Overview & Reviews

For most of the past four decades, the Chevrolet Camaro has been the poster car of young (and not so young) speed freaks and boulevardiers alike. You know, the type of folks who value the rumble and thrust of a small-block V8 and sleek styling as much as would-be Hollywood starlets value a photo op.

Starting out in the late 1960s as an answer to Ford's Mustang, the original Chevrolet Camaro could be had in coupe or convertible form and with six-cylinder or V8 power. Forty years and five generations later, the concept really hasn't changed, as the current Chevrolet Camaro also can be had in coupe or convertible form with six-cylinder or V8 power. It even looks similar and carries the classic Camaro qualities of tire-spinning performance and a reasonable base price. But this is a thoroughly modern car that makes for a decent everyday driver, despite some significant practical drawbacks.

Current Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is available as a two-door coupe or convertible and in five trim levels: base LS, midgrade LT, high-performance SS and hyper-performance ZL1 and Z/28. The LS comes standard with niceties like alloy wheels and air-conditioning, to which the LT adds power seats and a touchscreen with smartphone integration. The V8-powered SS includes a limited-slip differential and a sport-tuned suspension. The ZL1 boasts a variety of performance parts like Brembo brakes and adaptive suspension dampers, plus standard leather upholstery and Boston Acoustics audio. The hard-core, coupe-only Z/28, on the other hand, has a race-ready suspension and modifications for reduced weight.

The Camaro LS and LT pack a 3.6-liter V6 that produces 323 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard with the V6, and a six-speed automatic is available. The Camaro SS is equipped with a powerful 6.2-liter V8 matched to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The manual-gearbox SS cranks out 426 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, with the automatic version tuned to "just" 400 hp and 410 lb-ft. Offering the same transmission choices, the Camaro ZL1 gets a supercharged version of the 6.2-liter V8 good for 580 hp and 556 lb-ft of torque. The Z/28, which is 300 pounds lighter than the ZL1, employs a 505-hp 7.0-liter V8 and comes only with the six-speed manual.

On the road, any of these Camaros will provide brisk performance, a reasonably compliant ride (though the Z/28 is significantly firmer) and respectable handling, while the V8-powered versions should satisfy the most ardent acceleration addicts. The ZL1 and especially the Z/28 are astoundingly capable on a racetrack with their special suspensions. However, in day-to-day driving, the poor outward visibility, mediocre cabin trim, cramped backseat and tiny, oddly shaped trunk opening could be deal-breakers. As such, we'd advise potential buyers to also consider the Camaro's equally classic competitors, the Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang.

Used Chevrolet Camaro Models
After a seven-year hiatus, the Camaro returned for 2010. In that first year, the Camaro was offered as a coupe only, and the V6 engine produced 304 hp. The next year saw the convertible's introduction and a bump up to 312 horses for the V6. It reached its current output for 2012, which also saw the introduction of the ZL1 and a number of noteworthy changes to the cabin. Camaros produced prior to this suffered from an oddly shaped steering wheel and gauges that were hard to read. For 2014 the Camaro introduced revised styling (including one-piece taillights that replaced the original double-rectangle design) and the debut of the Z/28.

Running from 1993-2002, the previous Camaro generation continued the age-old tradition of performance and style above all else. Initially just a coupe body style was offered in base and Z28 trims, the former coming with a 3.4-liter V6 (160 hp) and the latter with an LT1 5.7-liter V8 (275 hp). Transmission choices included a five-speed manual (V6), a six-speed manual (V8) and a four-speed automatic.

The following year saw the return of the ragtop, while 1995 brought a 3.8-liter, 200-hp V6 for the base Camaro. For 1996 the Z28 had 285 hp and the SS trim was reincarnated, complete with a 305-hp version of the 5.7-liter V8. A midcycle refresh took place for 1998 with a new front-end look and powerful new LS1 5.7 V8s for the Z28 (305 hp) and SS (320 hp). Apart from minor trim differences and a bump in power for the Z28 in 2001 to 310 hp, the Camaro soldiered through 2002 mostly unchanged. That last year also marked the Camaro's 35th birthday, which was celebrated with a 35th-anniversary SS.

Although fast, stylish and affordable, this Chevy Camaro was lacking in terms of refinement, particularly in regards to the interior. The clunky steering wheel design was about as sporty as a taxicab's and there was an abundance of low-grade plastic trim. Furthermore, the seats were rather plain and short on lumbar and lateral support. On the upside were the large gauges, decent cargo capacity and buttoned-down handling (though midcorner bumps could upset the solid rear axle suspended out back).

