2012 Chevrolet Camaro Expert Review: Autoblog
Autoblog
2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible – Click above for high-res image gallery
The history of the Camaro is littered with topless wonders that looked like a stack of cool cash while parked, yet most drove like a wet noodle when you stepped on their skinny pedals. The minds that pull the strings at GM have made it clear that in the coming years, what was once the king of the muscle car heap will turn its attention more toward the sports car crowd, and to that end, they've striven to deliver a Camaro Convertible capable of all of the same driving dynamics as the coupe. Have they pulled it off? We took to the streets of San Diego to find out.
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Photos copyright ©2011 Zach Bowman / AOL
Outside, GM has kept the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible nearly identical to its hardtop sibling with a few notable exceptions. The largest of those is, of course, the fact that buyers can now opt for either a black or tan folding soft top in place of the coupe's tin, though there are a handful of subtler changes as well. RS and SS models enjoy a trunklid lip spoiler with an integrated AM/FM radio antenna that does away with the wince-worthy whip piece of lower-rung trims. Additionally, a tonneau cover for the stowed top cleans up the rear deck of the car nicely. The piece is standard on 2LT and 2SS trims and optional on 1LT and 1SS configurations. Unfortunately, as we would find out, installing the tonneau cover is a frustrating process that could be employed as an enhanced interrogation method by sinister law enforcement agencies.
Even without the cover, the top stows politely enough to be attractive. We see zero need for the additional decoration. Throw the top up, and the convertible does a smart job of retaining the same chopped-look roofline of the coupe, though mechanical necessity has generated a C-pillar that's slightly chunkier than that of the metal-roofed Camaro. GM says that the company uses the same supplier responsible for turning out the canvas covers for both the Cadillac XLR convertible and the Corvette, and that each top undergoes a severe eight-minute water test before being shipped from Bowling Green, Kentucky to the Camaro Convertible's manufacturing facility in Oshawa.
Head indoors and you'll notice few changes compared to the coupe, as well. GM has decided to mount the controls for the convertible roof along the top of the windshield frame, and their placement makes it easy to operate the motor control and lock down the top at the same time. Backseat riders will notice a little less available hip room than before thanks to the space gobbled up by the folding top, and trunk space has been all but negated.
Still, if trunk space and rear hip room were your top priorities, you'd be buying a Honda Odyssey instead of a 430-horsepower topless muscle car. Considering that these are two of only a handful of sacrifices buyers will have to make when opting for the convertible over the coupe, we're hardly complaining. By our stopwatch, it takes about 20 seconds to raise the top from its fully stowed position and an additional three seconds to manipulate the center lock handle to secure everything in place with zero practice. That seems like a completely reasonable figure until you find yourself trapped in a rain storm. The top drops in about the same period of time.
That's not a small chunk of weight, but according to Chevy's official specs, the convertible hasn't lost much in the way of performance due to its extra poundage. In all variations (V6, V8, six-speed manual transmission or six-speed auto) the convertible only takes an additional 0.2 seconds to 60 mph and around 0.4 seconds longer down the quarter mile. In short, any stoplight-to-stoplight discrepancies are likely to be as much the fault of the nut behind the wheel as they are the extra heft. GM says that the 2011 Camaro Convertible with the six-speed manual gear box can scoot to 60 mph in a mere 4.9 seconds and do the quarter-mile dash in just 13.2.
While you aren't likely to feel the weight gain in a straight line, it does rear its head a bit in the Camaro's steering. With the mighty LS3 V8 lodged under the hood, the tiller feels a good bit heavier than it does in the hard top, though it's not enough to be an issue. Switch to the standard V6 and the weight is much less pronounced. Despite GM's best efforts toward banishing steering column shake, we did notice a bit of wiggle on some of the more abusive sections of road on our drive. According to the company's engineers, there was a choice between softening the suspension to eradicate the shake and maintaining the vehicle's handling. They opted for the latter, and given how rarely the issue arose during our time with the car, we feel they made the right decision.
What's most impressive is that the Camaro Convertible reacts nearly identically to its tin-top twin when the tarmac turns twisty. Start wrenching on the wheel and you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the two were the sun not on your face and the wind in your hair. This isn't a car we'd be particularly interested in taking to our local autocross, but it's far more athletic than we anticipated. This is a convertible grown men don't have to be embarrassed to drive.
The current Camaro has always been plagued by rearward visibility that's dismal at best, and you'd think that lopping off the top would be a quick step toward curing that ail. Sadly, you'd be wrong. Thanks to the high hip line of the Camaro Convertible, checking your blind spots only yields a detailed glance at the nice grain work on the interior plastics. That's partially due to the relatively low seating position in the Camaro. Fortunately, parking your derrière low in the cabin serves to shield you from the vast majority of wind buffeting, at least at speeds below 100 mph.
Raise the top and you're rewarded with a drive that's nearly as quiet as that of the coupe. The cloth lid boasts an insulated acoustic liner to help keep road and wind noise at bay, and it functions admirably. At near-interstate speeds, we observed a slight hint of wind noise and a little flutter from the all-glass back window.
GM has priced the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible starting at $29,150 for 1LT trim, and prices ratchet all the way up to $39,650 for 2SS guise, both without $850 in destination charges. Step over to rival Ford, and the Blue Oval will be happy to put you into a V6 Mustang convertible for a comparatively lean $27,145. Still, given the way GM is minting money with the Camaro, we doubt the price differential will cause Bowtie buyers to lose a wink of sleep.
