Chevrolet Camaro RS Review: Turbo Power Gets the Job Done, Mostly
It’s so much more than an engine
That said, the electric power steering is nicely weighted and responsive through even the most demanding of bends. Likewise, the ride and handling is fabulous. BMW should be taking notes from Chevrolet on how to make a car handle properly. The balance of the car is superb, and composed. Even over mid-corner bumps the Camaro offers unshakable grip and driver confidence.
Well, the grip is only unshakable until the driver decides to pitch it into a corner sideways and see what happens. Even with the automatic transmission dulling the experience a bit, this Camaro is more than happy to do lucid little slides through corners. Throttle down, aim the front tires where you want to go, and go.
This handling balance and back road prowess is a trait inherent to General Motor’s Alpha Platform. While the fifth-gen Camaro rode on the larger Zeta platform, for the sixth-gen Camaro, Chevrolet slightly downsized the Camaro onto the newer Alpha platform. This not only reduces weight across the board by about 1-200 pounds, but allows for a further refined suspension architecture.
The core competencies of the sixth-gen Camaro shine through, even with the entry-level engine. Chevy got a lot of things right with the new Camaro. So much so that we are talking about a four-cylinder Camaro on LS1tech. Now that’s saying something.
ALSO SEE: LS1tech Reviews the Cadillac ATS-V, A Better BMW M3 Than the M3
A Camaro LS convertible starts at $32,900. Add on the RS package, 2LT package, with the comfy heated, leather seating, 8-speed automatic and the gorgeous Hyper Blue Metallic paint, a $395 bargain, and this is a $40,535 car as tested. It’s a rather large ask, but, by my math it undercuts other convertibles like the Nissan 370Z by a good chunk. The small power penalty is easily offset by price, fuel economy and daily usability advantage the Camaro has over the Z-car.
That said, a Camaro coupe is significantly less expensive, and a 6-speed manual Camaro coupe, with the turbo engine and RS package, can be snagged for under $30,000, if you’re diligent. And, at that price point, that is one hell of a value proposition. Adept handling, a stout powertrain and more than 30 miles-per-gallon. Turbo power gets the job done here.
Join the LS1tech forums today!
