Mustang vs. Camaro: War of 'wimpy' muscle cars
Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 1:15 pm
Mustang vs. Camaro: War of 'wimpy' muscle cars
The Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro offer performance for the economy-minded. But which model is better?
Lean muscle
Muscle cars are supposed to be robust V8-powered machines for the scorched-asphalt crowd. In the auto industry there used to be a term for the lighter V6-powered versions, and it wasn't very nice... to administrative assistants, that is.
Cars like this were referred to as "secretary's cars." These were inexpensive cars to buy and to drive and but they at least looked like fun. They were for people who couldn't afford -- and didn't really want -- a true muscle car.
But with the latest versions of the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, V6 pony cars have gotten more serious with horsepower ratings of 312 and 305, respectively.
But are these really performance cars? To find out, we compared a V6 Camaro and a Mustang, each with an automatic transmission. (That's as not-performance-oriented as these cars get.) Turns out, at least one of them still held up well, providing real driving fun even without a V8 or a stick shift. Click through the gallery to find out which car came out on top.
Ford Mustang - the basics
Base price: $25,845
Test car price: $32.975
Engine: 3.2-liter V6
Mileage: 19 city, 31 highway
Major options: 6-speed automatic transmission, Mustang Club of America appearance package, navigation
Ford makes some impressive claims about the 2011 Ford Mustang V6 and they're backed up by some impressive numbers. Actually, they're mostly backed up by two particularly impressive numbers: 305 horsepower and 31 mpg on the highway.
That's close to the horsepower rating on the optional V8 in last year's Mustang and this is, for now, the only car this powerful to get over 30 mpg on the highway. So, Ford boasts, you no longer need a thirsty V8 engine to get massive power.
But horsepower isn't the only way -- or even the best way -- to measure performance. There's more to this story.
Chevrolet Camaro - the basics
Base price: $26,875
Test car price: $30,410
Engine: 3.6-liter V6
Mileage: 18 city, 29 hwy
Major options: 20" wheels, RS appearance package
The Camaro hit the market in 2009 as a 2010 model. This year, its V6 engine has a new, official rating of 312 horsepower, just beating the Mustang, while getting a still-impressive 29 mpg on the highway.
In terms of torque, a different way of looking at engine power that measures the twisting force the engine applies to the drive shaft and wheels, the two cars are still close. The Mustang produces just a little more power and at slightly lower engine speeds.
So the two cars are almost neck-and-neck in terms of power, but the Camaro is considerably heavier. When driven, however, the results weren't what I would have expected.
Inside the Mustang
The Mustang, sadly, seems to be undone by its transmission. The V6 Mustang's six-speed automatic is too hesitant to downshift when it's called for. And calling for it requires some very unsubtle pedal smashing.
That's possibly the biggest reason that the V6 Mustang comes off feeling like a weaker car than the Camaro in real-world driving.
The Mustang's greatly improved interior, shown here, hit the market last year with the 2010 model year car. The overall look isn't hugely different. What is different is the quality of the stuff it's made from, which now feels much nicer.
Inside the Camaro
Thanks in part to more aggressive transmission tuning, the Camaro feels a lot punchier than the Mustang when driven around town. It doesn't hesitate to shift to a lower gear when it's needed, but the Camaro's engine also seems to pull better even at lower RPMs, despite what those torque measurements say. It's only when pushed hard that Camaro's V6 might leave you wishing for a V8 and, even then, not by much.
The interior has been the part of the Camaro that has received the greatest criticism, even from fans. Most of the complaints center on the dashboard's hard plastic. Besides that, a lot of people just don't like the design, seen as aping 1970s interiors that, let's face it, weren't exactly pretty even then.
Don't count me among the complainers, though. I like it. And I don't spend much time squeezing the dashboard.
Driving the Mustang
Despite being close in size, the Mustang feels like a smaller car than the Camaro and, by weight, it is. The Mustang is about 340 pounds lighter than the Camaro.
That fact, combined with nicely tuned electrically-boosted steering, makes the Mustang feel quicker on its feet when changing direction. While it's not exactly the sharpest car around, it's responsive. Steering is light enough to comfortable at low speeds but offers good feedback and enough weight on the highway.
Driving the Camaro
In terms of ride quality and steering, the Camaro feels more "smooth and sophisticated" compared to the Mustang's "rough and ready" personality. Slow or fast, the Camaro's beefy steering wheel provides good feedback but the response isn't as sharp as the Mustang's.
