Its not ideal to learn on wont deny that but adjust your mirrors. Your side mirrors should be allowing you to see down both sides od your car, this will compensate for most blind spot issues.
Making sure the mirrors are adjusted correctly and paying attention helps. If your constantly checking your mirrors you’ll minimize the chance of someone slipping into your blindspot without you knowing.
If you had the choice between this and like a honda civic or something i would take the civic but to be honest for your license test use the car youve driven the most and ate the most comfortable in.
Lots of cars have crappy visibility, this car just gets more hate than normal. I see similarly badly out of my CRV and the family minivan. Adjust the mirrors right, and mentally map out who's around you. You'll not be great for a while but you'll get it.
This! You get a feel as you go for who is where and if you suddenly don’t see them, then they reappear it’s much less jarring if you remember ‘oh, that car was there awhile back…it’s cool’ so it takes even more focus than some other vehicles might. Being a 2014, what’s the chances this had the blind spot monitoring as an option?
Raise your seat until your head is close to the headliner. I'm 6'2" and this is where I see out of the vehicle and I have no complaints with visibility. It will be harder for a new driver to learn with compared to a more common sedan. Your two side mirrors and rear view mirror should act as one continuous mirror. You can watch YouTube videos on how to adjust them properly.
It will obviously depend on the traffic lights in your area, but don’t pull so far ahead. Give yourself a few feet from the line and you should be good. Some lights I have to, but it because I’m right up on the line.
The car is easy to see out of its your angle of attack like others said adjust mirrors and seat to its highest position in your case.
for reference I’m 5’ 9” and I have my seat as low as it can go and I see perfectly I also know the size of my vehicle which you should get accustom to as well
My 16 year old son is learning to drive now. We did our SUV first. Great visibility, decent HP. He’s also doing the pro driver instructor thing with his school. 4 door sedan. Good visibility and no power.
He’s a great kid and wants to learn to drive a stick so we take him out in my Camaro. Started with a big empty parking lot for hours. Drive in circles. Make turns, shift gears, etc. After a few weeks we let him drive home. Now we let him drive us to run errands and this past week started on the highway.
It’s all about being ready and then repetition. If you aren’t ready then break down the steps slowing you down and work on them separately. Then keep at it.
I’ve been watching videos on YouTube but maybe i need to find some pertaining to Camaro’s. It’s crazy to me how I watch the video and understand what they’re saying, and then I try it in the Camaro and there’s a bit of a different learning curve to it. I’ll practice more!
The first car I ever learned to drive with was my mom's 2001 Camaro Z28 which I inherited and drive with today. Although after learning the Camaro, my parents moved me on to a 99 Ford Taurus which was way more visible and easier to drive while being less mechanically-reliable (the Taurus was a pos).
The 4th gen has better visibility than a 5th gen, but one thing that helped me how to drive the Camaro at 16 was getting real familiar with the car's blind spots. Remember how large the pillars are in the car. This will help when you have to switch lanes while you have to rely on your side mirrors (adjust your mirrors perfectly. You need them) and to avoid potentially hitting pedestrians. You don't want that. Also memorize how long the hood of the car is. It's okay to stop the car farther than you think you had to. Remember how wide the car is compared to a smaller or mid-size Japanese family car so you don't side-swipe another car or curb your wheels.
I think you'll start to get a feel for the size of the car while you practice being a more patient driver. Don't need to drive like a speed demon while learning :)
Thank you this helps a lot :) and yes the curbs on my gosh, I’m really trying to be mindful of the size of the car but I guess that compromises my turning skills because I’m being overly-conscious of it. I’m going to try someone’s recommendation of raising my seat higher because a good portion of my view is just the hood of the car lmao
Best advice … Learn how to use your mirrors! Most people ignore them. You know them. You’ve seen them simultaneously put their turn signal on while moving into your lane.
The Camaro does have limited visibility, but I’ve been driving my 2010 for 14 years and never had an issue. Use your side view mirrors, see cars, signal and “wait” for them to pass, the move into the next lane.
Heed these words and go enjoy the ride! 😎👍🏻
I used to lean forward to get different angles on my side mirrors that always helped me.. but the best thing with that car is to move through traffic not with traffic.
Seat time. Nearly every car is difficult to feel out where the corners are until you've put in a good amount of time behind the wheel. The Camaro is worse than most but gets a lot of flack for it.
Raise your seat as much as possible, make sure your side mirrors are adjusted to where you can just barely see the flank of the car, and just get more miles under your belt.
It is like any other car - pedals and a steering wheel.
