The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- 30-mpg V-6 produces over 300 horsepower
- Retro-contemporary looks
- 1LE package provides superior handling
- Impressive connectivity and features
- Compliant ride for a muscle car
Dislikes
- Interior is not Chevy's best effort
- Tight rear seat is a tease
- Simply not enough headroom
- Outward visibility
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2015 Chevrolet Camaro may be slightly polarizing to the eye, but it's hard to argue with the performance capabilities found in the ZL1 and Z/28 versions of this muscle car.
The 2015 Chevrolet Camaro can be had in a lot of ways, ranging from the cost-effective V-6 and potent V-8 SS, to the track-ready Z/28 and lightning-quick ZL1, to the well-rounded 1LE V-8.
Regardless of which way you go, the Camaro lives on as a bold expression of America's passion for muscle cars, even as the world shifts its attention to other kinds of performance cars.
It's a polarizing vehicle, no doubt, with outrageous lines and an almost cartoonish exterior–so much so, that the Camaro continues to find itself a home in the Michael Bay Transformers series. The Camaro has muscle-car attitude, high shoulders, scorching performance, and it still turns as many heads on the street as it did when it re-debuted a little more than five years ago.
Last year, the Camaro received a long list of styling tweaks–including a functional hood vent for SS models, new headlamps and tail lights, and an updated grille that somehow makes the car look a little sportier, a little lower to the ground than before. The interior remains mostly unchanged, with exception to last year's addition of a new gauge cluster information center mounted in the dash.
Like ice cream, the Camaro comes in flavors from vanilla to sriracha (yes, it exists), equipped with a range of equipment to match their various price points. As with other Chevrolet models, OnStar is standard. Navigation, Bluetooth, USB input, and iPod connectivity are offered as options or as standard gear depending on model. Convertibles get power-folding soft tops with glass windows, and standard rearview cameras (omitted from the coupe). The ZL1 bundles it all together in instantly collectible form--but even SS Camaros, especially 1LEs, show the same potential to entertain auctioneers long after they've thrilled their original drivers.
All that performance and style comes with a significant price. Interior space is at a premium in the Camaro. It's low roof makes for a shortage of headroom for taller-than-average drivers and front passengers. Additionally, the rear seat is limited non-human cargo due to the Camaro's tight trunk or kids who won't complain about a severe dearth of legroom.
The Camaro's four distinct powerplants remain the same in 2015. The base engine is a 323-horsepower V-6, mated to your choice of 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions. SS models (including those equipped with the 1LE package) gain a massive increase in displacement in the form of a 6.2-liter V8. Z/28 models get even more displacement thanks to a 7.0-liter V-8, good for 500 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of track domination. At the tippy top of the Camaro food chain is the ZL1, which uses the same 6.2-liter V-8 as the SS but adds a supercharger for 580 horsepower.
2015 Chevrolet Camaro Styling
The Camaro's sheetmetal is a retro blast of American glory; the interior's kind of a shame.
It's a polarizing vehicle, no doubt, with outrageous lines and an almost cartoonish exterior–so much so, that the Camaro continues to find itself a home in the Michael Bay Transformers series. The Camaro has muscle-car attitude, high shoulders, scorching performance, and it still turns as many heads on the street as it did when it re-debuted a little more than five years ago.
The Camaro continues unchanged after it saw a long list of styling updates last year.
Following its reintroduction, the Camaro is slowly shedding some of its retro sheetmetal for more modern lines. That's not to say it doesn't rely heavily on its heritage as a styling guide. The Camaro still wears a bold face, muscular fenders, and squat haunches, but its sliver of a greenhouse and bluff front and let it down. On the other hand it's all too much to digest in one look--the way really exciting cars should be.
2015 Chevrolet Camaro Performance
The Camaro's heady performance gets a track-ready bump this year with the sticky, pricey Z/28.
Shoppers will be faced with a long list of decisions when it comes to choosing the right Camaro–there are several levels of performance available, so there should be a Camaro available for nearly every taste. Whether you seek an economical V-6 or a surprisingly well-rounded V-8 SS or 1LE model, or even a supercharged ZL1 or track-ready Z/28, the Camaro comes in flavors that range from affordable and stylish to nimble and wicked-fast.
The Camaro is a handler—or at least as much of a handler as a car weighing about 3,800 pounds can be. Models powered by the base 323-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6 are offered with six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, ride on 18-inch wheels, and get an electric power steering system that's well weighted and fairly natural in feel. Add the available sport suspension package and the base Camaro becomes a nimbler package. As should be expected, convertible models lose some of their rigidity and a bit of the precise feel from the coupe in the process. But don't for a second think the V-6 Camaro is a dog; it'll easily run circles around high-performance models of the recent past while returning an EPA-estimated 30 mph on the highway.