The engineers at GM have done an impressive job of keeping the traditional convertible gremlins at bay with the topless Camaro, and the result is a car that asks buyers to make few sacrifices for the joy of open-air driving. Of course, we'll see if we keep that opinion after we spend a bit more time with the car. Look for the 2011 Camaro Convertible to hit showrooms in February.
Photos copyright ©2011 Zach Bowman / AOL
New Car Test Drive
Better fuel economy, more power.Improved fuel economy.
Introduction
It's the 45th year of Camaro, an icon from the day it was born as a 1967 model. To commemorate, there's a 2012 Camaro SS 45th Anniversary edition with a powerful V8. The standard V6 has been upgraded for 2012, and a new ZL1 is available.
Camaro convertibles are equipped like the coupes but feature a soft top fitted with acoustical foam in the headliner to minimize noise with the top up. This latest-generation Camaro was designed from the outset to include convertible models, and reinforcements were added in four key areas to increase rigidity.
2012 Camaro LS and Camaro LT models come with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that's been revamped with many improvements. For 2012, there's a new cylinder head design with integrated exhaust manifolds, improved intake ports, larger intake valves, longer-duration camshafts, a composite intake manifold, new fuel pump, optimized-flow fuel injectors, cylinder block enhancements, stronger and lighter connecting rods, and finally a cleaned up camshaft cap and throttle body. This new engine makes 323 horsepower, 11 more than before, and it weighs 20.5 pounds less.
The revised V6 delivers better fuel mileage for the 2012 Camaro LS; the 2LS model, which uses a tall 2.92 rear axle ratio, gets an EPA-estimated 19/30 miles per gallon City/Highway. In terms of power, the V6 can pretty much pass for a V8, a bonus for the price. The V6 on 2012 models revs to 7200 rpm, which is 200 rpm sweeter than before. The V6 offers a choice between 6-speed manual transmission and 6-speed automatic (with semi-manual shifting).
Camaro SS uses the 6.2-liter Corvette V8, making 400 horsepower with a 6-speed automatic or 426 horsepower with a Tremec 6-speed manual gearbox (same as Corvette). The SS uses firmer shocks, springs and anti-roll bars than the V6 models, but the ride doesn't suffer for it. A limited-slip rear differential is included to reduce wheel spin when trying to put all that power down. With the optional 6-speed TAPshift manual automatic transmission, the SS uses a slightly different 6.2-liter V8, with Active Fuel Management. It makes only 400 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque.
The 2012 Camaro SS 45th Anniversary edition comes in black (Carbon Flash Metallic), with retro reddish-orange stripes on the bulging hood and deck, new 20-inch painted aluminum wheels, and special interior trim with 45th anniversary badging.
Stealing the headlines is the uber high-performance 2012 Camaro ZL1, making 580 horsepower by adding a supercharger to its 6.2-liter V8. It can accelerate from zero to 60 in 3.0 seconds and hit 184 mph, according to Chevrolet. While testing at the Nurburgring, the Camaro ZL1 set a lap record, beating the Porsche 911 GT3. At $55k the ZL1 is cheap, given its level of performance. GM is proving something to the likes of Porsche, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Maserati.
We found the handling, ride and brakes to be excellent in both the Camaro LT with the V6 and the Camaro SS with the big V8, although the SS suspension is stiffer and its 20-inch tires are firmer. The chassis structure is rigid, helping make turn-in precise for a car this size; grip is secure, and damping is solid and supple. We never encountered a harsh moment with the ride, in either model, during a full day of hard driving east of San Diego in both of them, and later a full week in the Pacific Northwest with a 426 horsepower Camaro SS with the 6-speed. We found the handling balance of the Camaro SS excellent.
As for the brakes, the Camaro LT stops superbly. The Camaro SS uses four-piston Brembo brakes, but because it's 200 pounds heavier, the stopping distance isn't much shorter. However, the Brembos with four-piston calipers make the brakes on the SS more resistant to fade, important on race tracks and mountain roads where the brakes are being used repeatedly.
The automatic transmission does what you tell it to do when using the TAPshift manual feature, nothing more. We love that. But the 6-speed manual transmission with the V6 is the most all-around usable sporty combination. We like the manual with the V6 because 426 horsepower is overkill on the street. The gearbox is solid but not quite slick, and the throws are shorter than some. The 6-speed shifts nicely, including easily down into first gear for hairpin turns.
Inside, the cabin is quiet, so 80 mph feels more like 70. Interior materials are good, but the instrumentation is disappointing, with GM still trying to be retro rather than clean with gauges. The bucket seats are comfortable, with decent bolstering. The front seat slides 8.5 inches and the steering wheel tilts and telescopes, so drivers of all sizes will fit, most notably Camaro's many female buyers. The standard cloth upholstery is good, with excellent leather available in black, gray, beige, and two-tone Inferno Orange. The windows are small, with high doorsills for safety, and the A-pillars wide, so it makes the cockpit feel a bit like a cave. Visibility through the windshield is compromised by the long hood and raked windshield, although careful location of the driver's seat helps. Rear visibility over the driver's shoulder isn't very good, but then it's impossible to make it good with a roofline this sporty. Rear seat legroom measures a meager 29.9 inches, so you'll want to avoid sitting back there. The Chevrolet Cruze is an excellent choice among compact sedans. It's the best small car GM has offered in North America in decades. More important, it's among the best cars in its class.
