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The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro - Honest Reveiw
By
JONATHAN WELSH
Buyers are snapping up Chevy's newly revived muscle car even though it
lacks the kind of comfort, practicality and fuel economy many car
shoppers increasingly seek. 2010 Camaro sales have grown to lead the
"midsize sporty" segment since it came onto the market in the spring.
The new Camaro has an hourglass shape, gracefully arched
fenders and is largely free of clutter like chrome strips and add-on
trim. It has the sex appeal and va-voom to boost any midlife crisis.
While its styling recalls the 1969 Camaro, it has less of a retro
appearance than rivals like the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger.
Some of the Camaro's exterior features are exaggerated. Its
front grille opening is so narrow that the large, rounded headlights
seem to squint behind it. A bulge in the middle of the hood hints at an
outsize engine underneath. The overall look suggests the designers who
penned it were set loose with few restrictions. As a result the Chevy
is a stunning sight.
For drivers seeking attention, the Camaro with a six-cylinder
engine and a starting price of $22,680 gets the most stares for the
money. Pedestrians slowed to take long looks at my test car as I waited
at intersections. The top-of-the-line Super Sport model has an
eight-cylinder engine and costs $33,450. I road-tested both versions
and found a few surprises.
The faster V8 Camaro, of course, has a more aggressive rumble
from its exhaust pipes and accelerates with greater urgency than its
smaller-engine sibling. When prodded, the car lunges with ballistic
urgency, making it ideal for the cut-and-thrust style of driving
favored in New York City. It brings fun to dreary commutes -- downshift
a gear or two, touch the gas and crisply steer around the
cellphone-nattering slowpoke ahead of you.
In short, the Camaro is a closet drag-racer's dream. But the
hot rod Chevy's fuel thirst becomes costly. The V8 version has an EPA
highway rating of 24 miles per gallon, but I think you would have to be
coasting down a hill to do it. And the bigger engine doesn't add enough
fun to make the added expense worthwhile.
For example, the V8 Camaro isn't especially engaging to drive
on curvy country roads where a smaller, lighter sports car would be
better. Its low-roof styling may look sharp, but those tiny windows
hurt outward visibility. I was never quite sure where the car's corners
were or how close I was coming to obstacles. This uncertainty saps the
joy that should accompany vigorous driving.
Throughout muscle-car history the six-cylinder engine has been
the unappealing bridesmaid. In the days of raucously overpowered
American cars, you had to be square to drive a six-cylinder. But today,
in the Camaro's case, the "six" should be the engine of choice.
The smaller engine has plenty of power and emits a nice growl
when accelerating. It is similar to the engine in the Cadillac CTS
sport sedan, so it gives the car a surprisingly smooth, sophisticated
feel. It is also easier on gasoline in everyday driving. By babying the
throttle on my commute, I could eek out 25 miles per gallon – not
great, but decent for a large, powerful car.
While the Camaro is a good value based on performance and
outward appearance, it loses points when you get inside. The interior
is the chintziest I have seen since the Chrysler PT Cruiser. There is a
lot of hard plastic on the dashboard, and while the steering wheel is
stitched in leather, my fingertips usually came to rest on more hard
plastic on the back of the wheel. Swaths of smooth, featureless plastic
cover the doors. It is as if no one could come up with even a mildly
interesting door panel.
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