2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS vs. 2018 Ford Mustang GT | Comparison Test | Edmunds

CARLOS LAGO: In the early '60s, Ford introduced a car called the Mustang that was so popular that Chevy decided to do the same and introduced its direct competitor, the Camaro. And since then, not much has really changed. MARK TAKAHASHI: No, the formula is definitely still the same. But man, the total sum has increased dramatically. CARLOS LAGO: Yes, we have put together the la

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variants of these pony cars, as you should probably order them, with the V8. Now, these aren't performance package cars, but they are the cars that most people will end up buying. We have you here to see how these two modern versions of pony cars compare.

Alright, Mark, it's up to you to sell me the

2018

Mustang. MARK TAKAHASHI: Should be pretty easy because I can see number one. Look, you can see twists. CARLOS LAGO: This is true but listen too. MARK TAKAHASHI: Oh, that sounds amazing. CARLOS LAGO: That sounds very good. I swear it's louder than the Camaro. MARK TAKAHASHI: It is. CARLOS LAGO: In this world of the Camaro Mustang, noise wins. MARK TAKAHASHI: And this has an active escape option for you. You can start quietly if you don't want to wake up all your neighbors. But anyway it sounds so cool that I think you'd be cool with it, right?

CARLOS LAGO: But tell me about this five-liter because I see that it accelerates more. How do you feel? MARK TAKAHASHI: It feels great. You know, it has some of that high-revving personality of the GT 350. CARLOS LAGO: Yeah. MARK TAKAHASHI: Which I really like. CARLOS LAGO: Who doesn't? MARK TAKAHASHI: But like the GT 350, when I first got into this and started driving it really hard, I realized it had short gears. CARLOS LAGO: Really MARK TAKAHASHI: I could let this wind out a lot more CARLOS LAGO: Because you have a lot more revs to play with than you would traditionally expect.

You're used to a V-8 being kind of underpowered. MARK TAKAHASHI: Right. CARLOS LAGO: But when you have more than 7000 RPM, it's fun when you realize you can play with it. MARK TAKAHASHI: Oh, yeah. CARLOS LAGO: So you have a large digital screen. How do you like that in everyday use? MARK TAKAHASHI: I really like it. You know, and I understand that some people are traditionalists. They want to see the old meters. CARLOS LAGO: Yes and it is optional, right? MARK TAKAHASHI: It's an option. CARLOS LAGO: Good. OK. So you can have traditional meters if you want.

But yeah, I like that the tachometer moves like a bar graph when you're in the track setting, like we are now. MARK TAKAHASHI: This is the new 10-speed automatic. The goal of this is, you know, faster acceleration. You know, lower gears, lower gears, gear up to save fuel. I love that and all, but this is a Mustang. It should have a stick shift, it should have six gears. And sometimes there's this weird little delay between when the upshift is done and when it's finally done. CARLOS LAGO: Ah, so when you control the gears manually there is a little delay?

MARK TAKAHASHI: Yeah, I've been in palette-shifting mode since we got here. So see? It's not just so immediate. CARLOS LAGO: Yes. MARK TAKAHASHI: It's still really good. CARLOS LAGO: Yes. MARK TAKAHASHI: But there is still that romance of muscle cars where you should have a stick. CARLOS LAGO: Do you want to be able to hit gears? MARK TAKAHASHI: Yes. CARLOS LAGO: That makes you feel good. That's when you feel good when you change it quickly. This is not a car full of performance. MARK TAKAHASHI: There are no performance options on this except maybe the exhaust. CARLOS LAGO: And the V8 engine.

MARK TAKAHASHI: Yeah. Yeah, I mean I like it. It complies, it's still comfortable. I really like the way this comes out of a turn. You get that power early and start to right yourself. Is happy. CARLOS LAGO: It seems like it's giving you a little bit of oversteer when there's no power, but in a really nice and controllable way. MARK TAKAHASHI: Yeah, I mean that's the thing. They adjust the stability control very well, so that if you start to move it a little to the sides but are still on the throttle, it will allow you to do so up to a certain slip angle.

CARLOS LAGO: Yes. MARK TAKAHASHI: But once you get out of it, you will re-align yourself. CARLOS LAGO: That's nice. MARK TAKAHASHI: Man, I mean I really like the way this happens in turns. Just a little bit, just a little bit and just start, yeah. CARLOS LAGO: Yes. MARK TAKAHASHI: That little click. I really love this car. CARLOS LAGO: How do those breaks feel? MARK TAKAHASHI: Solid. I mean these are not performance enhancing brakes either. CARLOS LAGO: Yes. MARK TAKAHASHI: The pedal, you know, is moderately firm. Easy to modular, that's for sure. CARLOS LAGO: I can't forget the sound this thing makes.