The suspension absorbs bumps more nicely, though, and occupants don't get tossed around over ruts and potholes the way they do in the Mustang. At higher speeds, the Camaro feels balanced and easy to handle in turns.
The envelope, please...
While the Camaro and Mustang's V6 engines seem close, in terms of horsepower and torque, the Camaro just uses its engine better. The Ford Mustang V6, unfortunately, feels like a major step down from a V8-powered car. It feels compromised.
With the Camaro, however, the V8 is genuinely optional. Sure, the bigger engine is nice if you want to spend the money -- on gas and insurance as well as on the car itself -- but the V6 feels powerful, sounds excellent and is plenty of fun to play with.
If you're looking for muscular Detroit-style performance but still want to save some gas, the Camaro V6 is the way to go.
The Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro offer performance for the economy-minded. But which model is better?
Lean muscle
Muscle cars are supposed to be robust V8-powered machines for the scorched-asphalt crowd. In the auto industry there used to be a term for the lighter V6-powered versions, and it wasn't very nice... to administrative assistants, that is.
Cars like this were referred to as "secretary's cars." These were inexpensive cars to buy and to drive and but they at least looked like fun. They were for people who couldn't afford -- and didn't really want -- a true muscle car.
But with the latest versions of the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, V6 pony cars have gotten more serious with horsepower ratings of 312 and 305, respectively.
But are these really performance cars? To find out, we compared a V6 Camaro and a Mustang, each with an automatic transmission. (That's as not-performance-oriented as these cars get.) Turns out, at least one of them still held up well, providing real driving fun even without a V8 or a stick shift. Click through the gallery to find out which car came out on top.
Ford Mustang - the basics
Test car price: $32.975
Engine: 3.2-liter V6
Mileage: 19 city, 31 highway
Major options: 6-speed automatic transmission, Mustang Club of America appearance package, navigation
Ford makes some impressive claims about the 2011 Ford Mustang V6 and they're backed up by some impressive numbers. Actually, they're mostly backed up by two particularly impressive numbers: 305 horsepower and 31 mpg on the highway.
That's close to the horsepower rating on the optional V8 in last year's Mustang and this is, for now, the only car this powerful to get over 30 mpg on the highway. So, Ford boasts, you no longer need a thirsty V8 engine to get massive power.
But horsepower isn't the only way -- or even the best way -- to measure performance. There's more to this story.
Chevrolet Camaro - the basics
Test car price: $30,410
Engine: 3.6-liter V6
Mileage: 18 city, 29 hwy
Major options: 20" wheels, RS appearance package
The Camaro hit the market in 2009 as a 2010 model. This year, its V6 engine has a new, official rating of 312 horsepower, just beating the Mustang, while getting a still-impressive 29 mpg on the highway.
In terms of torque, a different way of looking at engine power that measures the twisting force the engine applies to the drive shaft and wheels, the two cars are still close. The Mustang produces just a little more power and at slightly lower engine speeds.
So the two cars are almost neck-and-neck in terms of power, but the Camaro is considerably heavier. When driven, however, the results weren't what I would have expected.
Inside the Mustang
That's possibly the biggest reason that the V6 Mustang comes off feeling like a weaker car than the Camaro in real-world driving.
The Mustang's greatly improved interior, shown here, hit the market last year with the 2010 model year car. The overall look isn't hugely different. What is different is the quality of the stuff it's made from, which now feels much nicer.
Inside the Camaro
The interior has been the part of the Camaro that has received the greatest criticism, even from fans. Most of the complaints center on the dashboard's hard plastic. Besides that, a lot of people just don't like the design, seen as aping 1970s interiors that, let's face it, weren't exactly pretty even then.
Don't count me among the complainers, though. I like it. And I don't spend much time squeezing the dashboard.
Driving the Mustang
That fact, combined with nicely tuned electrically-boosted steering, makes the Mustang feel quicker on its feet when changing direction. While it's not exactly the sharpest car around, it's responsive. Steering is light enough to comfortable at low speeds but offers good feedback and enough weight on the highway.
Driving the Camaro
The suspension absorbs bumps more nicely, though, and occupants don't get tossed around over ruts and potholes the way they do in the Mustang. At higher speeds, the Camaro feels balanced and easy to handle in turns.
The envelope, please...
With the Camaro, however, the V8 is genuinely optional. Sure, the bigger engine is nice if you want to spend the money -- on gas and insurance as well as on the car itself -- but the V6 feels powerful, sounds excellent and is plenty of fun to play with.
If you're looking for muscular Detroit-style performance but still want to save some gas, the Camaro V6 is the way to go.