Since the 1960s, Mustang vs Camaro battles have been raging! Both cars were going strong in the 1990's, but alas, the Camaro and the Firebird, due to their lagging sales have been dropped from the Chevy line-up for the '2003 model year.

For 2002 the Chevrolet Camaro comes in 4 trim lines, and a multitude of packages and options. These trim lines include 2 base models in either coupe or convertible form that are equipped with a 3.8 liter OHV V6, and the Z28 which is also offered in a coupe and convertible, but comes with a 5.7 liter, OHV, all aluminum, LS1 V8 (the same engine found in the Chevrolet Corvette). The Z28 also is available with the 'SS' package which adds 15 more horses, more standard equipment, and tighter handling.

Driving Impressions:

I have driven many 4th generation Camaro's, and like my experience with the 1993,1995,1997, 1998 and 2001 Z28s and SS's, the 2002 Z28 Coupe's off-the-line acceleration is nothing short of exhilarating! With 310 screaming horses under the sloped hood, the 2002 Z28 has performance levels often reserved for exotics only. Off-the-line, at only partial throttle the 6-speed up-shifts automatically from 1st to 4th, this is for fuel economy reasons only, and is not as bothersome as some older 4th generation Z28s that I have driven with this 6 speed tranny. It seems GM has refined this transmission quite a bit over the years. Under full throttle although this skip of gears does not happen, and you are able to shift to redline in each of the 6-gears provided.
The 2002 Z28 gets its 310 horsepower at 5,200 RPM, and unlike many pushrod engines, retains most of this power even past its peak RPM so you won't have to worry about running out of steam after you hit red-line. The power band is excellent, allowing for strong acceleration in nearly ever gear at almost any speed. This year the Camaro Z28 provides 340 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 RPM, which also allows for good low down torque, but also offers loads of torque all the way to red-line.
The Z28's handling is sharp, taut, and responsive enough to be very fun on twisty roads. The big meaty tires on 16" alloy wheels help keep the Z28 firmly planted to the road, even with things start to get twisty.
Freeway Cruising is surprisingly smooth for a sport natured car. Wind noise is a small factor at high speeds, and so are bumps in the road, but this is a Muscle car, not a Cadillac Deville, so don't expect a totally hushed ride, especially if you are an enthusiastic driver. The engine can hardly be heard while cruising, this is mostly thanks to the 6-speed manual transmission and its 'super high' final drive ratio which allows this muscle machine to cruise at 80 MPH with the tachometer only reading 1,900-2,000 RPM.
Hills are taken very well, even in in 6th gear; there is no need to down-shift, even with such high gear ratioing. Braking is also good. With a standard 4-wheel discs, a 4-wheel ABS set-up, braking was a piece of cake, and made this heavyweight (3,500 lbs) feel more like a Mazda Miata. Gas mileage is excellent! A friend of mine with his 2001 Z28 claims he consistently gets better than 26 MPG (with the 6-speed manual) even with aggressive freeway driving, and during long trips from Eureka Ca to Palm Springs California. The 2002, I imagine is no exception, I did not get to personally drive this car long enough to get MPG specs, but the EPA is around 28-29 MPG. The Camaro's EPA matches many economy cars mated with 4-cylinders, and in some cases gets even better MPG.

NOTE: A 4-speed automatic is standard, expect this car to be slightly slower with the automatic, and expect a few miles off the EPA rating.


The 2002 Z28 rides on a 101" wheelbase, but is relatively long at almost 194". The Z28 is, as you might expect, rear wheel drive, and has a Strut/Coil spring suspension. The 2002 Z28 comes with front and rear stabalizer bars, and has a limited slip rear axle with a Torsen Differential.

Interior Accommodation:

The Interior of the 2002 Z28 looks almost exactly the way it did upon its introduction in 1993. The 2002 Z28 offers loads of standard equipment, and some cool features. Some standard amenities on this Z28 with the 'preferred equipment package' are driver and passenger air bags, engine oil life monitor, a thick leather wrapped steering wheel, tilt, power everything, cruise control, tachometer, cup holders, a theft-deterrent system, a 'super loud' 500 Watt Monsoon CD player, and power leather seating. Ergonomics are done well, and the instrumentation is easy on the eyes. Unfortunately the leather in the Z28's have not improved very much over the years, they still feel cheap, but offer semi comfort, and adequate support. I have never been a big fan of the drivers position in the F-bodys, and rear vision is still a pain in the butt. Room is more than adequate up front, but in the rear, like the Mustang, it is very tight. With how big the Camaro is and looks, oddly enough the cabin is quite the opposite.

Exterior Innovation:

The Exterior looks just like the 1998-2001 models, which is quite aggressive looking, but a little on the 'boat' side. Styling was evolutionary when the 4th generation F-bodys made their introduction in 1993, but today the Camaro's styling is suffering from what some would call 'middle age bloat.' GM tried to keep this style fresh, first by altering the taillights in 1997, which made the turn signals separate from the main taillights, also new wheels were added that year. Then in 1998 the Camaro got a totally new front fascia, with new flush mounted 'slightly peanut shaped' headlights, a large open mouthed grille, and a more muscular, less pointed hood. The Fog lights are modest, and are set in the far corners of the car. These changes made in 1998 are still found on the 2002 Z28. The Z28 also can be had with a modest spoiler which adds a more sexy look from the rear angles.

Price, Warranty, and Reliability. For 2002 the Chevrolet Camaro Z28's price has went up quite substantially, especially equipped with the 'SS' (super sport) package. My test car with the preferred equipment package had a sticker price of almost $30,000 dollars! This is still a good value, but is not going to attract more customers into the showrooms. Reliability has been very good with both the base models and the Z28/SS Camaro's. I have heard of people with 100,000 miles already on their 1998 models, and have had hardly had any problems. If anything does go wrong with your 2002 Z28, Chevy backs it up with a 'average' 3 year 36,000 mile bumper-bumper warranty, I believe an extended warranty can be purchased at an extra cost.


Final Notes:

While the interior could due with a dramatic overhaul, the engine performance is what the buyer of this car is looking for, and performance is exactly what this car delivers.

Interested in a slightly more refined muscle car? Check out my review on the 2002 Mustang GT.


-Happy Car Shopping!



Amount Paid (US$): TestDrives(s
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: Z28, 6-speed manual