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:

• 

  FINALLY, MY DREAM-COME-TRUE CAMARO!!! - 2017 Chevrolet Camaro
  By SIRKING BURKE - January 8 - 5:13 pm

  FIRSTLY, 50 YEARS AGO, I CAME SO CLOSE TO OWNING A 1967 CHEVY CAMARO (BASE MODEL, SLIGHTLY USED BY AN OLD LADY), BUT DAD DIDNT OK MY DESIRED SELECTION... NOW, FAST FORWARD TO JUNE OF 2017, WHILE SHOPPING ONLINE FOR A PRACTICAL SUBARU FORESTER SUV, A HYPER-BLUE CHEVROLET CAMARO POPPED UP ON MY MONITOR AND THE IMAGE JUST FROZE THERE! THE FOLLOWING DAY, I VISITED THE GENGRAS CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP, MY INTENTIONS WERE JUST TO CURIOUSLY CHECK OUT THE NEW HYPER-BLUE CAMARO CAR. WELL, IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!!! YEAH, SO MUCH FOR VEHICLE PRACTICALITY! FOLKS, CHEVROLET REALLY DID A FANTASTIC JOB OF ENGINEERING A FUN & BADASS LOOKING HIGH PROFORMANCE VEHICLE!!! THIS 2017 HYPER-BLUE CAMARO WAS THE BASE MODEL AND, IT IS A FREAKING AWESOME ROCKET SHIP ON WHEELS!!! MY CRUISING SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS 88 MPH, WITH INTERMITTENT INCREASED SPEEDS UP TO 140 MPH - WITHOUT ANY ROAD OR WIND VIBRATIONS - HENCE, ITS A BONAFIDE ROCKET SHIP!!! FUN FACT: JUST SLIGHTLY COME OFF THE ACCELERATION PEDDLE, AND THE CAR QUICKLY DECELERATES TO ALMOST THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT; THIS IS UTTERLY HELPFUL WHEN ONE SPOTS A LURKING STATE POLICE CRUISER! MY BADASS CAMARO IS JUST OVER 2 1/2 YEARS, AND STILL; VAST NUMBERS OF ONLOOKERS ADMIRE ITS TRULY REMARKABLE HYPER-BLUE COLOR AND ITS FORMIDABLE HIGH PROFORMANCE SPORTY BODY STRUCTURE! LASTLY, THANKS, CHEVROLET FOR JUST DESIGNING MY ALL AROUND PERFECT & AFFORDABLE DREAM CAR!!!

• 

  i didnt buy it for grocery shopping - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Bill - January 20 - 9:33 am

  My wife wanted a Camaro since she was a kid. Its so impractical that it shocked her and made her very happy. This car captures the bad ass essence retro look of the old ones. For pure stone cold good looks and driving feel it knocks it out of the park,. Its not for grocery shopping we have a Honda for shopping, Its not for bad weather we have a Silverado 3/4 ton for snow or hauling hay or horses, Its great for their grandmother hauling two little grandkids to school and back cause they say its so "cool" .We have a Suburban for taking them and their buddies to events. This is for looks and fun and it does the job perfectly. I dont understand complaints on here about long trips, no trunk room, little back seats. It also doesnt have a grenade launcher or machine guns on the side. (wish it did) Its not for everyone or everything. It does what it is made for perfectly, make a husband a hero when he gets it for his wife.

• 

  Awful - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Parsifal - January 6 - 7:55 pm

  This is a car? It looks bad, gangsta style. I rented it because I had a choice, and I wanted to check what driving this thing is like. Very disappointing. Heavy, does not break and does not steer. Never again.

• 

  Good for the money - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Steve - December 27 - 11:15 pm

  I traded in a 2012 Honda Civic ex and got a 2014 camaro LS. It really seems like a lot of car for the money you pay. Its pretty much the price of a same year civic coupe, maybe with an option or two or a trim level above base but still... Its not much more expensive then a Ford Focus either. You basically are just giving up fuel economy and getting a lot more car for the money. I mean the base model is 323 hp and you can get 1-3 year old used ones well under 20k that have only few miles on them. Very affordable! If you have money to spend you have a supercharged beast in the ZL1 and then the Z28 which has a 7.0 L V8. The car is a lot of fun to drive. the front seats are very comfortable. The back seats are very cramped however. Visibility out of the back isnt very good but Im getting used to that. Trunk space is great - but Id rather have more backseat space. Pretty sure the trunk ate the backseat. Also the sound system is decent but lacks a USB port for a flash drive or cell phone sync cord. A tad dissappointing considering the civic I owned had a usb and you could pick songs on a phone or iPod through the cars sound system while driving with relative ease. Now being stuck with an old aux cord you would have to scroll through your phone which is dangerous while driving. Next car Ill have to get that type of system again as it was extremely convient for playing MP3s. So to summarize, PROS are the cars looks performance, trunk space and comfort in the front seats for a very reasonable cost. CONS are the cramped back seats, rear view visibility and lack of a USB port, though that may be an option in a more expensive trim level. Fuel economy is fairly decent highway if you are on cruise control, otherwise its not great but not horrible.

