Sexy, 300 horsepower two-doors used to be a lot pricier.
Of course, it's not all enormous attention and cheap power for Chevy’s latest. The Camaro does a number of things very well-- but it does a number of things poorly, too.
The Good
Aside from drawing attention and looking dramatic, the tester's most compelling traits were apparent on a highway drive. The heated leather seats proved comfortable, the thumping Boston Premium audio system was a fantastic companion, and the ride was appreciably tame.
You might expect worse given that the tester rolled on rims the diameter of trash-can lids. Suspension is tight and stiff, but soft enough around the edges to prevent a jarring ride. Handling is appropriately sporty and sticky for the Camaro's size and weight, but it lacks much steering feedback.
Other pluses? Mileage is appreciable, and a week of heavy-footed driving with plenty of highway time yielded an average under 10.5L / 100km of regular grade. Finally, both the driver information centre and quad-pod gauge cluster look pretty slick, too.
The not so good
Gripes? First, the dramatic exterior styling results in some questionable packaging of the cockpit. The driving position is low, the dash is high, and the windows are narrow. Combined with the thick pillars, visibility is limited to some degree in every direction. Lane changes can be harrowing if you don't trust your mirrors.
Headroom is very limited for taller passengers, and the trunk opening is small—though its usable size is reasonable. A bit of color contrast or varying textures could go a long way to brighten up the somewhat plain cabin, too. It seems like GM overlooked an opportunity to make the Camaro’s cabin really stand out.
Compromises
The preceding complaints are relatively minor, and will hold little no weight with the enthusiast buyer anyhow.
It ultimately seems that Chevrolet has brought the Camaro back into to a more demanding sportscar marketplace, and given it the right price and hardware to succeed. Shoppers after an inexpensive and nicely-styled coupe with some big numbers won’t be disappointed.
photo:Justin Pritchard
Of course, it's not all enormous attention and cheap power for Chevy’s latest. The Camaro does a number of things very well-- but it does a number of things poorly, too.
The Good
Aside from drawing attention and looking dramatic, the tester's most compelling traits were apparent on a highway drive. The heated leather seats proved comfortable, the thumping Boston Premium audio system was a fantastic companion, and the ride was appreciably tame.
You might expect worse given that the tester rolled on rims the diameter of trash-can lids. Suspension is tight and stiff, but soft enough around the edges to prevent a jarring ride. Handling is appropriately sporty and sticky for the Camaro's size and weight, but it lacks much steering feedback.
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| Shoppers after an inexpensive and nicely-styled coupe with some big numbers won’t be disappointed. |
Other pluses? Mileage is appreciable, and a week of heavy-footed driving with plenty of highway time yielded an average under 10.5L / 100km of regular grade. Finally, both the driver information centre and quad-pod gauge cluster look pretty slick, too.
The not so good
Gripes? First, the dramatic exterior styling results in some questionable packaging of the cockpit. The driving position is low, the dash is high, and the windows are narrow. Combined with the thick pillars, visibility is limited to some degree in every direction. Lane changes can be harrowing if you don't trust your mirrors.
Headroom is very limited for taller passengers, and the trunk opening is small—though its usable size is reasonable. A bit of color contrast or varying textures could go a long way to brighten up the somewhat plain cabin, too. It seems like GM overlooked an opportunity to make the Camaro’s cabin really stand out.
Compromises
The preceding complaints are relatively minor, and will hold little no weight with the enthusiast buyer anyhow.
It ultimately seems that Chevrolet has brought the Camaro back into to a more demanding sportscar marketplace, and given it the right price and hardware to succeed. Shoppers after an inexpensive and nicely-styled coupe with some big numbers won’t be disappointed.
photo:Justin Pritchard
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