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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  Z28 - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Gayle1975 - May 30 - 2:00 am

  I like the car but the engine started to knock at 15,000 miles. GM says this is normal for this engine. It is very annoying & gets worse the longer the car is driven.

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  1999 Z28 by adult driver - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By kjbuster - May 10 - 2:00 am

  Fast, fun to drive, great trip mileage -28 mpg, lots of tire noise inside cab, poor overall quality( two broken sun visors, original battery installation faulty,failed window motor,failed clutch master cylinder, two trips to shop for A/C problems. Too many repairs for a low mileage and carefully driven car.

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  I love it - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By offset98 - April 29 - 2:00 am

  My family hated it, my friends made fun of it...guess what. Zero problems with this car! My buddys A4 is in the shop monthly! Anyway, I have nothing but good things to say about the car. Ad a few bolt-ons to the car and you have what I have: 338.3 rwhp & 356.5 ft/lbs all @ 2100ft altitude. I took this car on trips between Chicago and So. Cal and it didnt skip a beat. Not even 12k feet up in altitude over the rockies.

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  Dont underestimate the AUTO V6 - 2016 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Diego J - April 29 - 1:56 am

  I was very hesitant in purchasing the new 2016 V6 Camaro and opted to go with essentially the base model because this is my fiancés and Is secondary car so we didnt need all the bells and whistles. I had been looking at the R/T Challenger which was about $10k more, and while it definitely sounded meaner, it was not worth it to me personally. The Camaro has been such a great purchase so far, I have gotten so many compliments on the new styling and the sound of the engine while driving. Its 0-60 in 5.9 seconds which to me is more than enough speed(335 HP). I will update in a year after I see if the quality of the car holds up. The visibility is definitely something I had to get used to (coming from our other car which is a 16 ford fusion that has pretty decent visibility) but I added blind spot mirrors and use the rearview camera often and I have gotten the hang of the visibility of the car. I am looking forward to taking this to California for family visits to see how it handles through the mountains. Also the car may seem small inside but I had a friend get in who was about 63 and he told me he was more than comfortable in the car so dont let the interior size put you off.

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  Auto Transmission... - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By TreyT - April 9 - 2:00 am

  I saw a lot of comments about the auto trannys in these reviews and figured Id try to help out with auto trannies and possible problems. The 4L60E is a great transmission one of the best...HOWEVER, many people dont realize the transmission fluid needs to be completely flushed about every 20k miles...also getting rebuilds from a top notch GM rebuilder that has all the latest fixes is crucial. A mild shift kit will also help increase the logevity. A transmission cooler also helps a LOT. If the fluid flushed (not just changed) every 20k the transmission will go 100+k easily...unless you just beat on it.

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  350 F-Body Review - 1990 Chevrolet Camaro
  By mindy shorr - March 18 - 2:00 am

  this unit is super quick, fast and stong. remember, a poor or moderate comfort rating is desirable in a performence car. it has 245 hp and 345 lb/ft of torque in standard form. the 1990-92 f-body may be the best performer of all four generations. motor trend magaine tested this in the march 1990 issue with a 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds. and this test was without factory option slp. this was a short model year, so all 90 models were made during the last three months of 1989. why so short? g.m. did not renew its contract with the i.r.o.c. and was not licensed to use iroc starting january 1990.

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  Been great for me! - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By GhostTX - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car new in 1996, V6-3.8L. Have logged 156K miles on it so far. Its been a great car. Typcial wear and tear on it (water pump, power steering pump, a/c compressor so far). Rear axle had to be replaced at 70K as it had some bad bearings. Something other buyers may want to look at. Solid car though, and Ive been happy to own it.

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  Move over, fast lane slugs - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By wriddle - March 7 - 2:00 am

  This is a real nice car, excellent convertible top functionality (though it leaks in automatic car washes), no lack of power, handles quite well, adequate mileage out of stock goodyear tires, large doors are a pain in tight parking spots, six speed can be a bear in stop and go traffic, leather seats could be better bolstered, gets a lot of positive commewnts by passers-by.

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  Bang for your buck and then some! - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By TrompetenGott - February 29 - 2:00 am

  This car is a blast to drive, and it looks great. Insurence likes the V6, and its got more than enough oomph to get arround. Cruise controll keeps me out of trouble with the cops because 65 MPH and 85 feel and sound the same in this car. Handles well in corners - you can terrify unsuspecting passengers... The monsoon stereo is a big plus.

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  Tuff Camaro - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Dedicated GMer - February 29 - 2:00 am

  Purchased the coupe in june 2002 upon hearing end of production. For a V6 has plenty of power and great milage. We use it as a daily driver for errands, has a great ride as with all GM suspension. Beats any Import Ive rode in !!!