Fuel economy is improved for 2012, and the list of standard equipment has grown longer, especially in the mid-range LT level. Otherwise, the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze is unchanged from 2011.
Launched as a 2011 model, the Cruze replaced the sturdy but boring Cobalt, and represented a great leap forward in technology, features and appeal. The Cruze was developed jointly by GM tech centers in Asia, Europe and the United States to battle compact competitors such as the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte, the best Volkswagen Jetta in years, and perennial leaders like the Honda Civic, Mazda 3, and Toyota Corolla. The Cruze holds its own with all of them, and surpasses many in key areas.
Cruze is conservatively styled, to be sure, but in our opinion it's a well designed, handsome car. Its interior is one of the roomiest in its class, with acceptable space for four adults, and it's also one of the nicest. By the quality of materials, fit or function, it surpasses nearly all its competitors. Its trunk is also one of the largest in a compact sedan.
The 2012 Cruze is offered with a choice of two adequately powered engines: a 1.8-liter four-cylinder and 1.4-liter four-cylinder with a turbocharger. As with most cars in this class, the Cruze is front-wheel drive. Both the manual and automatic are 6-speed-transmissions, which is rare in this class. The automatic offers some high-tech features that help conserve fuel.
Fuel economy for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze is an EPA-rated 26/38 mpg City/Highway with the 1.4-liter engine with manual or automatic transmission. With the 1.8-liter engine the government rates it 25/36 mpg with the manual, 22/35 mpg with the automatic. The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco rates 28/42 mpg with the manual, 26/39 mpg with the automatic.
The Chevrolet Cruze might be the smoothest, quietest compact offered in the United States. Ride quality is outstanding, yet the car is nimble, balanced and handles exceptionally well. Its steering is powered by electricity to save fuel. Underway, the steering feels sharp, with decent feel. The Cruze comes standard with a long list of safety features, including advanced electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, and a full complement of 10 airbags. There are knee-protection airbags for front passengers, side-impact airbags for rear passengers, and head-protection curtains with rollover deployment. Every Cruze comes with GM's OnStar telematics system, including a six-month subscription for automatic accident response and other services, a great safety feature.
Among the 2012 Cruze models, the Cruze Eco delivers the best fuel economy. Its aerodynamic features, including grille vanes that close at highway speeds, help it slip through the air more easily, and it weighs more than 200 pounds less than other models. To achieve its superb fuel economy, however, the Cruze Eco sacrifices performance, resulting in slower acceleration, longer stopping distances, and poorer handling than the other Cruze models.
The Cruze LTZ comes swathed in leather and loaded with technology. The Cruze LTZ is available with a full-feature navigation system, rear park assist, concierge services, premium Pioneer audio and remote starting. A loaded LTZ will crack the $26,000 barrier, however, at which point the Cruze makes less sense for many buyers, unless they seek a smaller, fuel-efficient car loaded with the latest features. For that kind of money, the alternatives include larger, very nicely equipped midsize sedans such as the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata or Nissan Altima. We think the midrange Cruze LT hits the sweet spot in this class.
In short, the Cruze deserves to be on the list for anyone shopping for a fuel-efficient economy car.
Lineup
Camaro LS ($23,200) comes with the 3.6-liter V6 and 6-speed manual transmission. Not a bare-bones model, the Camaro LS comes with cloth upholstery, manually operated air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, cruise control, telescopic steering wheel, six-speaker AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 sound system, Bluetooth, OnStar with turn-by-turn route guidance for six months, limited slip differential, 18-inch steel wheels. (Prices are Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices and do not include the destination charge.) The 2LS ($1,200) comes with the 6-speed automatic transmission with TapShift manual controls on the steering wheel and a 2.92:1 axle ratio and rear spoiler.
Camaro LT ($25,200) upgrades with sport cloth seats, six-way power front seats, foglamps and integral front fascia, and 18-inch painted aluminum wheels. The 2LT ($28,350) includes leather upholstery and 9-speaker Boston Acoustics sound system, Head Up display, rearview camera, 19-inch aluminum wheels, and the gauge cluster with oil temp, oil pressure, volts, and transmission fluid temperature.
Camaro SS ($31,850) features the 6.2-liter V8, a Tremec 6-speed manual gearbox (same as Corvette) with limited slip differential, and the Sport cloth seats. The SS has special exterior trim, a beefier suspension, 20-inch painted aluminum wheels, and four-piston Brembo disc brakes. The 2SS ($3,600) upgrades to leather-appointed seats, heated front seats, rearview camera, multi-function auxiliary gauges, head-up display, Bluetooth, PDIM wireless auxiliary device control, Universal home remote, steering wheel-mounted controls, auto-dimming mirror, heated mirrors. There's a new optional suspension package for the SS models, called FE4. The 45th Anniversary package ($1,375) includes the retro hood and deck stripes, HID headlamps with integrated LED halo rings, 20-inch aluminum wheels, and interior trim with accent stitching and anniversary logos.
Camaro ZL1 adds a supercharger to the 6.2-liter V8 to get a mind-bending 580 horsepower and 556 foot-pounds of torque, with traction control and magnetic ride control.
Camaro LT Convertible ($30,100) and Camaro SS Convertible ($37,900) are equipped similarly to the coupes. Nine production exterior colors are available, with tops in black or tan.