MORE: Read our Camaro Z/28 first drive
But if you're buying a Camaro, you're likely craving two more cylinders and a burbling exhaust. SS models get their motivation from a 6.2-liter V-8 good for 426 horsepower when paired with a manual transmission. Opting for the automatic means you'll have to make do with only 400 horsepower as the modified engine utilizes a different fuel delivery system than manual models. Regardless, the SS will rocket to 60 mph in about 5 seconds. Still, you'll want the manual in this model. Not only do you get a little extra power when you row you own, you'll also benefit from quicker shifts and a dual-mode exhaust system that opens up the pipes at full trot for more of that glorious V-8 roar.
It should be mentioned almost everything included in the 1LE package is available as a standalone option. Want its unstaggered tire setup on the SS? Sure. What about some suspension upgrades? You got it. But the remapped power steering is specific to the 1LE. If you want it, you have to take the entire 1LE package. But we promise you won't be disappointed.
If you're satisfied with the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 motivating the SS and simply want more nimble handling, the 1LE package is the genie fulfilling your wish. Forget the automatic transmission; you won't find one here. Instead, the 1LE is gifted a manual transmission with additional cooling and close-ratio gearing to keep the V-8 in its power band, identically sized front and rear 35-series tires, a strut tower brace and larger anti-roll bar at front, monotube shocks at the rear, and the ZL1's suspension mounts. We're sold on the package, fitted to less plush SS models to keep curb weight down, after driving it at Michigan's Gingerman Raceway. Setting its stability control program to sport lets the Camaro's rear end step out by allowing more yaw, while GM's steering boffins remapped the variable-ratio electric power steering to more easily correct oversteer. A blacked hood and spoiler set the 1LE's visual tone—it's serious, as in seriously fun.
The fastest Camaro is likely the most collectable in the long run. The ZL1 begins with the same 6.2-liter V-8 as the SS, but engineers give it bigger lungs with an added supercharger. The result is 580 horsepower to the rear wheels, kept in check with magnetic dampers and modifications to the ZL1's body to keep the blown V-8 cool and its tires on terra firma. From a dead stop, the ZL1 gets to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds before hitting its top speed of 184 mph.
For all its power, the ZL1 still isn't the track-focused model of group. That slot is filled by the Z/28. The resurrected nameplate is applied to a 7.0-liter behemoth that looks to its '60s heritage for inspiration. Forget creature comforts. There's no automatic transmission option. There's no air conditioning as standard. Instead, roll down those front windows and slam through those six gears to put its 500 horsepower to good use. Stiffer springs, stool-valve dampers, special Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tires, and significant weight savings make this Camaro the weapon of choice for hitting the track. The nominal 0-60 mph time of four seconds sounds like sandbagging.
2015 Chevrolet Camaro Comfort & Quality
The front seats can be comfortable, but there's not enough headroom for tall drivers; the back seat and trunk are undersized, too.
The Camaro's interior looks about as retro-contemporary as they come, but the cabin may leave you craving something else. Why? Those handsome rear haunches create a severe lack of headroom, especially for rear passengers, and rear visibility is compromised, too.
Suede, leather, and brighty colored trim pieces can be added to SS and ZL1 models, though Chevrolet offers up some questionable color combinations. All Camaros have a back seat that basically exists in name only, suitable for young children and cargo. And behind that seat sits the Camaro's trunk, but don't plan on sticking golf clubs back there; it's pretty tight.
Although you sacrifice a lot for the design of the Camaro, kudos to GM for making them so tight and rattle-free; and we've noticed in repeated drives that road and wind noise are truly kept to a minimum.
The Chevy Camaro pays an obvious price for its meta-Sixties sheetmetal--and that's inside. The cabin is cramped, even by muscle-car standards, and trunk space is minimal.
If you're taller than average or regularly hit up the track (or both), the Camaro's interior will leave you wanting for more—space, that is. Front seats are comfortable whether you buy a base model or the top ZL1, but no trim or package will add more room to the Camaro's cabin. Six-footers will need to seriously reconsider adding the optional sunroof as further reduces headroom, while track enthusiasts will be surprised how little room there is between their helmets and the Camaro's ceiling. Adding insult to injury, many will find ingress and egress difficult, either due to the Camaro's low roof or its heavy, long doors getting in the way when in tighter parking spaces.
