It's always exciting when an auto manufacturer invites me to a new car press preview. They really go all out for these things: Nice hotels, good food, and, of course, the chance to drive a hot new car that the public can't buy yet. (I still can't believe I get paid to do this.) And the 2010 Camaro was, without question, one of the cars I've most been looking forward to seeing in person, let alone driving. But sometimes things don't always go as you expect them to... and that's what happened with the 2010 Camaro. Get the details in my 2010 Chevrolet Camaro test drive and new car review.
Side note: Since Friday's update, I've added a bunch of new photos to my 2010 Camaro photo gallery -- you'll find them spread out between the first and second pages. -- Aaron Gold
UPDATE: Chevy's response:
"You're right, you definitely won't be getting a 'second date' with the Camaro."
Ouch, babe.
Photo © Aaron Gold
It’s sad that GM can’t build anything more than an average sports car. I would love to buy American, but I can’t pass up better Japanese and German cars that are much better for the money. Maybe GM or Ford can build something decent with the bailout money.
Everyone is saying the same thing about the lack of feeling behind the wheel and that is a shame because it sounds like everyone out there who reviewed the car REALLY wanted to like it but just couldn’t for various reasons…
The V6 should still sell well and it sounds like it is a terrific engine and price point.
I think I would still take a Challenger SRT8 over any Camaro and the Mustang as well…
The Camaro is finally here. Like the exterior but not the interior. Also, after so many years since we got a glimpse of the new Camaro(feels that way anyway), I hoped GM would have done a better job with the interior and, more importantly, with the car driving dynamics. Shame…
I still think GM has done a good job with the CTS-V, Vette and new Malibu. Maybe the G8 as well. Too bad early reviews of the Camaro are not terribly positive.
The interior is soooo disappointing. Especially since the interior of the new Malibu, with the two tone, is so outside the box. Love the exterior.. Just hoping the dash can take a pothole or a railroad crossing. My 88 Formula’s dash was never the same. It would wavy like the court on the Rose parade. Hoping the car can last( CAFE mpg) till the next round of freshing!! Fingers crossed
Sigh. Another case of committee engineering from G.M. These folks make the Corvette and the CTS-V which ride, look and drive like proper sports cars. They CAN build a great sports car with great handling, feel and style. I’ve owned a Vette Z-06 and have driven the CTS-V and they were magnificent. Yet they can also take very much the same elements and turn out a car which (sorry Aaron) looks to me like a Vette that went partially thru a car crusher and has an interior that is…well, truly vile. Those “gauge pods” Blech! It has the uber goodness of the bigger Vette motor and yet the trans is like a trucks. Why is it that they can take the same elements and make a car like the Vette and CTS-V which drive magnificently…put them into another and it turns out ham fisted? I say it is because they are thinking too retro and maybe too much bang for the buck, forgetting the basic driver’s car engineering to go with it. The Vette and CTS-V were designed as proper drivers’ cars with a budget and cost that are justified and even at their prices qualify as bargains. The Camaro was designed to look a certain way on the outside (yawn), somebody decided they wanted as much horsepower as possible in it but the money ran low for a good manual gearbox and suspension tuning…then they were down to petty cash when it came to the interior. Instead of shoehorning the 420 HP motor into the car, they should have spent the money getting the suspension, trans and the V-6 sorted to work together (how about a DSG box and where is the nav system you find in just about every other $30-40K car?). Maybe a couple plane tickets to the Nurburgring like the Vette and Caddy divisions did. They should have thrown the interior design out the window (and fired the designer) and made a $30K car that can compete. In the $30K range you have the 370Z which to me, just looks far more balanced and still goes bloody fast with a mere 330 hp. Then you have the WRX STi and the Mitsu Evo which are road weapons of mass high technology destruction and have the added benefit of not being useless for 1/3rd of the year for anybody who lives in an area where that white fluffy stuff falls out of the sky (uh…it DOES snow in Detroit doesn’t it?) They are both butt ugly but get behind the wheel, hit the twisties and you will Grok the Concept (spend the money on the machine and the driving experience, leave the exterior looks for last). Sorry GM. Fail.
Having owned 4 Z-28’s and one regular Camaro, I’m disappointed, but somehow not surprised. All my old Camaros came with booooring interiors. But the Z cars all had darn good handling for the times, especially the ‘83. Reading this review disheartens me. It seems that this Camaro is just another “boy racer” lacking sophistication that should have been developed with such a long, drawn out release. To me, the 370Z is a better buy, even though its more $. The Nissan is sleeker looking too.