Safety equipment on all Camaros includes electronic stability control with traction control, anti-lock brakes, frontal airbags, front side airbags, airbag curtains, and tire pressure monitor. A rearview camera is optional. The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze is available in four model levels, with a choice of four-cylinder engines and either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.
Cruze LS ($16,720) is powered by 1.8-liter inline four delivering 138 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque, with a standard 6-speed manual. Cruze LS comes with air conditioning, power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, floor mats, and six-speaker audio with single CD, an auxiliary jack and XM satellite radio. The standard wheels are 16-inch steel.
Cruze Eco ($19,245) is optimized for fuel economy. It's powered by a smaller, 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that delivers the same 138 hp as the base engine, with an increase in torque to 148 lb-ft. It's lighter than other Cruze models, with aerodynamic aids that make in slipperier through the air, and low-rolling-resistance tires on 17-inch alloy wheels. The 2012 Cruze Eco comes with Bluetooth phone connectivity, USB port, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, cruise control, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.
Cruise LT ($18,475) is powered by the same frugal turbocharged engine plus body-color power side mirrors and all the new goodies that have been added to the Cruze Eco. Sixteen-inch machined-face alloy wheels are standard on 2012 Cruze LT models. The 2012 Cruze LT is available with a revised 2LT option package ($2,130) with leather seating surfaces, a six-way power driver seat, heated seats, remote vehicle start, a sport-tuned suspension (new for 2012) with 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, and four-wheel-disc brakes.
Cruze LTZ ($23,110) comes standard with the automatic transmission and the contents of the 2LT package plus automatic climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, ultrasonic rear-parking assist, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The 2012 Cruze LTZ also comes standard with fog lights, keyless entry and keyless start.
Cruze RS is an LTZ with an RS Appearance package ($595), which includes unique bumpers, rocker moldings, and a rear spoiler. A similar package for the LT2 ($695) adds all that plus fog lights and racier instruments. Navigation ($995) is available for LT2, LTZ, and Eco. Other options include a 250-watt Pioneer audio system with nine speakers ($445), a power sunroof ($900). LT2 buyers can also choose keyless access ($300). The Eco and LT1 can be spruced up with a Driver Convenience Package ($495) that includes a six-way power driver's seat, rear park assist, and remote start. (All prices are Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices, which do not include destination charge and may change at any time without notice.)
Safety features include front, side-impact and knee-protection airbags for front passengers, rear side-impact airbags and full cabin head-protection curtains with rollover deployment. GM's OnStar telematics are standard, with Automatic Crash Response and other services free for six months. Other standard safety features include Stabiltrack electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes (ABS), front seatbelt pretensioners, daytime running lights (DRLs) and the federally mandated tire-pressure monitor.
Walkaround
This latest-generation Camaro, completely redesigned for 2010, captures the look of the original '67, though it's bigger in every dimension: longer, wider and taller.
Viewed head-on, classic 1969 Camaro headlights appear. Behind the shark nose with black mesh grille, up on the long aluminum hood, there is a suggestive power bulge for the V8 engine. It's the long hood and shark nose that catch your eye and trigger your longing. The SS has an additional wide and thin black simulated intake on the nose.
Slight twin humps on the roof are visible at the top of the steeply raked 67-degree windshield that helps produce a 0.37 Cd in the LS and LT, and 0.35 Cd in the SS.
Viewed from the rear, and especially from above, the lines suggest the 1963 fastback split-window Corvette. That classic Corvette made a strong impression on the Camaro's young designer, Sang Yup Lee, who came to the U.S. from Korea as a boy and grew up in the California car culture.
Styling gills located just forward of the rear wheels add a nice touch to the Camaro. Even though the power dome hood and cooling gills are not functional, they all work as touches of style and don't come across as phony.
The shapely strong hips stand out, like the long hood, an edgy element the designer is most proud of, because they took so much work. He said it took 113 tries to get the one-piece sheetmetal right, from the doors and pinched beltline rearward. There's no indifferent craftsmanship with this car, that's for sure.
The rigid B-pillar is blacked-out, thus creating a clean outline for the side glass, blending into a handsome hardtop roofline. The short rear deck climbs upward and looks hot. The twin taillights look like blinking red sunglasses in each corner, under the small lip of a rear spoiler.
The convertible chassis is reinforced to stiffen the body structure, with a cross brace under the hood to connect the front shock towers, a transmission brace, an underbody tunnel brace, and underbody V-shaped braces front and rear. This helps the convertible ride and handle more like the coupe. Chevrolet says the convertible chassis is rigid enough that the suspension didn't need to be changed from the coupe, and that the Camaro convertible has more torsional stiffness than the BMW 3 Series convertible.
Designers and engineers erased the appearance of ribs in the convertible top, by using composite rather than aluminum knuckles, extending the material below the beltline, and revising the stitch lines. The result is a top that appears smooth, taut and carefully tailored, while retaining the sleek roofline of the coupe. The styling of the Chevrolet Cruze is handsome and nicely proportioned.
The Cruze is large, as compact cars go. Measuring 181.0 inches bumper-to-bumper, on a wheelbase of 105.7 inches, the Cruze is slightly larger than most of its competitors, including the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and the all-new 2012 Ford Focus.
Cruze is more angular than other recent Chevrolet sedans, including the popular Malibu. Its front end mimics the Volt plug-in sedan with a prominent Chevrolet Bowtie logo. The headlight housings are large, sweeping upward and around the front edges of the car.