If your want for a Camaro allows you to look past all these foibles, expect to treat the rear seat more like a parcel shelf. Children can get away with the sub-30 inches of legroom, but don't expect tweens to sit back there without complaint. Further hampering rear-seat comfort is the Camaro's teardrop greenhouse shape that reduces headroom as it narrows toward the rear. But the rear-seat-as-parcel-shelf plan is probably best as the trunk has a difficult time doing its job, struggling to fit anything bigger than a gym bag.
2015 Chevrolet Camaro Safety
A rearview camera would be nice, to help with the Camaro's pathetic visibility.
The 2015 Chevrolet Camaro comes with a long list of safety features and five-star rating from NHTSA, making it one of safer choices you could make in terms of muscle cars.
But staying safe is as much about not hitting things as it is about being wrapped in a top-notch safety cell and a bunch of airbags. To avoid crashes in the first place, drivers need to see what they're possibly about to hit. The Camaro, with its high beltline, low roof, thick pillars, and small rear window, is one of the worst vehicles on the market for outward visibility. To top it all off, a rearview camera isn't even standard equipment on the coupe (though it's included on convertible models).
Safety equipment in the Camaro includes six airbags, anti-lock brakes, and stability control, as well as the OnStar telematics system with six months of emergency service.
The Camaro Coupe earns National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ratings of five stars overall, but it hasn't yet tested a convertible. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) hasn't tested either Camaro.
2015 Chevrolet Camaro Features
The nicer Camaro editions pay more attention to the details--but the features you really want here are under the hood.
Thanks to its six different trim packages, the Camaro runs the gamut from simple and affordable, to very well equipped in both features and racing gear. You can choose how you'd like your Camaro, though the Mustang still offers a slightly longer list of options.
OnStar comes standard and navigation is available; Bluetooth, USB, and iPod connectivity are offered as options or as standard gear, and a head-up display mimics the one found in the Corvette. Convertibles get power-folding soft tops with glass windows, and standard rearview cameras. The ZL1 bundles it all together in instantly collectible form--but even SS Camaros, especially 1LEs, show the same potential to entertain auctioneers long after they've thrilled their original drivers.
Options on some models include remote start; leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob; ambient lighting; a USB port; and on coupes, a sunroof.
Color Touch provides a graphic interface on an LCD touchscreen for direct control of audio and phone features, and also runs the Camaro's navigation system. It also connects the car's audio system to smartphones and enables some mobile apps for in-car use, apps like Pandora, and also accepts voice commands for audio, phone and navigation--though it's not quite as flexible or as vocabulary-rich as Ford's system, for example.
The Camaro lineup begins with the LT; from some LT trims and up, it adds more luxury features, like power-recline front seats; heated and leather-trimmed seats; a head-up display; premium audio; and a three-spoke steering wheel. An RS package gets its own body kit and 20-inch wheels. The Camaro SS 1LE is treated as an option package, but gets its own suspension design and 20-inch wheels and tires front and back, along with a manual transmission, a matte-black hood and spoiler, a front air splitter, and a flat-bottom steering wheel. See our performance section for a more thorough discussion on it and for the ZL1 and its mechanical differences.
The ZL1 makes almost all available features standard, and gets its own wheel and color choices, along with its own aero-add ons; suede interior trim; alloy pedals; rear parking sensors; a set of four ancillary gauges; and standard remote start on automatic-equipped models. A suede package for the interior and a sunroof are among the few options.
At $75,000, the Z/28 actually removes features in its quest to be the most track-capable Camaro ever. Bodywise, it's stripped down and winged up, with an aero kit including an adjustable rear spoiler that can boost rear downforce to 150 pounds. From the Camaro SS stock trim, engineers have carved off about 100 pounds alone by chopping things like standard air conditioning, the rear seat pass-through, some sound deadening, fog lights, and five of the six speakers that come standard with the basic audio system. The Z/28 also loses its tire-inflator kit in most states, and gets thinner windows and a smaller battery.
2015 Chevrolet Camaro Fuel Economy
V-6-powered Camaros get very good fuel economy for their kind, and in truth, even the V-8s aren't so bad.
So long as you opt for the base six-cylinder engine, the Camaro is reasonably fuel efficient.
The V-6's performance doesn't fall flat, and its EPA ratings are fairly high. When matched with a manual transmission, the V-6 is estimated at 17 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. Automatic models see those estimates increase to 19 mpg city and 30 mpg highway.
The V-8 SS is where the gas mileage starts to head south to 15 mpg (coupe) or 16 mpg (convertible) city and 24 mpg highway. As for the awe-inducing Camaro ZL1, it's rated at 14 city and 19 mpg highway with a manual, or 12/18 mpg for the automatic. For the 7.0-liter Z/28, gas mileage figures fall a bit to 13 mpg city, 19 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined.
