Obviously, cars built low and sleek don't offer much excess interior room, and the Camaro is no exception. The Camaro
is more difficult to get into and out of than the taller, more upright Mustang. Also, the seating position is low and
somewhat reclining, with your legs extending forward. But once you're in, the overall driving position, including
control layout and instrumentation, is pretty good and lends itself quite well to the business of enthusiastic
driving -- a significant part of the Camaro's appeal.
The tiny rear seats are shaped with deep buckets in the cushions, so the requirements for sitting back there include:
Sufficient nimbleness to get in; the ability to sit squarely in the bucket with feet in front and knees up; and basic
measurements of less than 5 ft. 10 in. and 160 pounds. If you meet those requirements the back seat is not the torture
chamber it might appear to be, but it's still primarily a place for briefcases or small people who won't complain.
Cargo space is also limited. Open the rear hatch and there's a modest bin that fits behind the rear axle, and a higher
shelf behind the rear seats. There's plenty of room as long as you don't need to haul more than groceries for two.
The rear seats fold forward to accommodate a decent amount of luggage room. But if cargo space is a priority you
shouldn't be looking at a Camaro.
Even in its base form, the Camaro feels pretty sporty to most drivers. The low driving position and low center of
gravity contribute to a hunkered down, responsive feel, no matter how briskly or sedately the car is driven.
The Camaro's mechanical layout, with a front engine driving the rear wheels through a live axle, might seem outdated,
but it's quite capable and very successful on the race track. The engine is positioned so that most of it is behind
the centerline of the front wheels, thus placing it in the category of front mid-engine design. This distributes the
weight more evenly. The result is a car that bends into corners with eagerness and grip and accelerates away from
those same corners hard and true. Compared to the Mustang, the Camaro will feel lower, wider, more stuck to the road
and more responsive. It's more sophisticated than the Mustang, feels better when driven hard, and works better.
Moving even higher on the performance scale is the Z28 Camaro, a car that offers remarkably good handling, better
than many that wear the "sports car" label and cost a good deal more. Driven conservatively the ride is well controlled
and smooth enough for "sports car" expectations. Driven with more enthusiasm, the Z28 has exceptional directional
stability and good feedback through the wheel. It turns into corners with linear precision. It'll make you look for
the long, crooked way home.
We can't emphasize enough the significant role the excellent 5.7-liter LS1 V8 plays in this. Most people have never
driven a car that runs this hard. The engine revs and pulls with gusto all the way to redline. The chassis is
balanced well and contributes to the commendable driving experience. But as good as the Z28's chassis is, the
heart of the car is really that Corvette engine.