The roofline arcs subtly from its steeply raked windshield through fast-sloping rear pillars, creating a generally sporty profile. Its wheels are pushed out to the corners of the car, with minimal overhang. No, this compact sedan doesn't break new ground or wow with its curves. But it's tidy and quite confidant looking, and the package generates a feeling of quality and solidity. Wheels range from 16-inch steel with plastic covers on the base LS to spoked 18-inch alloys with low-profile tires on the loaded LTZ.
The Cruze Eco is a slightly different beast, because it's designed to be Chevrolet's conventional-engine fuel economy leader. The differences start with 42 steps intended to trim weight, right down the size and location of welds in the body. As a result, the Eco tips the scales at 3,009 pounds, or 214 pounds less than the mid-level Cruze LT. Cruze Eco adds a host of aerodynamic tweaks, including some adapted from the Chevrolet Volt. These start with active grille shutters that close at higher speeds, blocking much of the grille surface when the cooling demands of the engine allow it, and smoothing air flow over the front of the car. The Eco also sports a lower front air-dam extension, plastic panels that cover large portions of the underbody and a carefully crafted rear spoiler. It's finished with low-rolling-resistance tires on specially designed rims. That means a bit less braking performance or grip through the corners, but it also means less friction when the Eco is cruising along for better fuel economy.
Interior
The cabin is oriented more around style than function.
The standard cloth bucket seats are good, although the bolstering isn't fully there for hard cornering. It's a tough compromise to make, given the spectrum of Camaro buyers. The low bolsters make getting in and out of the Camaro easier. Excellent leather upholstery is available in black, gray, beige and two-tone Inferno Orange, and interior materials are good. The front seat slides 8.5 inches and the steering wheel tilts and telescopes, so drivers of all sizes will fit. The stitched leather wrap on the steering wheel is nice, and the wheel itself has been changed for 2012.
The instrumentation graphics have been revised for 2012, and the new instruments are better. A recessed speedometer and tachometer are set in square housings, a nod to the classic Camaro interior. Between those two big gauges is a driver information center controlled via a stalk on the steering column.
The climate control buttons on the center stack appear to have been designed for looks, and thus aren't as functional as they could or should be. An optional console-mounted gauge package includes oil pressure, oil temperature, volts and transmission fluid temperature. The information is good, although the location down by the driver's knee makes it difficult to see while driving.
The windows are small and the A-pillars are wide, so it makes the cabin feel a bit cave-like. Visibility through the windshield is compromised by the long hood and raked windshield, although careful location of the driver's seat helps. Rear visibility over the driver's shoulder isn't very good, but then it's impossible to make it good with a roofline this sporty.
The trunk is deep but the opening isn't large and it's almost flat. This compromise is worth it for the handsome rear deck. There's a pass-through to the trunk behind the rear seat, which isn't easy to crawl into, and feels like a pit.
Rear-seat legroom measures 29.9 inches, a distinction, as few cars today break below that 30-inch mark. You'll want to avoid riding in the back seat.
The convertible top is made of thick, durable canvas. An acoustical headliner material is designed to provide a quiet, coupe-like ride when the top is up, and the soft top incorporates a glass rear window and rear window defogger. The power folding convertible top retracts in about 20 seconds. It folds in a simple Z-pattern and latches with a single handle located at the center of the windshield header. The transmission doesn't have to be in Park for the top to be activated, allowing fast lowering while stopped at a red light, or when it starts raining in a dead-stop traffic jam. The Chevrolet Cruze is roomy inside, with ample dimensions in most directions. The cabin is finished nicely with quality materials. Sound deadening measures result in quiet operation. Overall, the Cruze cabin delivers an excellent balance of quality, coziness and space to breathe.
Cruze is near the top of the class for the look, fit and feel of the materials inside. The seams join with tighter tolerances than those in many other cars, including some of those a class or two above. The textiles and plastics are rich, appealing and nicely grained, and the metallic trim looks good. The fabric used for the door inserts matches that used on the seat cushions, and it flows from the doors across the bottom of the dash. It's unique, and visually inviting.
The leather upholstery that's optional is thick, yet supple, and stretched tightly over the seats. The headliner is form fit with a soft, sturdy knit material, and it's only the outer layer of five in the roof's insulation. About the only thing not up to snuff is some hard plastic at the bottom of the door pillars, and while no one will look at it much, it's stands out as sub-par because everything else is so nice. The front-seat adjustments in the Cruze allow occupants to find the right spot quickly and easily. The optional power controls for the driver are just as easy to use, and the tilting seat bottom has more range, from steep angle to nearly flat, than one finds in some luxury cars. There's plenty of fore-aft travel for drivers well over six feet tall, with even more front headroom. If anything comes up short, it's width. Published figures rank Cruze at the top of the class in front hip room, but the center console is on the wide side. Larger drivers who drive with their legs splayed may find their outer thighs or knees rubbing on the dash or door panel. You can drive better with knees closer together, anyway, a position that's better for braking and downshifting.
The steering wheel is thick and grippy; with the optional leather, it feels great in the hands. The wheel tilts and telescopes in all models, and we applaud Chevrolet for adding redundant audio controls on its right spoke on all but the base LS. The cruise-control switches on the left spoke are the best in the business. There's an on/off master switch and a big cancel button, sandwiching a thumbwheel that flicks down to set or add speed, and up to resume or reduce speed.
