case for the SSR. Thnx again all!
 
#7 ·
My wife loves it - another Corvette was a definite "over my dead body". I've had a couple of Vettes, and as much as I enjoyed the driving, the reaction to it was nothing like the SSR, and although I haven't seen it mentioned much, a lot of it was negative - looks, stares, the odd middle finger salute.

You'd have to have a mint 56 Vette to even have the Rod guys notice one, but they were all over the SSR. I was going the opposite direction during a rod run last year, and was really taken back by the number of waves and thumbs up from them - that never happened in the Vette.

If you enjoy taking cruises, the SSR is your ticket. We took a 3 week holiday last fall, cruising the west coast, mostly top down. You can't take two large suitcases, two small ones, a laptop, and some clothes bags, and still have room for the odd purchase in a Corvette - and still have the top down.

I planned to purchase a 3000 mile/year garage queen (bought it used with 6 K on it) Parked it mid November with 24000 miles on it, and grinned through every one of them. My wife was with me for most of those miles - and she comes up with some of the darnedest reasons for taking it out - like "I feel like getting an ice cream tonight" Oh darn - another 15 mile top down cruise to get to the ice cream shop!!!


Ray
 
#8 ·
Great Story!

You and the missus are having fun and there is nothing better but I really am about 40 years past the point of caring if anyone else sees me driving something or approves of it. When some punk gives me the finger, I try to not let them see me see it and that is very frustrating to them or if they see me see their idiocy, I smile at them and pretend to kiss them and that drives young punks bonkers!!!!!!!! Screw the rest of the world, the SSR sounds a whole lot more comfortable and even a bit more practical than a Vette. Now tell me Michigan winters and salt will not screw it up and the chrome alum wheels will not stain quickly like the wheels on two of my LT4 Firehawks' did in the winter even though I did a lot to keep them clean. Momma remembers we have done real well on Vette resale but I will just have to try the resale only matters if you sell it approach. Thnx again! ...oh, hey! I need to ask again .... anyone heard about a better auto coming? 6 speed, maybe? anyone?
 
#9 ·
Danko,

My biggest and most whole hearted suggestion is to take your wife to test drive one...no amount of info will tell you what that did for my wife. As for the 6-speed auto, haven't heard anything about it, but there are many more here with better contacts, but I drive the 05 with an auto, and for daily driving (and the occasional WHOAH!) it does great...

Good luck!
 
#10 ·
Well my wife didn't care for my 04 when I got it, Seems every time I wanted to go some place she would say lets take the Caddy, Well after a few rides in the SSR the Caddy has been parked for a long time, Now it is her SSR, For me I was shot a couple of times way back in the old war and for me it is easy to get in and out, Of coruse I have to have someone with me to get the chair out of the back, I just had a ground force kit put on it and they should come that way, A supercharger is on order to, I could talk all day about why, The truth is I saw it and had to have it and we won't be here that long so have some fun while you can, You sure can't take it with you and it takes you back in time for a little while, Now how much is that worth
 
#11 · (Edited)
FUZZY said:
Larger cargo area than the vette for shopping at the mall (oops, maybe I shouldn't mention that either)
Actually, just barely. 22.5 cubic feet in the SSR bed, 22.4 cubes under the hatch glass of a new C6 coupe. (And the C6 hatch is a tiny bit smaller than a C5's!)

One could always take the lid off the SSR bed though, which adds spillover space (I can move a pinball machine in the SSR, could not with my Vette).

Danko, I may be mistaken but I could have sworn I saw ya over at CorvetteForum. If not I apologize.

At any rate, I just went straight from a C5 coupe to an SSR strictly for the comfort reasons mentioned - My SO couldn't get in and out of the Vette without major knee pain, and sitting in it for periods of time was awful on her. (I personally like the C6 enough to have "upgraded", but not at the price they're asking right now, so I've never even taken her along to see if it worked better for her.) Anyways - we found a still-new 04 SSR at a decent discount and pulled the trigger.

Think about it this way, re SSR vs. Corvette. It's a tough call, to be sure.

- SSR maintains the same cargo volume as a vette coupe, but it's a vert. (Vette verts get way less cargo space, but the Targa top in the coupe is a great middle ground.)

- SSR ride height is about on par with most crossover-SUVs, so it's easy to get in and out of.

- SSR and Vette share the same basic layout "in practice"; certainly not in automotive platform, but I mean 2 seats + V8 + cargo space + unique bodystyle.

- SSR doesn't have the neck-snapping accel and laser-precision feel that a Vette does.

- Then again, SSR doesn't have the "I'm an @$$hole" look to it a Vette does. (sad but true)

- SSR is a much rarer vehicle, even in subdued colors it'll stick out like a sore thumb - this can be good OR bad.

- In the end, it comes down to whether you want a sports rocket or a boulevard cruiser. I personally want a little of both, so it was hard for me to take the 04 over the 05 SSR, but hey, I use regular gas, and I can mod the crap out of the 5.3 if I wanna. I still lust after a C6, but if the 06 SSR comes out the way I think it will, I may go for that instead.

Edit: Also realize that if you're a fan of creature comforts, the new Vette is appointed out the wazoo, and is VERY much refined over the C5. Like somebody sprinkled magic luxury-car dust in the recipe - the road noise and intrusive engine drone have disappeared. Just another thought for comparison.
 
