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2024 Volkswagen Taos ReviewThe 2021 Chevy Camaro is Better Than Ever
With rival sports cars from Dodge and Ford pushing the performance envelope further, the 2021 Chevrolet Camaro manages to stay a lap ahead.
What’s New for the 2021 Chevrolet Camaro?
2021 Chevrolet Camaros – chevrolet.com | Shop 2021 Chevrolet Camaro on Carsforsale.com
No gigantic changes for the 2021 model year come to the 6th generation Camaro. Perhaps the biggest change is that the 1LE performance package is available with the 10-speed automatic on the V8-equipped Camaro SS. For the first time, all trim levels come with Android Auto and Apple Car Play. Some minor color shifts have happened too.
The Breakdown
Adequate power and handling
1LE available on almost all trim levels
Excellent base model
Trim level nomenclature can be confusing
Slightly disappointing V6
2LT and 2SS trims are unnecessary
More power and torque from the V6
Exterior design could be more streamline
2021 Camaro Specs
- 275 horsepower from base engine
- 284 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 8 available trims
- 9.1 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- 8-inch infotainment screen available
- 5-star crash test rating
- 5 years/60,000 mile powertrain warranty
2021 Chevrolet Camaro Powertrain
At the heart of the Camaro, performance has always been paramount. It won’t matter too much which drivetrain you choose in 2021, all of them are powerful enough to be seriously enjoyed. While the V6 seems to leave a bit of power on the table, it’s still a good choice for those who don’t want to wait for the turbo 4-cylinder to spool up and the V6 makes a great noise too.
The V8 is outstanding as always and incredibly reliable. Handling is good even in base form. Any trim level that has been optioned with the 1LE package will be one that maintains its value better, as it’s far more than an appearance package. The ZL1 is almost an entirely different animal considering the huge jump in power, performance, and pricing. At 650 horsepower it’s capable of killing Hellcats and GT350’s when piloted properly.
2021 Chevrolet Camaro Fuel Economy & MPG
Nobody is buying the Camaro because it’s a fuel sipper, but it’s nice to know that you can still get 30mpg from the car if you option it with the 4-cylinder and the 8-speed auto. That might be a great rival for a car like the new BRZ considering it’ll offer more space and perhaps more style depending on the look you prefer. The V6 and V8 mills are more thirsty, but not to the point of drunkenness so to speak. At a combined 19 and 20 mpg respectively, they’re reasonable considering that the point of a muscle car is often to go through fuel like it’s going out of style.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
Chevrolet has leaned into the retro-styling in the 6th generation Camaro, but they haven’t forgotten to modernize it as much as possible. The balancing act isn’t an easy one, but they manage it quite nicely. As is often a concern in GM vehicles, most materials inside are a bit cheap feeling. The 1LT 1LE did little to hide the fact that most of the switchgear is the same as you’d get in a Chevy Spark.
Seating is comfortable and supportive even in the tightest of bends, but if we had our choice we would opt for the Recaro seats if you’re planning to drive passionately. The comical blind spot on the rear passenger side is still here, but blind spot monitoring and good mirror position make it a non-issue. Cargo space is adequate for the kind of car this is and if you don’t fill the rear seats with small people then you can use that as well in addition to the 9.1 cu-ft of trunk space.
Entertainment & Technology
When it comes to the infotainment screen in the Camaro, both the 7 and 8-inch options come with the 3rd generation of Chevrolet’s interface. It’s much quicker than in previous iterations and is intuitive in terms of layout and behavior. We’d likely opt for the 8-inch because frankly, the 7-inch looks a bit out of place and basically just wastes space.
The stock sound system in our tester was solid and the two premium Bose options for audio will only improve things. Since Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard and don’t require you to plug anything in, it’s just that much more enjoyable to take full advantage of the entertainment in the 2021 Camaro.
Safety Features
As we noted in our review of the 2021 Suburban, Chevrolet doesn’t have a ton of active or passive safety features compared to its rivals. Nevertheless, the Camaro does have a 5-star crash test rating from the NHTSA. In addition, it can be optioned with lots of safety tech like forward-collision warning, rear parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring.
2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trims & Pricing
1LS – $24,955
For a base level vehicle, the 1LS is an excellent car overall. Only available as a coupe, the 1LS comes with 18-inch wheels, a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and a Wi-Fi hotspot as standard equipment. The 275 horsepower 4-cylinder engine makes more than enough power and more torque than the V6. Those looking for even more power can use aftermarket tuning to push more boost from the turbocharger and turn this into a seriously potent sports car. Choose from a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic.
1LT – $25,495
At this trim level, you can opt for the 335 horsepower V6 and a 10-speed automatic transmission. Also, both front seats get power adjustments. While there aren’t many additional standard features over the 1LS, there are a bunch of new optional extras like Alloy sport pedals, Bose Premium Audio, and an 8-inch infotainment screen. Add the 1LE performance package and this might be the Camaro to get.
2LT – $27,495
Perhaps one of the least useful trim levels, the 2LT simply takes everything from the first two trim levels and adds dual-zone climate control and fully heated and ventilated leather front seats.
3LT – $31,495
The 3LT gets a major bump and is sort of a top trim level for the 4-cylinder Camaro, though it can be optioned with the V6. It gets everything from the other LT models, but now with extra features like a heated steering wheel, a rear camera mirror, a heads-up display, a 9-speaker Bose premium sound system, and safety features like rear cross-traffic alert and parking sensors.
LT1 – $33,995
If you’re looking for the lowest priced V8 Camaro, then this is it. While it costs more than the 3LT, it’s not much of a price bump, because Chevrolet makes it up by removing a great deal of the interior tech found in the 2LT and 3LT. Wheels are upgraded to 20-inch units and the V8 can transmit power there through either a 6-speed manual or the 10-speed automatic.
1SS – $37,495
With the 1SS, some important features either become available or return to standard like the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit. Performance-focused bits like Brembo brakes, a spoiler, and better powertrain cooling components are now standard.
2SS – $42,495
This is another trim level that could be discarded if Chevrolet wanted to. Take the 3LT Camaro, remove the 4 or 6-cylinder engine and drop in the V8 and you get the 2SS. Options like navigation and graphics packages become available as well.
ZL1 – $64,695
Look at the more than $20,000 jump in pricing here over the 2SS. A full 200 bump in horsepower and torque is a large part of that figure and the rest is made up in other track goodies like Brembo brakes, Adaptive suspension dampers, Recaro front bucket seats, and a fancy suede microfiber flat-bottomed steering wheel. Add on the 1LE package and you get special features like fatter tires, a giant wing on the back, and special 19-inch wheels.
Warranties
Like most others in the Chevrolet stable, the Camaro offers 3 years or 36 months of limited warranty coverage along with 5 years or 60,000 miles of powertrain coverage. Additionally, your first maintenance service is free.
What we think
2021 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS – chevrolet.com | Shop 2021 Chevrolet Camaro on Carsforsale.com
It’s incredibly tough to decide which 2021 Chevrolet Camaro is best, but it’s easy to decide which one to not buy and that’s any of them equipped with the V6. If you’re into the Camaro for performance, then you get much more power from V8, while the 4-cylinder, which already makes more torque, can be cheaply tuned to produce more power too. The 1LE package should also be a no-brainer for anyone actually looking to drive this pony car hard. We’d love to see nicer materials inside of the Camaro. However, having seen its Ford and Dodge competitors, it’s clear to see that Chevrolet has spent the money on making the 2021 Chevrolet Camaro the best dynamic driver of the bunch, and that’s a fair trade if you believe that every day is track day.
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