If family matters, skip the minivan
In retrospect, maybe I shouldn’t have taken my five-months-pregnant wife to the winding Tail of the Dragon road on our way to Daytona Beach in the 2016 Chevrolet SS sedan. In my defense, she hadn’t had morning sickness in months. But after her third bout of vomiting, I had to admit that the 300-turn rising and running mountain road may have not been the smartest idea. Regardless, the baby-friendly 415-hp SS sedan is something that looks to save us all from a life of sluggish minivans and nerdy crossovers.
The rear-wheel-drive SS is one of the last of a dying segment, and this particular sedan isn’t long for this world, either. All Chevy would guarantee was that it would be around in 2017. When Holden ceases production in Australia, no successor is planned. And that’ll be a shame, because after about 20 hours in the large-but-low-key sedan, families need this car: If not for the snarling 6.2-liter V8 that delivers 415 lb-ft of twist along with the same horsepower, then maybe for the new-for-2016 dual-mode exhaust that sounds about 80 percent of the way to the new Camaro. The difference is that this car has space for four. And, the NHTSA-required LATCH system is perfect for baby hotshoe. Did we mention it comes with a manual transmission?
The SS keeps everything family friendly (read: right side up) with help from GM’s latest Magnetic Ride Control system, which is standard and adjustable through the drive model select dial on the center console. The front suspension has MacPherson struts with multiple links and a stabilizer bar. In back, drivers get three lateral ball joints per side, a rubber mounted frame and lightweight aluminum components are used all around. Brembo brakes measuring 14 inches in front and 14.2 inches in back are standard as well, as is a 3.27 axle ratio in automatic-equipped cars. A 3.70 is matched with the manual.
The SS isn’t low enough to get hung up on uneven ground.
What’s it like to drive?
Chevy saw fit to install snow boots for the pilgrimage down to Daytona Beach (just a scant 18 years after my original spring break), and thank god it did. After about six uneventful hours in Ohio, we made it to the Kentucky hills at night, alongside rumbling and fearless semi-truck drivers, in the middle of a raging blizzard.
The SS kept its nose pointed straight most of the time, with the Blizzaks clawing for traction through the 2 inches of slush. I dropped it into touring mode — the most restrained of the three options — for the harrowing portion of the trip, and kept the traction control fully engaged. Only when we crossed lanes on the throttle did the car get skittish. And it was on those narrow lanes where the SS felt every bit of its full size.
Once the weather cleared in the morning, we were off from Knoxville, Tennessee, towards the Tail down US 129 with a spring in our step and 19 gallons of cheap premium fuel in the tank. If you were thinking about jumping into a thirsty V8, now is the time. With any luck, it’ll be paid off before gas goes back to $ 4 per gallon.
Either way, burning that gas up is easy. The heavy throttle pedal begs to be pushed, and the dual-mode exhaust sounds throaty in the louder sport and performance modes. We averaged a little less than 17 mpg on the trip, much of which was spent hovering in the barely legal range. Thankfully, depending on your point of view, the Chevy SS isn’t a car that jumps out in a crowd. In the new slipstream blue paint, it blends in with other big sedans, and we passed quite a few highway patrolmen without a second look.
The clutch pedal gave me a little pause, as it was too easy to push down and too sensitive at the catch point. Like many of these faster cars with easy clutches, it makes it hard to modulate cleanly when taking off. It did spring back quickly, though, which is good for full-throttle shifts in second, third and fourth if you’re feeling brave.
When we finally made it to the Tail, it took about 10 minutes for Mrs. Road Test Editor to wave the hand in surrender. We pulled off, she threw up, we continued.
The SS can handle the gentle sweepers and gradual rising spans of the northern portion of US 129, but the tight switchbacks and dropoffs of the actual Tail were a lot for the brute to handle.
During most driving, the 3,960-pound sedan belies its weight. On the gas, it shoots out of the box like a rubber band and the brakes bite down with only a few inches of travel. When sawing at the wheel, though, you’ll need some muscle. Granted, I’d rather have a steering setup that’s a little too heavy than a little too light, and it was sufficiently direct, but the combination of the weight and winter tires had me wanting for more road feel. It was still as enjoyable as all get out (for me) on one of the best driving roads in the country. About halfway through, we pulled off again for another round of puking.
The sporty, black SS-embroidered seats were comfortable over the long drive. I didn’t experience a numbing of the backside, though I did have a little tailbone pain as we rolled into Daytona Beach on Friday night. I would ask for a little more adjustment because knee support is low. As for lateral moves, the buckets pretty much held me in place around the switchbacks. They’re heated and cooled, too, which is a bonus over long drives when the back tends to get sweaty no matter the cabin temperature. The interior is relatively simple otherwise, with big knobs for radio tuning and climate control on the central dash. As for complaints, the armrest is a little low for resting the elbow between shifts, and the cup holders are placed directly where your arm would fall. That necessitated placing the road trip drinks in doors, which are always forgotten and quickly lose their fizz. The central console also has some swatches of chrome, which blind you when the sun is at a certain angle. Still, it’s not a bad place to spend a few dozen hours with your pregnant wife, afternoon sickness or no.
Mrs. Road Test Editor feeling victorious with an empty stomach.
Do I want it?
The SS is plenty big for a family of four, if not five with a bambino or two. The trunk is massive, easily swallowing luggage for two for a week with space to spare. Add to that cheap gas and snow tires, and this could be your (my) family’s next car. As big, American rear-wheel-drive sedans go, there aren’t many choices anyway. There’s the Charger SRT and, that’s about it. And the Charger doesn’t offer a manual transmission.
The 2016 SS comes in at $ 48,570 including destination and the federally mandated gas guzzler fee. The only options are the sunroof ($ 900) and a full-size spare ($ 500). The manual is free. That sticker falls pretty close to the SRT, which starts at about $ 53,000. Obviously the V8-equipped, rear-wheel drive BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes of the world are a good bit more.
So, for your next family car, do you want a mostly front-wheel-drive crossover, a frumpy minivan that couldn’t find a racetrack if it was on one, or this? Besides, Road Test Editor Jr. is going to have to get used driving roads like the Tail of the Dragon, either now or later. May as well start now.