Gauges are big and crisp, illuminated with ice-blue LED lighting. With the RS appearance package, they're trimmed with chrome and covered with bezels that make them pop even more in darkness. The tachometer is located on the left and the speedometer on the right, with smaller fuel and temperature gauges in the middle. Underneath the smaller gauges, a digital display shows current gear, direction of travel, and a host of options for vehicle or travel information. It's easy to cycle through the choices with a toggle on the turn signal stalk, and just as easy to set preferences for automatic vehicle locking and the like. Again, it's impressive in a compact.
The center stack of switches looks great, though a bit complicated at first blush. In fact, it's rationally laid out and easy to learn. There are four large, primary knobs for volume, tuning, fan speed and temperature, each ringed with a nice rubber surround. They turn with a satisfying feel that conveys the amount of adjustment just by the amount of movement. Other switches are pushbuttons, with entertainment and information high, between the dash vents and just below a large display screen. Climate controls are at the bottom. There's a single, large pushbutton to cycle through all the various airflow-direction options.
GM's so-called favorite button is handy, even if it takes a bit of mental adjustment to shake preconceptions about conventional AM/FM presets. This button allows the driver to cycle through five pages of six preset stations. But rather than being organized by AM, FM or another frequency band, each page of favorites can store any station available. That means you can store an AM news or talk station in the same page as your favorite satellite TV channels and FM music stations, enabling quick switching among them. The local traffic feed from satellite is thrown in for good measure. Conventional thinkers can still set each page to AM, FM or satellite, if that feels better.
Storage space inside the Cruze is adequate, if not overwhelming. There's a handy covered bin in the dash above the center stack. It can keep a phone, wallet or remote stored out of sight, and it's lined with rubber to minimize sliding. The pockets at the bottom of the front door panels are decently sized, but the hard plastic generates an annoying sound when a CD case slides forward under braking. The glove box is fairly spacious, but the console box is fairly small, with enough room for an MP3 player when it's plugged into the port inside. There are two cupholders in the center console.
The rear seat isn't fancy, but it's roomy and impressively supportive. The cushions for outboard passengers are carved, countered and bolstered almost as much as the front seats in some inexpensive cars. The downside is that the third space in the middle is narrow and flat, and not well suited for anyone past age seven or eight. This is really a four-passenger car. The outside passengers, though, will find plenty of headroom and decent legroom, with enough space under the front seats to easily accommodate large feet.
There's a power point for rear passengers on the back of the console, but no air vents. Those in back will have to rely on the center dome light, because there are no reading lights, either. The fold-down center rear armrest stops exactly at the height of the armrests on the doors, so elbows can rest evenly. The armrest has decent cupholders for those in back, but storage space is limited to fist-sized bins at the bottom of the doors and map pockets on the front seatbacks.
The trunk offers plenty of space. With 15 cubic feet of volume, the Cruze trunk matches the best in class, with substantially more room than what's available in the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla (12.5 and 12.3 cubic feet, respectively). The opening is large, and the trunk lid parks straight up and well out of the way.
The rear seatbacks fold easily to expand truck space, but the bottom cushions are fixed, so the expanded surface is not entirely flat. The height of the pass-through space limits the size of objects that will slide through, and there are no tie-down points to easily secure something that might turn into a weighty projectile in a sudden stop. There are hooks for a cargo/grocery net just inside the trunk opening.
Driving Impression
The Camaro chassis is engineered well. The rigid structure makes the turn-in precise for a car this size; the grip is secure, and the damping is solid and supple, with both the V6 (FE2 suspension) and firmer V8 (FE3). The front suspension uses struts, and the rear is an independent multi-link that's rubber isolated.
The Camaro is a hefty car, 3860 pounds for the V8 and 3800 for the V6, so the handling couldn't be called nimble, just secure and satisfying. The new Mustang is nearly 300 pounds lighter, and feels it.
We never encountered a harsh moment with the ride, in either the LT or the SS. We spent week in a 426-hp SS in the Pacific Northwest, and before that one day driving east of San Diego, where we had the chief designer, Canadian Gene Stafanyshyn, riding shotgun and giving us the backstory. He's the guy you can thank for the true programming of the TAPshift manual automatic transmission. It does what you tell it to do, nothing more. We love that. Stafanyshyn said he too hates manual automatic transmissions that shift on their own.
One especially nice thing about the transmission is that when you're in sixth gear on the freeway and lightly accelerate, it won't kick down when it doesn't need to. It uses its sufficient torque.
The Camaro LT with its 3.6-liter V6 shines. We said it was the future in 2010, and we must have been right because now, two years later, other manufacturers (most notably Ford) have powerful and efficient new V6 engines. The Chevy V6 sounds sweet and gets 30 miles per gallon highway with the 6-speed automatic and optional 2.92 rear axle ratio. With the standard 3.27 gear, it accelerates from 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds, and will do the quarter mile in 14.4 seconds, which is quick in anyone's book.
The LT will also stop from 60 mph in a superb 106 feet, as measured by Motor Trend magazine, or 128 feet according to GM. Surprisingly, the SS with its four-piston Brembo brakes doesn't do much better, but the Brembos can be used harder without fade. And the vented rotors are huge, 14 inches front and 14.4 inches rear on the SS, compared to the LT's matching fronts and 11.8-inch rears.