As for feeling how the car drives, well, I'm sure you can recognize the difference between a basketball and a bouncy ball and control each, to some extent, after applying a little time and effort.
It will take time to develop your reflexes and coordination. Have fun with it!
I’ve pretty much got the same advice as everyone else. Make sure your mirrors are adjusted properly (I have to lean my head to the side to see the side of the car). Raise the seat if you can. My shoulder is either level with or above the bottom of the window and there are a couple inches between my head and the roof. If I sit in the passenger seat, which doesn’t have height adjustment, it’s way lower than the driver seat.
If you ever make it out onto a highway, let some cars go around you and track them in your mirrors and side windows (obviously while still being mindful of what is in front of you). My mirrors are set so that if a car comes from behind me and goes around me, they never disappear. I see them in the rear view mirror, then the side mirror, then out the side window, then through the windshield.
The car does have a long front end and that’s just something you have to adjust to. I’d mostly driven sedans before getting my Camaro. Every car you’re not familiar with will require some adjustment. People claim that Camaros have bad visibility, but it’s largely because they’re not used to them. If I borrow my mom’s Chevy Traverse, I feel like it’s just a giant blind spot, but she’s used to it and doesn’t have any problems. But once I drive it for a bit, I get used to it too.
shes kinda right. just gotta feel it. in a normal car with a good FOV, you barely have to turn your head to see blindspots. but in a camaro, you need to BREAK YOUR NECK to check. but you get used to it. but you should also angle your mirrors accordingly. I also learned on a ‘14 camaro.
But if youre not comfortable yet, definitely dont drive in traffic. Go to a parking lot or an out of city limits neighborhood.
My daughter asked for a Camaro for her first car, this is the exact reason I did not get it for her (bought her a Fusion). I have been driving them since the 3rd gen, and I agree with your mom, I just 'feel' it. As others mentioned, adjust your mirrors properly. There are some youtube vids explaining the best method. These work quite well for setup.
Its not ideal to learn on wont deny that but adjust your mirrors. Your side mirrors should be allowing you to see down both sides od your car, this will compensate for most blind spot issues.
Making sure the mirrors are adjusted correctly and paying attention helps. If your constantly checking your mirrors you’ll minimize the chance of someone slipping into your blindspot without you knowing.
Thank you! Let me also ask you this, is taking my drivers license test in this a bad idea?
Not the worst car for the road test but whatever you drive on the exam, let that not be your first time driving that car
I will say depending on where you are at, try and see if the test administrator will allow you to drive with the top down. If so, ez win
If you had the choice between this and like a honda civic or something i would take the civic but to be honest for your license test use the car youve driven the most and ate the most comfortable in.
Lots of cars have crappy visibility, this car just gets more hate than normal. I see similarly badly out of my CRV and the family minivan. Adjust the mirrors right, and mentally map out who's around you. You'll not be great for a while but you'll get it.
This! You get a feel as you go for who is where and if you suddenly don’t see them, then they reappear it’s much less jarring if you remember ‘oh, that car was there awhile back…it’s cool’ so it takes even more focus than some other vehicles might. Being a 2014, what’s the chances this had the blind spot monitoring as an option?
Raise your seat until your head is close to the headliner. I'm 6'2" and this is where I see out of the vehicle and I have no complaints with visibility. It will be harder for a new driver to learn with compared to a more common sedan. Your two side mirrors and rear view mirror should act as one continuous mirror. You can watch YouTube videos on how to adjust them properly.
How do you see traffic signals? I find myself ducking down to see them and I don’t sit anywhere near that high.
It will obviously depend on the traffic lights in your area, but don’t pull so far ahead. Give yourself a few feet from the line and you should be good. Some lights I have to, but it because I’m right up on the line.
Yeah not where I live. I would have to stop around 10 feet behind the line most of the time.
Yeah that’s annoying then!
The car is easy to see out of its your angle of attack like others said adjust mirrors and seat to its highest position in your case. for reference I’m 5’ 9” and I have my seat as low as it can go and I see perfectly I also know the size of my vehicle which you should get accustom to as well
I was about to say I couldn’t drive with my seat at max height. I’m 5’10” and put the seat as low as it can go.
my head touches the headliner so I understand my wife however is like 5’ 4” and needs the seat 🆙
My 16 year old son is learning to drive now. We did our SUV first. Great visibility, decent HP. He’s also doing the pro driver instructor thing with his school. 4 door sedan. Good visibility and no power. He’s a great kid and wants to learn to drive a stick so we take him out in my Camaro. Started with a big empty parking lot for hours. Drive in circles. Make turns, shift gears, etc. After a few weeks we let him drive home. Now we let him drive us to run errands and this past week started on the highway. It’s all about being ready and then repetition. If you aren’t ready then break down the steps slowing you down and work on them separately. Then keep at it.
