2011 Chevrolet Camaro

Known better for its headlock with the Ford Mustang, the Camaro presents true American muscle with the spirit of a sports car and that too on a budget. At a starting MSRP of $22,805, the Camaro comes with two engine options, and a whole lot of trims and individual packages to suffice for the buyer’s needs. Its new design looks the part and it rides and handles unlike a beefy muscle car, but more like a sought-after sports car, as it is very nimble and agile. The interior is quite cramped, but the nostalgia factor makes people fall in love with its imperfections.

As in its outgoing model year, the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro is available in five different trim levels. Buyers get to choose from base LS, 1LT, 2LT, 1SS, and 2SS trim levels. While the first three trims are available only with a 3.6-liter V6, the 1SS and 2SS get a mighty 6.2-liter V8 block. 

Thankfully, even in the base model, the Camaro comes equipped with adequate features like automatic headlights, cruise control, keyless entry, tilt and telescopic steering, and manual front seats with power recline functionality. Moving up the trim order only adds up to the list of niceties while a healthy list of optional packages helps you choose exactly what you want. 

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Since this is not a purebred sports car, we’d recommend you to go the extra mile and get the 2SS variant, since it comes with the 6.2L V8 that this vehicle deserves, as well as all the creature comforts that you will appreciate when driving the car.

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe can be had with one of two engines that the brand offers. There’s a standard 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6 good for 312 hp and 278 pound-feet of torque, and the mighty 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 that produces 426 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. While both the engines are mated to either a 6-Speed Manual transmission or a 6-Speed Automatic transmission, the 6.2L V8 is limited to only 400 hp and 410 lb-ft with the automatic option. This is because the 6-Speed Manual Tremec TR6060 transmission has a much higher torque rating than what the automatic offers with the LS3 engine.

While the V6 gets to 60 MPH from a dig in just a shade over 6 seconds, the angry V8 will do the same in the four-second range, given that you don’t smoke the tires, which is very easy to do. Unlike a typical muscle car, the Chevrolet Camaro scores high in terms of agility, as the steering is very communicative, and the body roll is next to none. The vehicle feels quite tight when compared to its American counterparts.

Among the competition here, the sportiest of the bunch is the 2011 Nissan 370Z, as its 3.7L naturally aspirated V6 motor has to only tug along 3272 lbs. It produces a lovely soundtrack under load, whilst having the highest top speed of the bunch at 154 MPH. Even though the Mustang and the Camaro have roughly the same amount of power and torque, the 2011 Ford Mustang is faster, as it is lighter than the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro. The 2011 Dodge Challenger is the slowest of the bunch, and it is the only one to offer a 5-Speed Manual, which is the chink in its armor.

While the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro’s base LS trim with the V6 motors delivers decent fuel economy for the heft it has to pull along, it is one of the lowest when compared to its rivals. The large 19.0-gallon fuel tank does make up for it and allows for the vehicle to have a range of 323 miles in the city, and a whopping 532 miles on the highway. All thanks to the cylinder deactivation technology onboard, the thirstier 6.2L Naturally Aspirated V8 motor, on the other hand, only returns a slightly lower fuel economy of 16/24 MPG in the city and the highway, respectively.

Being the fastest of the bunch takes a toll on the Nissan 370Z’s fuel economy, as it is the least efficient in this department. It gets only 26 MPG on the highway, which is the lowest out of all its rivals. The aforementioned conservative tune on the 2011 Dodge Challenger, along with its large 19.5-gallon fuel tank gives it the ability to have a city driving range of 351 miles, and a highway cruising range of 527 miles, which is a lot further than how far the Mustang or the 370Z can go. Even though the 2011 Ford Mustang has the best fuel economy out of the bunch averaging 22 MPG, its 16.0-gallon fuel tank is just a letdown, as it can go the least distance on a full tank of fuel out of all its rivals.

Although the seats in the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe are wide and comfortable, the cabin itself is quite tight on space and feels very constricted. Anyone above six feet in height will have a hard time staying comfortable in this vehicle. The interior is unique and has a lot of retro touches such as analog gauges for the voltage, as well as the oil and transmission temperature. The instrument cluster also reinstates nostalgia, as it looks like something out of a classic American Muscle car. 

