Is the 5th Gen Camaro Actually Better than the 6th Gen?

Generally, cars improve with each passing generation. But that might not be the case with the Camaro.

For the most part, cars get more advanced, more powerful, faster, and just generally better over time. This is especially true of modern muscle cars, which seemingly just keep improving with each passing generation. But there are those who feel like the Camaro, well, didn’t. At least not when Chevy introduced the 6th gen to replace the much-beloved 5th gen. Thus, Mustang owner and YouTuber Zander13 decided to explore this topic in this interesting video.

This is an especially hot topic given how much more expensive a new Camaro is over an older used one. And then there’s that little topic of styling, as many hate the front end on the 2019+ models. So to explore this debate, Zander invites his buddy Alex over, who just happens to own a 2014 1LE Camaro. And in this case, it’s also got some mods, including long tube headers.

The argument for the 5th gen starts with price. “It’s kind of hard to get into any new muscle car these days without spending $40,000 and up,” Zander says. “A loaded 2SS is $45-$50,000. A 1LE is about the same price. Not a lot of people can afford that. So what do they buy? Is this something you can afford? And I think the answer is yes.”

Thus, buying a nice used 5th gen leaves you plenty of room for mods. “You can heavily modify these things,” Zander says. “They’re fantastic cars at a bargain price these days. The 1LE helped open the doors for these other manufacturers and pushed them. The Mustang wouldn’t be what it is today if it wasn’t for this car.”

That doesn’t mean the latest Camaro is junk, however. “The 6th gen Camaros, they’re great cars,” Zander says. “The Alpha chassis that they ride on is a big, big deal. And they handle really, really good. I’m not a fan of the looks of the 2019 though. So would I buy one of these cars, being a Mustang guy? Yeah, I wouldn’t even think twice about it.”

So, perhaps progress doesn’t apply to every car on the market. Maybe the combination of going backwards in looks and upward in price makes the 5th gen Camaro a superior option to the 6th gen. And since you’re saving some cash, is that really a bad thing?

Photos: YouTube, Chevrolet

Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.