The V6 LT with a 6-speed manual gearbox is the most versatile sporty engine-transmission matchup. The gearbox is smooth if not buttery, and easily shifts down into first gear for hairpin turns. Chevrolet says the throws are short, yet there's a Hurst short-throw shifter available as a dealer option. We'll take it. We tested it in the Shelby Mustang, and it made a world of difference.
Two 6.2-liter V8 engines are offered in Camaro SS models: the 426-horsepower LS3 is paired with manual gearboxes, while the 400-horsepower L99 comes in cars with automatics. Both engines are derived from the engine that debuted on the 2008 Corvette, with an aluminum block with cast iron cylinder liners, and aluminum heads. The L99 features the Active Fuel Management System, which saves fuel by shutting down half of the engine's cylinders during certain light-load driving conditions, such as highway cruising.
The Camaro SS is humongous fast, so if you're driving it hard, you're deep into the danger zone with the law or you're on a race track. Its throaty exhaust turns heads. The SS with the manual transmission and 426-horsepower engine revs to 6600 rpm, while the automatic with its 400 horsepower only revs to an underachieving 6000.
It's hard to say who wins the perennial muscle-car battle between the Camaro, Mustang GT, and Dodge Challenger; those with a favorite aren't likely to change their minds. But a battle of the stats gives the Mustang the edge, with its beautiful new 32-valve 5.0-liter engine. We think it's more enjoyable to drive, too. The Mustang wins the pounds-per-horsepower battle, 8.7 to 9.1 (412/3580 vs. 426/3860), but the Camaro SS still wins in the quarter-mile, 13.0 to 13.2. Not that two tenths of a second makes any difference in how much you enjoy your car. The Chevrolet Cruze is a product of joint engineering among GM tech centers around the world, and the co-operation shows in the way the Cruze performs. It isn't perfect, but the Cruze moves Chevrolet to the front of the small-car pack.
In many respects, particularly measured by interior comfort and overall refinement, the Cruze performs a class above the compact-sedan standard. We can't say that about its engine and transmission performance, however. Cruze's powertrain isn't glaringly weak, but it's not one of the highlights in its dynamics portfolio.
The Cruze is available with two four-cylinder engines, and both have most of the latest control, durability and maintenance-reducing features, including fully variable timing for both intake and exhaust valves. The base engine displaces 1.8 liters, producing 138 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque. The upgrade engine is actually smaller, at 1.4 liters, but it's equipped with a high-tech integrated turbocharger.
The turbo engine generates the same 138 hp. It does produce an additional 23 lb-ft of torque, but that in itself doesn't seem enough to offer a choice. So why the second engine? We're not sure either, but we can guess. The 1.4-liter four generates its power using a bit less fuel. It's one reason the Cruze Eco model is EPA-rated at 28 mpg City, 42 Highway, with the manual transmission, and 26/39 mpg with the automatic. Those are the best Highway ratings for any compact with a conventional gasoline engine, and better than most subcompacts.
Both transmissions have six forward gears. That's rare in this class, and another contributor to Cruze's overall fuel economy. The 6-speed automatic is technically advanced for a conventional torque-converter automatic in this segment, with GM's ActiveSelect manual-shift feature and a control program that unobtrusively puts it in neutral when the car is idling, even when the gear selector is in Drive. That, too, helps save fuel. We found the 1.4-liter turbo engine does an adequate job of propelling the Cruze. It's impressively smooth and reasonably quiet, even when working hard, and at 75 mph hour on the freeway, it's only turning about 2800-2900 rpm in top gear. The power comes on fairly low in the rev range, and then evenly all the way to redline. You don't have to wait until it's screaming at 6000 rpm for it to demonstrate any gumption. We'd guess that maybe 80 percent of typical drivers will be satisfied with its performance in daily use.
The dissatisfaction comes for that percentage of drivers who more than occasionally like to accelerate full bore, or drive harder than normal commuter-grade travel, and not just because the Cruze is slower than most cars in this class. On paper, it accelerates from 0-60 mph in the high 8-second range, which is not quick but probably quick enough for most drivers. Our complaint is more about how hard the engine is working in the process, and how you really need to keep it floored to get this car to go. It may also be that, because the Cruze is so well sorted in other respects, it could handle a lot more power.
The 6-speed manual transmission works fine, with a firm, smooth, shifter and gear ratios well suited to maximizing the limited power.
The automatic, though, has a similar bi-polar character as the engine. It works great when you're going at a relaxed, fairly casual pace, but not so well when you really step on the gas. As a full automatic, the transmission's shifts are positive and impeccably smooth. If you step on the gas just a bit to gain speed around a dawdler, it will shift down one gear smoothly, deliver a moderate bubble of acceleration, and then find top gear again as quickly as it can. But if the road opens up through the countryside, with nice curves that mean slowing fairly hard and then speeding up again, the automatic is less co-operative. Perhaps to maximize fuel economy, Chevrolet engineers seem to have programmed it to always seek the highest gear mechanically possible. The Cruze automatic doesn't like to shift down more than one gear at a time, and it won't unless you floor that gas pedal. And once it does downshift, it's most concerned with getting back up into sixth gear as soon as it can. In such circumstances, the manual-shift feature is the preferred choice, and it works almost surprisingly well. The shifts are quite quick, but still smooth, and the transmission will hold the chosen gear at fairly high rpm.