#12 ·
thnx!

Excellent advice all! Dave, if I was at a Vette forum, I may have been asking about when an auto is coming with more than four gears, just like I ask here. You mention going with the '04 SSR and being able to use reg gas. Does that mean '05 SSR's require premium or are you comparing to Vettes? Looks like I will be dickering for a deal on a two-tone '06 SSR 6 speed about Feb. Anyone wanna guess what the two-tone option will cost?
 
G
#13 ·
From the estrogen side....

Digital said:
Danko,

My biggest and most whole hearted suggestion is to take your wife to test drive one...no amount of info will tell you what that did for my wife....

:thumbs I have to agree with Digital - and offer this... It was my decision to purchase the SSR - I loved it from the start and I had to convince my hubby (now there's a switch!). He said we didn't need another vehicle with only 2 seats (our other is HIS Z06).

I went to a dealer and he let me take it home for the weekend (smart man) to test drive. I asked my hubby to take it for a spin (after I raved about all the features, coolness etc) - that was the deciding factor, he drove it for the rest of the weekend, was impressed with the "handling" for a truck and the get-up and go, and I got my baby on Monday morning.

If your wife is willing to take it out for a ride, I think she will be pleasantly impressed.

Best of luck - keep us up to date!

:angel
 
#14 ·
Danko,

I'm in about the same position. My youngest is out of High School this year and it's finally my turn to have a new car. I've kept my boys in heavy semi-junkers that were paid for and required only liability insurance. And, yes, the strategy did pay off. The oldest totaled his car and walked away from it. Technically it wasn't his fault...late at night, flashing red/yellow intersection...he had the yellow and came through the intersection with all the caution an 18yr old can muster just as the other car came through the red (another young driver that thought a flashing red was a four way stop!!!). Heavy Detroit steel probably saved his life.

Anyway, it was finally MY TURN, and here's the thought process I went through:

- Any male over age 40 looks like a pathetic old pervert trying to recapture his youth by driving a new vette. The image is only enhanced when you stop and struggle to get out of the car gracefully. The good thing about the SSR is that you have gravity working "fer" you rather than "agin" you.

- A sporty Mercedes or Jaguar is a good choice and you've upgraded your image to being a RICH pathetic old pervert. A step up, but not there yet.

- A nice conservative sedan is good. You can blend into the surroundings and not worry about being noticed.


The SSR has the sporty image and looks like an expensive car, but still maintains some feel as a practical "pickup truck". The reaction to the truck is always positive. I get envious second looks from the vette and expensive sports car crowd, and a lot of thumbs up...particularly from drivers of the female persuasion. The SSR crosses the boundary from being a pathetic pervert to having style and class. It's great to be at a stop light on a sunny day and hit the convertible button. For a true pathetic old pervert like me, it's loads of fun to have a car full of giggling college girls pull along side and ask questions about the truck and say how cool it is and how much they like it. (you may not want to try this argument on your wife)

Style, performance, cargo area, convertible at the touch of a button, expensive look, reasonable price, admittance into the exclusive Fanatic club, constant favorable comments, envy of the sports car group......Its a slam dunk.

Texster68
 
#15 · (Edited)
Texster, Thnx but, Nope, we are actually not much alike even if we have done some similar things. I put both of my sons into 1979 Town Cars and let them bang the crap out of them and then when I thought they had had enough, they got a 383 Lingenfelter Camaro and a LT4 Firehawk and totalled them. You mention image, being noticed, sporty image, blending, reaction, envious second looks, having style and class, expensive look, etc. NOT ME!!!!!!!! Screw everyone else's opinions of how I look *if you saw how I look you would better understand!)! To me, having class does not include caring about others' opinions. Style, maybe. But then I also understand the difference between style and fashion. I am not insecure enough to give a damn about anyone's opinion other than mine and my wife's as to how I look in a vehicle. Really! Thnx, tho. You mention unAmerican vehicles. NOPE! I am American! What I need to know is do the '05's require premium and what I would like to know eventually is how much the two-tone option will cost. For now, the SSR seems to be a good way for us to go, especially if I trade one of my F150 HarleyDavidsons in on it and the other HD in on a car for Momma, Magnum SRT-8, possibly. nah, Canadian car, Mexican engine, German company. I will have to talk Momma into something else.
 
#17 ·
premium fuel is recommended but not required. If there is spark knock due to the use of lower octane fuel the knock sensors will retard the timing and you might notice some reduced power and this will cause no damage to the engine.
 
#20 ·
ethanol SUX!

Another reason to not use ethanol is because it takes 17 gallons of ethanol to do what 10 gallons of gasoline does. Recent rumors suggest that differential is narrowing but I have not heard/read any newer numbers. THAT is why ethanol is cheaper. It HAS to be as more of us find out how inefficient it is.
 
#21 ·
We are ageing post-verts (well, I am anyway) and the wway I look at it, if it feels good, isn't too illegal, doesn't harm anyone else, then do it! I lost a husband suddenly without warning and for no apparent reason, so this time I'm doing whatever I can to make sure this one is happy and I'm right beside him grinning all the way. We've been lucky enough to be able to have a few cool toys in our 10 years together and have come to the conclusion that we're gonna use them, not save them for the state to sell off when we're gone. We take excellent care of our toys and are gonna have fun with them. Simple.... :cool
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top