Chevrolet Camaro Used Car Buying Guide: Summary
Intricately intertwined in the American experience, the Chevrolet Camaro is an icon of the USA. Fast, powerful, and good looking, the Chevrolet Camaro scratches the itch of nearly every automotive enthusiast. With its broad variety of engines and equipment, it can also serve well as a daily driver for nearly everyone.
There are however, some considerations—particularly in the fifth-generation car. That low and sleek profile necessitates very small window areas, thus outward visibility can be compromised at times. Also, a number of reviewers have complained about the overall size of the fifth-generation Camaro.
Also, throughout the lifetime of the Camaro, its interior treatments have been criticized for their less than sumptuous appearance. And, while we lauded the attention paid to calling upon the history of the car in terms of its interior and exterior styling treatments, we strongly question the placementof the auxiliary gauges at the leading edge of the console—beneath the dash. This placement renders them all but unusable when the car is underway.
Still, there is much to love about the Chevrolet Camaro—not the least of which is its performance per dollar value. It's very difficult to find a car that performs as well as the Camaro does for equal or less money. That said, if you're shopping for a pre-owned Camaro you should keep in mind these are primarily performance cars and so therefore the probability of them having been used hard is great.
For this reason, a pre-purchase inspection by a trusted professional mechanic is of the utmost importance. Similarly, running a vehicle history report is also a very good idea. Popular cars like these are frequently stolen; you want to make sure the car you are buying has a clean title.
Another thing to keep in mind is the elevated cost of insuring a high-performance car like the Camaro. You'll want to get insurance quotes to make sure your situation will entitle you to a reasonable premium. The last thing you want to do is buy the car and learn you can't afford the insurance afterwards in fact.
There have also been a number of recalls for Chevrolet’s muscle car. Running an Internet search for “Chevrolet Camaro recalls” will help you determine which, if any, apply specifically to the model of your interest.