This seems a little unfortunate. I’m pretty sure GM was depending on this car to help save the company. I’m sure they’ll sell quite a few on looks alone (see 2005 Mustang and 2009 Challenger), but the enthusiast crowd seems to have started forming their own opinions…
I remember when the ‘04 GTO was released, and way too many people criticized its ’sedated’ styling (the same people who snub their nose at the excessive body cladding on every other Pontiac), yet praised it’s excellent interior appointments. The general (yet undeserved) distaste for the exterior was a major factor that ultimately led to that car’s demise. Flip to 5 years later, and the GM car that has had the most attention paid to exterior details since the ‘53 Skylark has everyone disgusted at the interior (I’m not a fan of it either). Seems we can’t have it both ways at this price point. Either Americans are way too hard to please, or GM is being stingy with its cash to turn a decent profit. I’m gonna say it’s both.
I guess I’m a little disappointed that Chevy kept us on the fish hook for so long, and didn’t seem to deliver any ’sport’ in their new version of an American GT coupe. Pontiac can grab an Australian sedan, swap around its body panels, throw it on dealer floors, and suddenly the G8 GXP is the coolest thing since sliced bread (I’d say the same goes for the 04-06 GTO, but that’s just me). Yet GM spends several years and several million dollars developing a concept to revive a marquee line, and we’re all left with a bitter taste, wanting more.
I guess I am just sad. I would love to love the new Camaro. The new V6 sounds like a great motor. I will never love this car. Rule one is you must see out! What is wrong with GM? I don’t want to drive in a pillbox. When I was shopping for a new car I looked at the HHR. It was a good deal for the money except it was hard to see out.
This car sounds like it would be miserable to live with. If you are reaching for rolaids in traffic because you can not see out that is unacceptable. So far it sounds like all three of the new Pony cars are stuck in 1972 when it comes to handling. Really sad because it sound like this car could have been great.
I am hopping that Ford will build a Fusion or Milian with an EccoBoost 4 and good handling. Maybe even all wheel drive. Think Mazdaspeed 6 Ford and I will be waiting in line.
It seems to me that GM approached this project with the mindset of ‘make it cheap’ to get that entry price point and deliver a mean looking muscle car for all those twenty-somethings that would rather avoid buying a Civic.
Once they hit the lowball spot it was a matter of finishing out the range with more options and power but once you start cheap, that’s what you end up with; just a more expensive car that still looks cheap. Sure they could have made the interior better and of course they could have made it drive like a Vette or CTS-V but I’m guessing some marketing exec pushed the idea that the car needed to be an entry level sporty looking (not sporty driving) car that serious sports car drivers should upgrade from. After all, they don’t want the Camaro to poach on their own Vette and CTS-V sales by offering a similar experience for $20K-$40K less. Sure it sounds rational in the board room but in reality it just shows shortsightedness and assumes the public will not look at the massive array of other vendors out there. Taking that into account, though, are there really that many other vendors offering this kind of look for that range? The Challenger is far more expensive and the Mustang lacks the exterior passion while the 370Z and others like it are still pricier and don’t have the muscle look that is so appealing in the Camaro. I would venture to say anyone seriously looking at a Camaro does not have a 370Z on their list of alternative test drives.
Now the real question is, will it sell? While I, like most of you here, will not be putting it on my shopping list; I still believe it will sell very well. From those who just like the exterior and the idea of a Camaro to those who can’t quite afford a 370Z or mostly those who just don’t know any better. We are connoisseurs and as such we have standards that the general public may not have. So with our noses in the air we may turn our heads in disgust at the poor execution on this one, but in the end I’m betting that GM will make a Hefty profit on this one.
Aaron, the interior of the new Camaro is interesting, but disappointing. The gauges look difficult to read (any more than the new Mustang?). The steering wheel center looks to be oddly offset to the bottom of center. The HVAC and other controls look a little cheap and a bit too futuristic in a bad Jetsons imitation sort of way. The seats don’t look as inviting as the Challenger or latest Mustang.
I hope my impressions improve after seeing the Camaro in person.
I think when GM started to draft this car up they were not thinking too far into the future… well the future is here and they have shifted their focus to the Volt which is what their savior will have to be… unfortunately I dont think that car will work quite that way.
As an alternative to cars priced like Corollas, Civics, Accords and Camrys, this car is almighty compelling.
As for me, my mind would be made up within as second or so.
At the high end of the price spectrum, perhaps a G8 or 370Z would make more sense.
Sorry about getting jilted by GM and not getting that 2nd date with that Camaro. She really wasn’t meant for a sophisticated guy like you, Aaron. Let her intoxicate other uninitiated, superficial young lads with her comely lines and fast ways. She’ll sweep those poor innocents off their feet, yet soon find herself again on a lot filled with other cast-off “lookers”, once her lack of depth has been recognized. Even the most unseasoned driver will soon come to tire of her uni-dimensional ways.
Aaron, go ahead and hop in another, that’s more suited for who you really are. A 370Z, a 350is or a 325. There’s a whole lot of others out there. Soon the Camaro will just be another cold memory!