• 

  Inexpensive pony car - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By eric andersen - December 25 - 2:15 pm

  Great looking and fast ! Interior is great looking as well but horrific for comfort or view.I am 63 when I put seat all the way back and all the way down I was still looking through the sun screen at top of windshield.Interior is cramped and the back seat is only for five year olds.I wanted to buy one but after driving this car five times it was just too cramped to drive . If you are 510 or under the car may work out for you but this car is not for taller people.When convertible top is up view is awful.It is priced right and offers performance but not good as a daily driver.This is a poor mans Corvette.Car is awful in snow and rain,rear wheels spin on a tear drop.

• 

  Major Mechanical Issues - Thats Life! - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Anthony - December 21 - 4:29 pm

  I, unfortunately, own a 2010 2LT that currently has about 70,000 miles. I have had multiple major mechanical components of the vehicle fail prematurely. Specifically, one of the catalytic converters failed at about 60,000, the throttle body and related wiring failed at about 45,000, the timing chains stretched at about 35,000 and most recently have just stretched again at about 70,000. GM assumes no responsibility for the issues and when questioned for assistance with the second timing chain failure has relayed the message that they believe that this is normal wear and that the 35,000 mile interval is acceptable. Terrible product. I do not recommend if you purchase one if you like your hard earned money. Other than the major mechanical issues the car looks fantastic. I guess I always really did need a $35,000 lawn decoration.

• 

  Restored projct - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Ice - December 19 - 12:02 am

  Well I bought this car broken... i mean everything needed replaced. 1996 Camaro Base. Restored RS upgrade project. Even with the head gasket blown (and may others out there with the same problem) wheel bearings and brakes shot and stock exhaust old suspension, the car was still handling and driving really well. I always wanted a camaro... spend more time working on it then driving it tho. Ive rebuilt the entire car inside and out. without getting into detail the car is not what was bought.. a full restore and upgrade intoa racing package. This camaro is really nice. the longevity of the interior is horrid. after an abusive first 100k family owned car and a couple dogs it wore out fast.. same issue with a hot roding driver, driving a v6 like its a tuned drift machine destroyed he running gear and blew the motor. V6 is a poor mans version of the v8 buying the car more for the looks then the power. i only bought casue it had 99k on it for 1000 bucks and still ran.... Anyway I always wanted a camaro and although i spend more time working on it then driving it. I cant say much for the gas milage as i have a new motor and its going to be crap and fluctuate for a while until it breaks in i been ranging from 15-40 mpg, also i think its definitely not the best camaro body style out there but i love the drive and feel of the car.

• 

  Buyer beware - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Scott Lang - December 4 - 10:13 pm

  This car is excessively noisy on the highway. The layout and positioning of the gauge package is such that the climate controls make reading some of the gauges difficult or impossible. There is nothing precision about the power top. When closing the top it requires muscle power to pull the top down to the point it is flush with the top of the windshield so you can manually lock it in position. Have have now owned two BMWs with power tops that not only lie flush with the top of the windshield but lock themselves. With an MSRP of over $40,000.00 you would expect the car to have push button starting. Not this car. Not only does it not have this feature the ignition is located on the steering column in a place that cannot be seen from the drivers seat unless you lean over and look around the side of the steering wheel. Also the key fob for this car does not have the flip out key, just a big empty space. It has a regular key hanging from the fob. When I asked why I was told that drivers kept breaking the flip out key off in the ignition with their knee. On a recent trip to Northern Virginia I deviated from the planned route. Traffic was bad and having lived up there I knew a bypass route. I expected the navigation system to "recalculate" after it told me to turn around a given number of times as every other Nav system Ive owned. Wrong! After directing me to turn around about 6 times the system locked up. The only way to unlock it was to pull off the road, stop the engine and then restart it. The Nav system then rebooted. I called Chevrolet to inquire about this and after requesting the cars vin they came back and said the Nav system on my car does not recalculate. I asked who made the system and was told Panasonic. If Panasonic really did make it it was to Chevys specs. The car has great lines but it is only a facade. After purchasing this car I also bought a Suburu Forester touring model. Its sticker was over $7000 less but it has dual zone auto climate control, adaptive cruise control, lane deviation, obstacle avoidance, cd player, and push button start. All items not to be found on the Camaro. And US manufacturers wonder why they are loosing to the imports.

• 

  Fun in the sun! - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Nehi - December 4 - 3:54 pm

  This car hugs the road. It performs with no problems. Ease of use, everything within reach. You just want to drive it down the road. When the top is down you can see everything.

• 

  It has got to go. - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Richard OConnor - November 29 - 5:52 pm

  Bulky on the outside and cramped on the inside. It is a shame GM bothers with the back seat. GM should offer a rear seat delete kit. I would rather have a carpeted shelf to put a bag of groceries on than the joke of a back seat thats in it. If you need a back seat it doesnt fill the bill. If you dont need a back seat then buy a real sports car. I could not recommend this car to anyone. I have had mine a week and I am going to see what the dealer will offer with a buy back.