The overall interior, however, feels quite cheap and toy-ish. The plastics used are hard, and the ergonomics are quite flawed. Even though it is dimensionally large, the cargo space, at 11.3 cubic feet, is one of the smallest in the segment, and can only take in about two bags due to its narrow opening. The rear seats also don’t fold down to increase to the already small trunk that the Camaro comes with.

On the inside, the 2011 Dodge Challenger is the largest of the lot and is an extremely comfortable place to be in. As expected, at 16.2 cubic feet, it has the largest trunk of all the cars. Although the quality of the interior is nothing to write home about for any of the other vehicles, we will assure you that it is better than what the Chevrolet Camaro offers. The Nissan 370Z is the tightest of the bunch, with no rear seats, as well as a tiny little boot, which opens rather big as a surprise.

Major interior features include:

• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Heated Front Seats
• Adjustable steering wheel column
• Optional Heated steering wheel
• Ambient interior lighting
• Steering Wheel Controls

How intuitive is the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe’s infotainment unit?

Although the infotainment system on the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe is far from being the most modern in the industry, it does offer all the standard equipment and more. The audio is piped through a nine-speaker Boston Acoustics stereo system, that can belt out your favorite music whilst maintaining clarity. That, however, is the optional audio upgrade, as the stock system only comes with six speakers. A screen is missed, and so is Bluetooth connectivity, which comes with a USB port and iPod controls only as a part of the Connectivity Package.

Some of the features of the infotainment system are as follows:

• AM/FM Stereo
• Auxiliary Audio Input
• CD Player
• MP3 Player
• Satellite Radio
• Onboard Hands-Free Communications System
• Wireless Cell Phone Hookup (Optional)

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro is an amalgamation of modern and retro, as it has a lot of touches from its predecessors, whilst looking fresh and mean. The front is dominated by the bubble top hood, as well as the sharp creases on the bumper. 

Some cues from past models include the vestigial vents ahead of the rear wheels and the hooded headlights. The fenders are flared and give the car a very bulky look. The ORVMs are quite funky, and the rear looks business with its quad tail lamps and blacked-out diffuser.

Although the 2011 Dodge Challenger is the longest car here, at a whopping 197.7 inches, the wheelbase is only slightly longer than the Chevrolet Camaro, which goes on to show that a lot of space has been wasted on the platform. It also weighs the highest out of them all. The Nissan 370Z is the sportiest of the bunch, as it has the most aggressively styled exterior, along with its compact footprint as well as short overhangs. The Chevrolet Camaro, however, sits lower than its competitors at a ground clearance of 4 inches only, while on the other hand, the Ford Mustang, Nissan 370Z, and Dodge Challenger are almost an inch higher. 

Few major exterior features include:

• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Fog Lamps (optional)
• Auto-Off Headlights
• Sunroof/Moonroof
• RS Package (available on all except the LS trim)

Knowing how quickly this car gets up to speed, General Motors hasn’t skimped on the plethora of safety systems on the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe, as it is equipped with six airbags (four in front with side-curtain airbags that extend to the second row), anti-lock brakes, traction control, and dynamic stability control as standard.

Although the IIHS hasn’t tested the Chevrolet Camaro Coupe yet, the NHTSA has, and it gives the muscle car a modest four out of five stars in frontal protection, a commendable five stars in the side protection department, and a five-star rollover rating.

Other salient safety features include:

• Electronic Stability Control
• Daytime Running Lights
• Traction Control
• Emergency Trunk Release
• 6 Airbags
• Anti-Lock Brakes

Although the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe has a lot of nostalgia and performance that it comes with. The noise, the drama, and the precision; it’s all there. Taking into consideration all the imperfections and minor irritants that this car comes with, we would rather recommend you to check out its closest rival, the Ford Mustang, as it offers a lot more for the same price, whilst being less crude. However, if the Chevrolet Camaro name is what makes your heart happy, opt for the 6.2L V8 engine and drive away with a grin plastered on your face.