Which large sedan would you rather own, the Chevrolet SS or BMW 550i? They both feature powerful V8 engines, spacious back seats and entertaining dynamics, but beyond all of this they’re as different as chalk and cheese.
For starters, Chevy is a blue-collar brand that’s as American as, well, apple pie and baseball. The Bimmer on the other hand is a Germanic thoroughbred with some of the richest heritage in the automotive business.
Starting with the SS, it features a rear-wheel-drive architecture and a powerful engine. Up front there’s a 6.2-liter small-block V8 that cranks out an impressive 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. You can get it with either a Tremec manual gearbox or a more conventional slushbox, though both transmissions have six forward ratios.
The 550i is also rear-wheel drive and V8 powered but BMW’s underhood strategy is a little different. It’s hauled around by a smaller 4.4-liter unit that’s augmented by twin turbochargers. These blowers bolster output to an impressive 445 horses. An eight-speed automatic is the only gearbox offered in this version of the 5 Series, which is too bad.
The Chevy’s interior is really well done but it’s not quite as luxurious as what you get in the BMW, nor does it offer quite as much technology. But the tradeoff for this is affordability. An SS can be yours for less than $49,000 but the 550i will set you back more than 67 grand. Is it worth the extra scratch? Well, that’s your job to decide.
Both of these sedans offer a lot, but which one would you rather park in your driveway? If you need more information on them, feel free to compare them right here.
