The Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro have matured into hard-charging but surprisingly refined daily transport. They're best for singles and couples without children.
The pony car is as American as baseball and apple pie. For those who don't know, the term describes an affordable, compact, absurdly powerful and highly styled car with a sporty or performance-oriented image. While many sexy, powerful beasts have been called ponies over the years, two machines truly stand out from the fray and best exemplify the breed: the Ford Mustang, the template for the segment, and the Chevy Camaro.
These iconic machines have been sparring with each other since the late 1960s. In fact, General Motors created the Camaro in 1967 to compete with the 'Stang on and off the track.
Today that rivalry is more heated than ever before. Why? Probably because both vehicles are no longer kiddie cars; they are all grown up, sporting new joie de vroom sheet metal with tailored interiors to match. The question remains, however: Which pony car reigns supreme?
To help settle the debate, we put both machines to the test. Here's what we found.
Commonalities
As direct competitors in a narrowly defined corner of the market, the Chevy and Ford share more than a few general characteristics. For example, both cars are now refined for daily driving. Not long ago, however, the Camaro and Mustang were kid's cars: "beer cans on wheels" suitable for teenage thrills but too clunky to take the boss to lunch. Thanks to the latest in rigid body structures, weatherstripping, sound deadeners and sophisticated powertrains, this dynamic duo has become far more like athletic luxury cars than frat-house fare. Roll up the windows, turn on the air conditioning and you are ready for transcontinental touring.
View Pictures: Muscle Cars Picture Gallery
Both cars are also available in base V6 configuration (the Camaro RS and base Mustang) and offer hot V8 upgrades (the Camaro SS and Mustang GT). Despite the enthusiast magazines obsessing over tenths of a second here and there, seat-of-the-Levis acceleration feels the same between the two V6s (zinging quick) and the two V8s (fast!), as long as you stick with the manual transmissions. Opt for an automatic and the Camaro slows noticeably.
Like those beasts of the past, today's Mustang and Camaro are still highly styled 2 + 2 sportsters. This means they're really two-seaters with tiny backseats. Dedicated fans can cantilever in and out of the rear seats as long as their backs hold out. Minivans these cars are not. Ditto goes for trunk space. For the most part, storage is adequate but not generous.
Compare: Ford Mustang V6 vs. Chevrolet Camaro V6
The same might be said about fuel consumption and capacity. It's really not bad, but you'll have to know the location of every local gas station. These sporty cars have moderate-size fuel tanks. This isn't to knock the low-20s fuel economy of the V8s in commuting use — it's exemplary for their power — and the V6s might as well be economy cars with more than 400 miles of range. Plus, you don't find many 30 mpg economy cars with more than 300 horsepower.
Finally, the Mustang and especially the Camaro have packed on the size and weight. They're hulky hunks that feel clumsy in tight urban thickets but are a joy on the open road.
Style Conscious
So much for common ground. Differences are what make the wheels go 'round, and there is plenty of tire spin in this pair, starting with their looks.
View Pictures: 2011 Ford Mustang
For sure the Camaro is the brasher-looking machine. Snarling like a junkyard dog after a trip to the groomers, the Camaro's deeply drawn sheet metal is more a cartoon of the iconic first-generation model than of a faithful retro upgrade. It's designed to attract attention, and it definitely delivers.
Ford's Mustang treatment is more mainstream. The 2011 simply looks like a Mustang while relying on some retro cues and, let's face it, some miscues in back where oddly angled and chopped taillights break the otherwise cohesive theme. But if the Mustang has its awkward moments, overall it's the more mature design.
Inside Story
Perhaps no area differentiates the Camaro and Mustang more than their interiors, and fundamentally these differences are driven by exterior design. The Camaro's menacingly low roofline, highly raked windshield and haunchlike fenders make its cavelike interior a little claustrophobic. The windows are high and slotlike, as if seeing out were optional. The window sills are so elevated that resting an elbow up there is for orangutans, and peering backwards while reversing promotes parking-by-touch, as precious little can be seen aft. Furthermore, the Camaro doesn't offer a navigation system or a corresponding reverse camera.