As to GM’s response, did you remind them how much you liked the Vibe? Seriously, this blog has been more than fair to the General, especially considering some of the other sites out there. Speaking of which, TTAC seems to have picked up your story.
Geez Don. That’s harsh. I may be unsophisticated, uninitiated, superficial, innocent, and a John. But I draw the line at “young”.
I KNOW that’s not true. See, I can drink beer…legally.
boo hoo… they wont give you another chance to drive a car which you already know feels disconnected and leaves you wondering what could have been?
They also dont want to have their products on a web site with millions of unique visitors each month but will happily supply Car and Driver with 3 for a comparo between a Camaro SS, a Maybach and a GeeWiz that only 300,000 people might read?
…
Chevy — you be on the pipe. After all, my pal Aaron likes… the Dodge Challenger!!! And it’s AWFUL. Give him another shot — he’ll surprise you.
Joe Thousandaire — I did see the post at TTAC (I’m a celeb now!) and as I mentioned over there, GM is usually very good to me, a very strong supporter of About.com. (And I’m good to them, at least when the cars warrant it.) I think this was just one person at the Chevrolet division who was rubbed the wrong way. Having read other reviews of the Camaro since posting my own, I’m sure they aren’t having a very good week over there. — Aaron
Ah Mike in Minn…often “coming of age” has less to do with the calendar than with experience. Many a middle age fool has had his head turned by moments of unexpected fancy.
Excuse me, I need to get into my chili red Mini Cooper and get some milk!
This car looked so cool in the Transformers movie!
Well, well, well…what did you expect from Chevrolet Mr. Gold, a hearty “well done” for being a “pompous ass” when it comes to a new GM product that has taken the automotive world by storm! Oh but not you, no you have to play “Charlie Tuna” through all of this, you have to show your “Au Coulture” side and not like the Camaro in a way that most everyone else does! You have to “nit pick it to death”, you have to find all of the small things that show that you are really “up on cars with Good Taste”…like Nissan or anything other than a GM product! You were so obvious in trying to be “fair” but in reality, you “screwed the pooch”, you just had to find something to throw back at Chevy just to satisfy your own ego. Shame on you Aaron…I don’t blame Chevy for giving you the cold shoulder, for gods sake it is something new and it is an American Icon and it is going to be a success, in spite of your negativity and your inability to see “the forest for the trees”! Wake up Aaron, you can’t go around trashing American Traditions and Icons like the Camaro and not make a few enemy’s! The fact that you were so “wishy washy” through all of this (I like it, no I don’t like it….give me a break!) just proves that you need to quit being so darn judgmental and just enjoy the car as it was designed to be enjoyed…get in, seat belt your sorry ass down, turn the key, stab the “go pedal” (you do know which one that is, right Aaron?)and lay some rubber!
Quit trying to appease all those foreign car owners out there, they have their wish, and hopefully (no thanks to you) many new friends will fall in love, get their wish and purchase the new Camaro and enjoy the ride! Hopefully the world will forget about you and your “wishy-washy and I can’t make up my silly little mind” ways and go out and buy the new Camaro, love driving it and owning it!
I for one will be one of those “guys” that will order the loaded SS version and could care less if somebody else in some foreign car from Japan or Europe looks down their noses at me, I am going to buy an honest to goodness American V8, stick shift, rubber burning, sleek looking Muscle Car that puts a smile on my face everytime I “drop the hammer” and lay out two long black streaks of rubber on the road! I love it, I love, I love it! God Bless America and God Bless GM (Chevy)for finally coming out with my “dream ride”! I have the cash in hand and I want the new Camaro SS in spite of your dismal and obviously pathetic and inept automotive journalist inabilities to say something positive and meaningful about the new Camaro. I know that it has a few “short comings”, nothing is perfect in this world, but…I DON’T CARE! I am not going to be that judgemental about a small trunk, no back seat room or a “gun slit view out of the cabin”! This is exactly what I want, exactly what I have been waiting for and hopefully, many other folks feel the way I do and will just go out there and enjoy the new Camaro…after all Aaron, quite simply “it is, what it is” and if you don’t care for it…stay the hell away from it and go back to your obviously “pro foreign auto makers” point of views and have a great life!
Dick was obviously aptly named. He doesn’t like Aaron or his review because the outcome wasn’t what he liked. Obviously a broad-minded fellow.
I totally agree with Dick La Grasta your personal preference is not close to the reality, actually you are not sounding impartial at all. That is your personal opinion and I can tell you are WRONG. I am a Japanese vehicle owner and I did the test Drive with both vehicles the 2LT and the 2SS the interiors are really good and the price is fair. And I have to admit that feels GREAT for a American Vehicle. The performance and the handling felt like other expensive vehicle in the same category even better.I usually agree with your scripts BUT today… you need to go back and do some HOMEWORk. Have Fun while doing it… I know you will.