Consumer feedback is mostly favorable toward Camaros from this era. Praises center on the strong performance (even with the V6) for the money, relatively good fuel economy, mechanical reliability, cargo capacity, handling and styling. Chief complaints concern cheap interior construction, a smallish interior considering the body size and occasionally leaky T-tops.

For more information on these and even older Chevrolet Camaros, go to our Chevrolet Camaro history page.

User Reviews:

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  A Great Review for a 2014 Camaro ZL1 - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Trent C Mulkern - November 28 - 11:44 am

  What a great automobile! Except for gas mileage, it rated a five star rating. Both exterior and interior were of impeccable quality and condition.

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  The only car Ive ever been afraid of... - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Tim - November 23 - 8:37 pm

  ...is this 2014 Chevy Camaro ZL1 convertible with the 6 speed manual transmission. Ive owned 2 other Camaros (1990, 2010), 2 Mustangs and even a Corvette (2000), but nothing had the performance to make me fear for my life like this ZL1. It accelerates like a rocket, handles like its on rails and stops on a dime so theres no real need to review the performance of the 6.2L supercharged engine. I mean, 580 hp and 556 lb/ft of torque speak for themselves. Were I so inclined I could cut the tires loose in almost any gear despite the traction control, however I dont make enough money to keep replacing them. Instead, Im going to focus on the technology and aesthetic aspects of the car. First, the styling is gorgeous. Heads turn wherever we go, and once folks see the ZL1 script on the hood fingers begin pointing. Yes, its difficult to see out of it when the top is up but I knew that going in. Besides, the top is rarely up. Its a summer time car and I use it as such. It gets appalling gas mileage yes I said appalling. Roughly 12-14 mpg. But I wasnt buying a Prius, nor is this my daily driver so Im ok with it. The infotainment system is decent and relatively easy to use once youve read the manual and played with it awhile, but the Boston Acoustics stereo is bad. Coming from a THX II Surround system in my Lincoln I am severely disappointed. I expected so much more. Sigh... The alcantara/leather seats and alcantara on the steering wheel/shift knob/dash are nice touches and make the interior stand out. There is plenty of room up front (65" driver here), but none in the back. None. Nada. All in all, I am thus far eminently satisfied with this car. Ive put a little over 3k summer time miles on it and Ive smiled during all of them. I wanted a sexy, fun, ridiculously fast and completely unnecessary indulgence and thats exactly what I got!

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  First American car I bought in 18 yrs - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By providan - November 20 - 6:58 pm

  This is a fun to drive car with plenty of power and excellent handling. Feels solid and safe. Mine is red hot red-a beautiful car! Mine will not be used for grocery shopping or winter or bad weather driving and Moms better choose something else because its going to be hard to get a car seat in the back and yes the visibility isnt so great-you have to be careful.

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  You will hate AFM on V8 with auto transmission - 2013 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Kevin - November 11 - 5:22 pm

  After 2 years and 13,000 miles i have learned to hate this car which only has one flaw. "Active Fuel Management" (otherwise known as AFM or DOD) There are thousands of posts on the internet about this because your lovely V8 drops into 4 cylinder mode and runs like a nissan Sentra with a bad tune. AFM is not on the car with a manual transmission. So I am trading my beautiful Camaro for a Ford Mustang that has a real V8 without this horrible feature. If you put exhaust on this car with automatic transmission it sounds like a fart mobile every time it goes into 4 cylinder mode. I burn way more gas trying to accelerate the car back into V8 mode.

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  All time favorite - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Ronnie - November 5 - 11:45 am

  I have owned Camaros before and loved them. I bought a 2002 SS new thinking it was last year for Camaros, and later sold it because that wasnt the case. The whole time I owned it, my daughter had a 2000 V6 Camaro that I, quite frankly, enjoyed driving more than the SS. When she traded it for an Equinox, I kicked myself for years for not buying it from her before she traded it. Fast forward 5 years. I had been looking for years for another V6 Camaro just to have fun with. I found one on the internet with only 5,000 miles on it and purchased it because of my previous experience with Camaros. This one will always be with me as a summer time weekend driver

