2010 Camaro Review

Model: 2010 Camaro LS, V6 with 6spd Automatic

Highlights: V6 has power to spare, balanced enough to be a daily driver, respectable fuel economy

What needs work: Visibility, interior plastics are too hard and scratch easily

When we were able to take a vacation this summer, I tried planning it out so that we wouldn’t need to rent a car. But given the fact we were going to be in Seattle, Portland, and Gearhart/Seaside that wasn’t going to pan out. So I decided to make this as fun as possible by renting a fun car. The three options that came up were a 2009 Ford Mustang V6, 2009 Infiniti M35 sedan, or a 2010 V6 Camaro. Based on some initial research on specs and performance the Camaro won (with some heavy negotiation and compromises).

Overall I was very impressed. It was fun to drive, very popular (people pointing, thumbs up, etc) and worked very well in the northwest region in a few different conditions. It was a good balance between sporty and comfortable and I think GM has put out a good product. Between fuel economy and handling I was constantly comparing this car to my 2004 WRX wagon (modified mind you). My only other driving experience that came close enough to a Camaro was test driving a 2000 Firebird V6 (automatic). Let me say that there have been some dramatic improvements.

Powertrain:

One of the first questions is what is powering this beast? I even had a couple guys in a Ford Taurus pull up along side us when we were on I-5 and gesture 6 or 8 (with his fingers). The rental version of this was the LS V6 version powered by GM’s 3.6L Direct Injection motor. According to GM’s website this engine has an output of 304hp and 273 ft/lb torque. The thing I will say about this is that it is very linear. From my perspective my WRX has a severe turbo lag and then explosive power. The Naturally Aspirated engine is nice and smooth to redline. I didn’t experience any wheezing in the upper RPM range like some other cars. Also, having owned Japanese cars with 4 cylinders for the last several years I’m not used to torque, but rather high end horsepower. This was a nice change, especially for something as beefy and heavy as this coupe.

The Camaro had no trouble passing or merging onto the freeway. Now since this was a rental I was obviously not able to do any track testing and obtain any 0-60 or ¼ mile data. I can say though that passing uphill with steep inclines was NO problem. The 6 speed had short enough gear ratios that it would fully take advantage of the ponies on tap. The one thing I didn’t like was the fact that it would have to downshift a couple times if you needed to do a pass. Granted this is the automatic version I’m writing about so that is a given. The sport mode helped this with the paddles on the steering wheel. All you needed to do was downshift before you passed and then mash the accelerator to effortlessly woosh by any lumber trucks.

The automatic is less engaging than a manual and I have not tried GM’s 6 speed manual yet. I would imagine there would be a significant difference. One thing I will say is that the 6 speed auto does help with the fuel economy. According to GM, the LS V6 is rated at 17 city and 29 freeway. I was able to calculate a mixed average of 26mpg (that’s some significant detours through city blocks due to the Garmin rerouting us through city congestion…grrr). I think freeway driving over 30mpg is possible and this makes me wonder what intake/header/exhaust upgrades would do…

Handling:

I have to say that the handling of this car was decent. The Camaro is a very substantial coupe, weighing in with a curb weight of 3780 lbs. For a sporty car I find this to be a bit on the heavy side. My WRX wagon weighs in at roughly 3200 lbs and that’s with an AWD system. The cool thing about the Camaro though is that it certainly feels grounded. Growing up in the Midwest I have an innate fear of RWD platforms due to our insane winters. The last thing I want to be on the road with is a high torque, RWD car, trying to plow through 8 inches of snow. I’ve even wiped out a Mustang in heavy rain (almost taking out a Lexus on the test drive) so I personally am more comfortable in the FWD or AWD platform. That being said I am very impressed at the stability of this coupe. I found myself driving up through some mountainous area when we went from Seattle to Portland (I-5). Unfortunately it was raining a fair amount and some of the road was less than smooth, laden with some frost heaves or bumps of some sort. My fear was that the rear axle would skip over some of these, especially around the corners but I have to admit this car was stable. The independent rear made me at peace with any fears I may have had about RWD in the rain. The stock tires did a good job at channeling away the water and never once did I break traction in the rain (driving within 5mph of the posted speed limits).

Aside from my initial RWD concerns I was very impressed with the balance of the suspension. It wasn’t overly stiff or punishing on the ride but not too soft to remind you of a Camry. Body lean was not too bad and on heavy acceleration the front didn’t fly up (like it would with a weak suspension). I think this would be very suitable for a daily driver however if you’re looking for more of a track car I’d say upgrade the suspension or go up to the SS model.

Interior:

The biggest thing that stood out for me was the feeling of being in a retro car. The Camaro has a low roofline and when you’re sitting in the driver’s seat it reminded me of a chopped top street rod. This felt like a pretty sporty American car. It unfortunately compromises visibility like nothing else and it’s not for everyone (like the wife) but I liked it. I was used to compromised visibility from when I had my 2001 Celica so this wasn’t too much a surprise. The C-pillars are huge though and backing out of a parking garage spot was a test of faith.

The interior layout is pretty carved out and makes you feel like you’re in a cockpit (in a good way). I did find that the controls were easy to use (and figure out) on the radio and the steering wheel. The computer between the gauges was simple enough to figure out and read out your fuel efficiency and had a mode to display your speed. Some people might like this because the numbers on the speedometer aren’t always easy to get a good read (not good if you’re trying to avoid speeding tickets).

The driver and passenger windows in the doors are short. This goes along with the whole chopped top feeling but isn’t too bad. The passenger seat sits very low and is actually difficult to see out the front, maybe adjustable seats would have been nice for this side too.

One thing I will say is that the interior plastics are hard. When I picked up the car it only had 1700 miles on the odometer and I had noticed some scratches already from seatbelts or whatever it was. I would say that is something to be improved upon in a refresh. Plenty of space to put things and cup holders are adequate. Overall the interior is not too shabby.

Exterior:

The only thing to say here is that they’ve done a great job with the shape. It has that perfect, classic muscle car shape which includes a large engine bay proportion. Very few recent cars pull that off with the exceptions of the new Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang and the last generation Honda Prelude.

The larger rims that come stock seem to fit the car well. I think if GM would have gone cheap and tried to get away with 16” rims that it would just make the proportions appear awkward. These larger 18’s suit the car very well!

I think the other thing I appreciate is the roofline. The top is designed to look like it’s chopped low and it’s nice they did that. A lot of custom auto projects would take something like a ’50 Mercury coupe and chop the top to make it flatter. I think this flat top works well with the trunk and the hood.

Overall:

I am overall impressed with the new Camaro. I have yet to drive a SS trim but I can say that GM has put together a very nice package for the price point. Competition at this dollar point includes a Genesis Coupe 2.0, Honda Civic Si, or Ford Mustang V6. For getting 304hp, independent rear axle, and 26mpg combined I’d say that’s pretty impressive. Civic, Genesis and current V6 Mustang are barely over 200hp and can’t even compete with the power. Sure the Civic will get you better mpg and the handling will be more agile. The Genesis will also be more agile and future aftermarket is very promising. And the Mustang...well it’s got history. Personally I wouldn’t buy the automatic version of this car. It makes it too tame for my own taste but I think the blend they’ve put together will satisfy most people looking for a sporty daily driver that won’t break the bank. Nicely done GM, very nice.