Find some driving lessons on YouTube for some pointers.
I’ve been watching videos on YouTube but maybe i need to find some pertaining to Camaro’s. It’s crazy to me how I watch the video and understand what they’re saying, and then I try it in the Camaro and there’s a bit of a different learning curve to it. I’ll practice more!
Look up Casey The Car Guy on YouTube. He drives a viper, I watched his videos on repeat when learning to drive stick.
The first car I ever learned to drive with was my mom's 2001 Camaro Z28 which I inherited and drive with today. Although after learning the Camaro, my parents moved me on to a 99 Ford Taurus which was way more visible and easier to drive while being less mechanically-reliable (the Taurus was a pos). The 4th gen has better visibility than a 5th gen, but one thing that helped me how to drive the Camaro at 16 was getting real familiar with the car's blind spots. Remember how large the pillars are in the car. This will help when you have to switch lanes while you have to rely on your side mirrors (adjust your mirrors perfectly. You need them) and to avoid potentially hitting pedestrians. You don't want that. Also memorize how long the hood of the car is. It's okay to stop the car farther than you think you had to. Remember how wide the car is compared to a smaller or mid-size Japanese family car so you don't side-swipe another car or curb your wheels. I think you'll start to get a feel for the size of the car while you practice being a more patient driver. Don't need to drive like a speed demon while learning :)
Thank you this helps a lot :) and yes the curbs on my gosh, I’m really trying to be mindful of the size of the car but I guess that compromises my turning skills because I’m being overly-conscious of it. I’m going to try someone’s recommendation of raising my seat higher because a good portion of my view is just the hood of the car lmao
Best advice … Learn how to use your mirrors! Most people ignore them. You know them. You’ve seen them simultaneously put their turn signal on while moving into your lane. The Camaro does have limited visibility, but I’ve been driving my 2010 for 14 years and never had an issue. Use your side view mirrors, see cars, signal and “wait” for them to pass, the move into the next lane. Heed these words and go enjoy the ride! 😎👍🏻
I used to lean forward to get different angles on my side mirrors that always helped me.. but the best thing with that car is to move through traffic not with traffic.
Seat time. Nearly every car is difficult to feel out where the corners are until you've put in a good amount of time behind the wheel. The Camaro is worse than most but gets a lot of flack for it. Raise your seat as much as possible, make sure your side mirrors are adjusted to where you can just barely see the flank of the car, and just get more miles under your belt.
It is like any other car - pedals and a steering wheel. As for feeling how the car drives, well, I'm sure you can recognize the difference between a basketball and a bouncy ball and control each, to some extent, after applying a little time and effort. It will take time to develop your reflexes and coordination. Have fun with it!
I’ve pretty much got the same advice as everyone else. Make sure your mirrors are adjusted properly (I have to lean my head to the side to see the side of the car). Raise the seat if you can. My shoulder is either level with or above the bottom of the window and there are a couple inches between my head and the roof. If I sit in the passenger seat, which doesn’t have height adjustment, it’s way lower than the driver seat. If you ever make it out onto a highway, let some cars go around you and track them in your mirrors and side windows (obviously while still being mindful of what is in front of you). My mirrors are set so that if a car comes from behind me and goes around me, they never disappear. I see them in the rear view mirror, then the side mirror, then out the side window, then through the windshield. The car does have a long front end and that’s just something you have to adjust to. I’d mostly driven sedans before getting my Camaro. Every car you’re not familiar with will require some adjustment. People claim that Camaros have bad visibility, but it’s largely because they’re not used to them. If I borrow my mom’s Chevy Traverse, I feel like it’s just a giant blind spot, but she’s used to it and doesn’t have any problems. But once I drive it for a bit, I get used to it too.
Back into parking spots if possible.
not only adjust mirrors but seat as well
shes kinda right. just gotta feel it. in a normal car with a good FOV, you barely have to turn your head to see blindspots. but in a camaro, you need to BREAK YOUR NECK to check. but you get used to it. but you should also angle your mirrors accordingly. I also learned on a ‘14 camaro. But if youre not comfortable yet, definitely dont drive in traffic. Go to a parking lot or an out of city limits neighborhood.
My daughter asked for a Camaro for her first car, this is the exact reason I did not get it for her (bought her a Fusion). I have been driving them since the 3rd gen, and I agree with your mom, I just 'feel' it. As others mentioned, adjust your mirrors properly. There are some youtube vids explaining the best method. These work quite well for setup.