One important way the Cruze surpasses much of its competition is in its tight, ultra-solid body/frame structure. The Cruze unibody has as much extra-high-strength steel in key locations as any car Chevy has built, according to engineers. It has earned the highest scores in government-mandated crash tests in Europe, and Chevy says it expects the same in the United States. More to the point, the solidly built body provides a solid foundation for a lot of good things that make Cruze pleasant to drive.
Interior comfort is one of them. Very little vibration finds its way into the Cruze cabin, and it's one of the quietest compacts we've driven, even with its little, hard-working engine. Moreover, the noise passengers do hear is the sort that tends to be less obtrusive, like the crack of tires on pavement seems. There is very little wind noise, and not much of the high-pitch mechanical or vibration buzz that can come across as white noise.
The solid body also contributes to excellent ride and handling. Even without a fully independent rear suspension, something that can make cars of this type jittery and prone to bounce in the rear, the Cruze's ride is nearly flawless. It absorbed mid-winter potholes with the aplomb of a luxury sedan, without a lot of bounce-rebound-bounce, or anything close to mushiness or float. In total, this compact leads the pack in ride quality, but it isn't sluggish.
In wintry weather we found the Cruze stellar, even with its standard all-season tires. Its lithe, balanced quality helps the Cruze on slippery roads, because if the driver is reasonably smooth, there won't be any squats, dives or side-to-side body swaying that can shift weight, upset traction and make the car harder to manage, as if there were a giant bowling ball rolling around in its shell. Traction control takes care of modulating the gas pedal. The driver just steps on it, and the electronics allow the Cruze to accelerate as fast as it can accelerate, given the traction available. The electronic stability control helps the driver stay ahead of the game, and it rarely lets anything get to the point where the Cruze might spin or swap ends.
When the pavement dries and the road clears, the Cruze can be good fun to drive, though more so with the manual transmission, as mentioned. Its power-steering pump runs on the electrical system rather than by drawing its power directly from the engine, and it's reasonably well sorted. It requires almost no effort to turn at low speeds, but resistance builds somewhat as speeds increase. The steering is also fairly quick, to the point that a driver might have to correct and re-adjust the car's trajectory through a curve, because the wheel was initially turned too much.
Overall, we'd rank the Cruze as a fine handling car. The nicely controlled body motion that helps in sloppy conditions applies on warm, dry pavement as well, at much higher speeds. At a more urgent clip, the Cruze maintains the poise it exhibits in a blizzard, with nothing jerky or surprising in its reactions. And there is quite a bit of lateral grip in the upgrade, low-profile tires, so it holds the pavement nicely though a fast curve. No real complaints about the brakes either. The pedal can seem a bit grabby when first applied, but the driver gets the hang of things in short order. The anti-lock brake system (ABS) manages full-panic stops nicely, and smoother, steadier braking quickly becomes a breeze.
The Cruze Eco's outstanding mileage ratings will no doubt appeal to many compact drivers. Though we haven't had a chance to drive one, experience suggests that there will be at least a slight payback for the higher mileage. The Eco's so-called green tires will be harder, less sticky, than those on other models, and that could adversely affect both ride and handling. The Eco may prove at least a bit less responsive than other Cruze models. Everything about designing a car is a compromise.
Perhaps more significantly, the Eco's weight-reducing measures could influence overall performance, and not from the safety perspective. Chevrolet engineers have trimmed weight from the Eco's body by using thinner steel blanks and fewer, smaller welds in strategic locations. They've probably trimmed some of the sound-insulating material, and all that could affect the Cruze's excellent structure and noise and vibration control. Shoppers are encouraged to drive both the Eco and other Cruze variants before buying.
Summary
The Chevrolet Camaro offers all the classic benefits of a Camaro: striking lines, powerful engines, great transmissions, superb handling and ride, good V6 gas mileage, great prices. Interior visibility is limited, pinched because of the car's shape. And the back seats are not for adults. The front seats are good, but the retro-wannabe instrumentation will leave you flat if you're looking for function. In short, drivers who have wanted a Camaro will not be disappointed.
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Sam Moses drove the Camaro coupe and convertible models near San Diego and in the Pacific Northwest. The Chevrolet Cruze is among the best of the compacts. Measured by features, mileage and ride-handling balance, or interior noise, space and quality, the Cruze matches or beats the best. It falls off a bit in power or engine performance, and it gets pricey at the high end of the model range. The Cruze LS and Cruze LT offer the best value.
J.P Vettraino filed this report from Detroit; John F. Katz reported from south-central Pennsylvania.
Model Lineup
Chevrolet Camaro LS ($23,200); LT Coupe (425,200), LT Convertible ($30,100); SS Coupe ($31,850), SS Convertible ($37,900); ZL1. Chevrolet Cruze LS ($16,720); Cruze Eco ($19,245); LT ($18,475); LTZ ($23,110).
Assembled In
Oshawa, Ontario. Lordstown, Ohio.
Options As Tested
45th Anniversary package including stripes, HID headlamps with LED halo rings, 20-inch aluminum wheels painted Midnight Silver, interior with accent stitching ($1375). automatic transmission ($1,185); 2LT Package ($2,130) includes six-way power driver seat, heated front seats, leather seating surfaces, remote vehicle start, sport suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, 17-inch alloy wheels.
Model Tested
Chevrolet Camaro 2SS Coupe ($35,450). Chevrolet Cruze LT ($18,475).
2012 Chevy Camaro Information
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