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  GREAT first ride 3.8 v6 2002 - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Chad - October 26 - 1:13 am

  the doors are made of fiberglass and tend to be broken easily both my driver door and passenger are broke...i have ro dukes of hazzard into driver door, just havent fixed it yet lol but great power and reliability 210k had to replaced ignition coils, cats, the fuel pump both doors, o yea the danged ol O2 sensors which are expensive....even had car seat in back

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  2105 2SS Commemorative Edition - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Joel Smith - October 15 - 10:34 pm

  The rearward poor visibility of this car is significant. The back up camera is not a luxury , it is a "must have" option. The interior has the same old hard plastic that has plagued the Camaro and the Corvette since their inception. The Camaro is not made for tall people.I am only 57" and my head almost scrapes the roof. With that being said , I absolutely love this car!I just recently purchased the 2015 2SS Commemorative Edition with the Summit White exterior and the Adrenaline Red interior. This car looks fabulous! It also runs and sounds fantastic!!! The exhaust note is hypnotic :) It sounds impressive even at a full stop when it is quietly rumbling. When you go down hill at low speeds it has stunning rumbling, burbling, popping sounds coming from the tailpipes. I am not a skilled driver by any means but this car feels very planted when you go around curves in the road. I feel very secure in this car. It has a 5* government rating in all the safety categories. The styling of this car is retro but even if this year had been the introduction of the Camaro , it would have been just as stunning. The only thing I have a concern about is the intermittent burning smell that I notice. It is not related to hard driving. I can go to the grocery store 3 miles away from home and only get into 4th gear and it will have that burning smell. I have the so-called premium audio system and it is pretty good for a factory system but it still needs a real subwoofer and not the 6x9s that Chevy has designated as "subwoofers." I did a lot of research on this car and I chose it instead of the Mustang GT and the Dodge Challenger. I just felt more secure in it than the other two mentioned during test drives. Bottom line is that this car looks very good , it sounds very good and it runs exceptionally well. I would not trade it for anything right now. When my boys leave home and graduate college , I am planning on getting a new Corvette. ( I almost got a used Corvette instead of this new Camaro!) Chevy makes some sexy cars!!!!

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  convertible in paradise - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By gary - October 4 - 3:58 pm

  Rented a convertible in hawaii that had 16 miles on it. V6 had good power at speed but really i mean really struggled to do a burnout in 1st with traction off. Back seat mostly was for gymnasts only. Looked very cool everywhere. Navigation was the worst ive ever dealt with. Incredibly the controls for it and stereo, heat made it very frustrating. Used phone instead and tried to stay away from the buttons. How hard is it to have useable technology. My 10 yeard old tom tom is better. That is embarassing just being from the country that designed it. Ugh chevy

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  Great car with 605HP 6.8L 416 stroker! - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Joey Reyes - September 16 - 11:56 am

  I got a steal of a deal from a one-owner 2010 1SS/RS that I could not pass up! An older gentleman bought the car new, removed the adequately powered 6.2L and dropped in a 6.8L 605HP fire-breathing monster and I was first in line when he was ready to sell! Thankfully the prior owner had his thrill of owning this car for a while and due to the crate engine installed, the dealership didnt want anything to do with this modified ZL1 killer when he tried to trade it in for a new 2015 Corvette Stingray. I got him to sell me the car at trade in price, less the cost of a new set of tires and I got a bargain of a lifetime! The 1SS had been upgraded with factory leather seats, 4-gauge instrument cluster, drag radials, headers, exhaust, cold air intake, and best of all, a MAST motorsports built 416ci stroker motor pushing more horsepower than a Z06 or ZL1! It didnt take much convincing on the sellers part when all he had to do was crank over the engine and hear the sound of that power coming from the tailpipes! SOLD for $17.5K! I scoured the internet for years trying to find a decent one-owner SS and never would I think there would be a 600+ horsepower car for under $18,000. You should have seen the look on my friends face when he heard the motor in my car after he dropped $29k for a used automatic SS! Priceless!

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  Bullet Proof!!! - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By theZman - September 4 - 8:13 pm

  My car (2001 Z28) has been very reliable from day one. Bought it new fully loaded and now has about 92k miles, I hope I didnt jinx it. I think as long as it continues to receive proper maintainance, this beauty will continue to run strong for eons. Its truly a looker and Ive been asked many times if I want to sell it and the answer is always no. Too bad I cant post a pic here to show her off.