Review: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

As the world goes green, muscle cars may be an endangered species. If so, with the all-new Chevy Camaro, GM has saved the best for last

By Thane Peterson

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Distinctive styling, raw power, low-priced V6 version

The Bad: Hard-to-see-out-of windows, small trunk, tight rear seat

The Bottom Line: An iconic muscle car updated for our era

Reader Reviews

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Up Front

Who would have predicted that muscle cars would be making a comeback in the midst of the auto industry's worst crisis in decades? Yet General Motors, Ford (F) and Chrysler all have new muscle cars on the market, and the one I find most intriguing is GM's long-awaited 2010 Chevy Camaro. My prediction: Someday this version of the Camaro will be considered a classic, a collectible coveted by nostalgic baby boomers eager to relive the 1960s and '70s, when muscle cars had their heyday.

Not everyone is as high on the new Camaro as I am. The car's hulking profile and narrow windows make its styling controversial. Some prefer the redesigned 2010 Mustang or the revived Dodge Challenger. But the Camaro's V8 is more powerful than those in its rivals, and it looks radically different from any other car on the road. I had guys running out from construction sites and following me into supermarkets to ask me about my slick black Camaro SS loaner car. I've never test-driven a car that drew so many gawkers—nearly all of them middle-aged males.

The $31,000 Camaro SS is by far the most exciting version of the new Camaro. With its standard six-speed stick transmission and massive Chevy Corvette engine, a behemoth 6.2-liter, 426-horsepower V8, it's a classic muscle car updated for our era. If I had the spare cash and garage space, I'd buy a 2010 Camaro SS and keep it for years, bringing it out only on special occasions.

Compared with the stick-shift SS, the other iterations of the new Camaro seem like sensible shoes. There's a version of the SS with a six-speed automatic transmission (a $995 option), but the V8 engine in that version of the car is rated at a mere 400 horsepower. There are also two more fuel-efficient—and less expensive—versions of the car powered bv a 3.6-liter, 304-horsepower V6: The base model Camaro LS starts at about $23,000, and the slightly fancier LT starts at $24,675.

Aside from a lower price, the big advantage of the V6-powered Camaro, which comes with either a six-speed automatic (also $995 extra) or manual transmission, is its surprisingly good mileage: 17 mpg in the city and a remarkable 29 on the highway. By contrast, the V8-powered Camaro gets 16 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway (25 on the highway with the automatic transmission). All versions of the car use regular gasoline, though premium is recommended if you want maximum performance from the V8.

It's too soon to know how well the new Camaro will sell. But early signs are that it's generating a lot of excitement just as the U.S. auto sales may finally be bottoming out. An early-production 2010 Camaro (No. 3 off the line) sold for $73,000 on eBay as part of a GM-sanctioned charity event. And, as sales ramp up, the new Camaro has been commanding a premium over list price because it's in such high demand.

One thing is clear: Muscle cars remain a guy thing. The typical buyer is a 44- or 45-year-old male, according to the Power Information Network (PIN). Women have only purchased 20.6% of the V8-powered Camaros sold so far, 18.6% of V8 Challengers, and 24.8% of V8 Mustangs, PIN says.

Behind the Wheel

One rap on the new Camaro is that, at around 3,900 lb., it's heavy. But the car still really motors when you punch the gas. Even with the V6 engine, it's rated to accelerate from 0 to 60 in 6.1 seconds, about as fast as a BMW (BMWG) 328i. With V8 power, GM rates the Camaro at a blazingly fast 4.7 seconds, slightly faster than a BMW 335i but well behind the fastest Corvette. My best time in my stick shift, V8-powered Camaro SS was 5.2 seconds.

In other respects, modern-day muscle cars are far more refined than their predecessors.

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