MARK TAKAHASHI: Isn't that great? Let's go to a normal mode, okay? CARLOS LAGO: Yes, you have your Rogers mode. MARK TAKAHASHI: This is the problem with this toggle switch. Just go up. It should also go down. CARLOS LAGO: This is quiet. MARK TAKAHASHI: Yes. There are a lot less bass now. CARLOS LAGO: Ford clearly defines silence differently than I would. MARK TAKAHASHI: This mid-cycle update is a little bit more than the typical mid-cycle update. I mean, they have adaptive suspension, they have a lot more safety features, interesting options, like the instrument panel. I really like this.

CARLOS LAGO: This is the sixtieth edition. MARK TAKAHASHI: I know, I like them. CARLOS LAGO: But how can you do things like this... MARK TAKAHASHI: Oh. Oh, there is no elevator. CARLOS LAGO: And on top of that it also has a red game. So it's basically automatic. And this is the Camaro SS we all know and love. MARK TAKAHASHI: Love? CARLOS LAGO: Love. That's what makes a Camaro a Camaro. MARK TAKAHASHI: Wait, that's Subaru. CARLOS LAGO: Ssh. So we've lost five horsepower and a couple of foot-pounds of torque, I forget. MARK TAKAHASHI: It's completely irrelevant at this point. 460 versus 455.

CARLOS LAGO: Well, I was also going to point out that this car is about 50 pounds lighter. So all the power and torque deficit balances out. MARK TAKAHASHI: I think so. CARLOS LAGO: When the time comes. What I like about this car, what I traditionally like about Camaros, is the handling balance. This is a big, meaty car. MARK TAKAHASHI: Yes. CARLOS LAGO: With a lot of low growls. With a ton of power you can do that, which is fantastic. MARK TAKAHASHI: It looks like you're going to break something. CARLOS LAGO: Well, you know, traditionally something breaks. MARK TAKAHASHI: Yes.

CARLOS LAGO: And what I like is that they really took the time to integrate it into the system so you don't have to worry about breaking anything. MARK TAKAHASHI: Right. Oh. CARLOS LAGO: It is very satisfactory. MARK TAKAHASHI: It really is. That is amazing. CARLOS LAGO: Now, returning to the dynamic part, yes, this car has no visibility. It's basically a windowless van. MARK TAKAHASHI: I don't know, the visibility bothers me. I don't have a good grip here. CARLOS LAGO: Does this look like the face of someone who cares? MARK TAKAHASHI: Very good. But here's the thing: do you think there's a dynamic difference between these two cars that's a deciding factor one way or the other?

Because I personally have a lot of fun with both cars. CARLOS LAGO: That's the truth. Isn't that really so? The difference is the badge on the hood and that's basically it. MARK TAKAHASHI: Right. So what are we fighting for? CARLOS LAGO: We are not. Well, the Camaro is obviously better. MARK TAKAHASHI: No, no, no. Just no. No, the Ford has fewer defects. CARLOS LAGO: It really is one of those things that we have always been at war with Eurasia, right? MARK TAKAHASHI: Yes. CARLOS LAGO: It's just this constant rivalry that comes and goes. But fundamentally, you end up with the same vehicle with minor variations.

And it all comes down to, basically, what is your preference? I prefer that, which is great. But I'm sure there are qualities in the Mustang that I would like as well. But this is a good-handling vehicle that handles with a finesse and lightness that belies its size, right? MARK TAKAHASHI: Well, the style also makes it look thicker and heavier than it is. CARLOS LAGO: Yes, absolutely. From the six-speed manual transmission to the red toggle buttons on the steering wheel, the standard—I'm going to say basic—Camaro SS is pretty much what you'd expect from this type of car.

I like the interior layout, I like the way things were laid out. This is a very classic panel with the double bubble indicator. MARK TAKAHASHI: Yeah, and this hidden section here is, you know, stuff carried over from the Camaro. I like the design, I really like the design. I think it's nice to look at, but in practice it has some problems for me. CARLOS LAGO: The big issue, of course, is visibility. And then, there are a couple of weird and annoying things. Like the way the screen appears to be tilted inwards, so it appears to be tilted downwards.

It doesn't affect how you use it, it just looks weird. And then you have a problem with these center vents. MARK TAKAHASHI: Yeah, they're really great for cooling your knuckles, but nothing more. What I like is that when you turn that bezel, it adjusts the temperature. That's really cool. I think that's almost... CARLOS LAGO: It's smart. MARK TAKAHASHI: --Audi-esque in its execution. But they need to be up here. I mean, they're right at your knuckles. CARLOS LAGO: The important thing is that the speedometer is easy to read. You have great analog meters. You have a front screen that is configurable.

