Well, it is done. The car is gone, and I’m currently drowning my sorrows at a bar across the street from the dealer and writing this post in an attempt to make myself feel better about selling a car I dreamed about as a kid.
I purchased the car in January 2021 during the great LT1 bonanza. Prior to purchase, I had sold my VW GTI (non-leased) and was car-less. Of course my wife wanted me to get something sensible and economic, like a Corolla. But I got creative with the numbers and theoretical “future value.” I’ll never forget exclaiming, “it’s literally cheaper to drive a Camaro than a Corolla!” She reviewed the numbers and begrudgingly agreed.
The car was delivered shortly thereafter and naturally, I was smitten. Call it “love at first sight.” And I absolutely LOVED it. The car was a blast. I know my LT1-lease brethren understand. I don’t think there has ever been a leasing opportunity that provided as much FUN at this price point, and I doubt there ever will be.
But it wasn’t all roses and burnouts. My brutally honest review of the car? Everything I’d heard about Chevy eventually rang true. The car was not a well made, refined vehicle - and I only ended up driving it for 18 months! I could provide a bullet-point list of all the things wrong with it, but this post is getting too long already.
What the car did right is put a smile on my face every time I mashed the throttle. 455 horses may not be a ton of power in this day and age, but I will say that it was plenty enough to have made the whole experience worth it.
Anyway, the numbers:
MSRP: $38,360.00
Sale price: $37,133.15
Down payment: $500
Monthly: $350.62
Months owned: 18
Total cost: $6811.16
Pay off when sold: $30,994.52
Sold for: $43,380.00
Pics for proof. Thank you Lease Hackr for giving me the opportunity to enjoy an amazing vehicular experience.
Definitely. I am in Southern California FYI. The offer came from KBB Instant Cash Offer via a dealer website. I actually received a slightly higher offer, but the dealer was a little farther away.
When filling out the form that generated the higher offer, I accidentally skipped the “exterior condition” portion, and selected “premium wheels 20” + “ when it should’ve been “alloy wheels.” The offer was already very generous, and I was concerned that they would use those errors as a way to bring it down substantially. I filled out the same form for the closer dealer, notated every possible scratch and imperfection, and was given the exact deal from the KBB ICO.
If anyone is in the San Diego area, Kearny Mesa Chevrolet was the higher offer.