All the important controls, steering wheel, gear lever, clutch, pedals, all fall onto your hands and feet very easily. Driving mode selection is really easy to use. It's things like the interior storage and the wireless charging pad that's here, which... MARK TAKAHASHI: What? CARLOS LAGO: --it's just strange. MARK TAKAHASHI: That means you're going to forget your phone here all the time. CARLOS LAGO: I don't know why you would use that because if you have a nice smart phone here you are going to use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, which requires being connected... MARK TAKAHASHI: --the USB. CARLOS LAGO: --towards here.

But this compartment is not large enough to fit most modern smartphones. MARK TAKAHASHI: Right. On the passenger side, and I noticed this when you were guiding us around the tarmac. The thing is that the passenger doesn't have very good handholds. There's nothing to hold onto here and this is hard plastic, right on my elbow. That's something you don't have to deal with in the Mustang or at least your passenger won't have to. CARLOS LAGO: So overall, there are a lot of things that don't really matter when it comes to driving quickly, but do make this car not so enjoyable on the daily commute.

MARK TAKAHASHI: It's not completely different. It's a mid-term update, they have a few new features here and there. But the most important thing is this digital instrument cluster. CARLOS LAGO: The optional gauge cluster, right? MARK TAKAHASHI: It is. It's so good. If you change driving mode and this kind of spicy tack bar appears at the top. CARLOS LAGO: I like that tachometer with the bar graph. It looks really cool. MARK TAKAHASHI: It is. CARLOS LAGO: Yes. MARK TAKAHASHI: I think the difference between this and the Camaro is that there are fewer flaws. CARLOS LAGO: OK MARK TAKAHASHI: Number one, we can see it.

CARLOS LAGO: That's nice. Yes, I really appreciate being able to see the outside of the vehicle. MARK TAKAHASHI: Yeah. It doesn't feel like you're wearing armor and you're just looking through a little mail slot. The quality of the materials, I think, is slightly better. My elbows are very well padded. And you're probably bumping into that a little bit. CARLOS LAGO: I like that I have a handhold. MARK TAKAHASHI: Yes. CARLOS LAGO: When he's in panic mode. I don't have one on the left side but I do have one on the right side, which I think is better than the Camaro.

MARK TAKAHASHI: Yes. CARLOS LAGO: But I like the general layout of this interior. It feels a little more airy, a little more open. And it probably has to do with increased visibility. But also the way the center console is designed here has a good flow. MARK TAKAHASHI: And look, the vents are up there. CARLOS LAGO: The vents work. And they've been able to, you know, keep the influence of design elements from the '60s... MARK TAKAHASHI: Yes. CARLOS LAGO: --on the dash but also add the modern touches that still make it work. MARK TAKAHASHI: The double board thing now.

There are a few things that still bother me, like this little dash ornament here and this centerpiece up there. Those are carryovers and they really seem out of place because everything else seems to be quite a bit better. CARLOS LAGO: So, this car and the Camaro have optional exhaust volume options. MARK TAKAHASHI: Yes. CARLOS LAGO: This one has the option, the Camaro doesn't. MARK TAKAHASHI: This one, compared to the Camaro, goes 11. CARLOS LAGO: I think it passed it. MARK TAKAHASHI: This is great. (SNORING)| CARLOS LAGO: That's ridiculous. MARK TAKAHASHI: Even better is the silent mode. Oh, that's silence.

You can schedule when it will be quiet. So between midnight and 7:00 a.m. m., I have itset to silent. So no matter what, I don't have to press that button. CARLOS LAGO: Your neighbors don't hate you. MARK TAKAHASHI: They do, but not for this. CARLOS LAGO: What I really appreciate is the amount of interior storage this car has. MARK TAKAHASHI: Yes. CARLOS LAGO: As you know, you only have two cup holders and things like that, but you have center pockets. And the center console is a little bigger. And things here just feel a little more livable, day by day.

If there are not huge differences in performance, it is certainly more... MARK TAKAHASHI: Yes. CARLOS LAGO: --attractive for the traveler. MARK TAKAHASHI: But in the back, the trunk is also much more usable than the Camaro. It's got a lower lift, it's a bigger trunk, it's a lot more useful. So if there's one important thing about muscle cars, it's that they're fun. And in my opinion, both the Camaro and the Mustang have just as much fun. CARLOS LAGO: Yes, I love the acceleration in both. They both have fantastic transmissions and are a lot of fun to drive.

MARK TAKAHASHI: That said, I think the Mustang is better suited to everyday life. CARLOS LAGO: I agree. The Mustang is easier to live with every day, but for some reason I still enjoy driving the Camaro more. MARK TAKAHASHI: That's what we think. Let us know what you think. For more information on the Camaro, Mustang or any of their competitors, visit

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