Retro Review: Does A 2001 Chevorlet Camaro Stand the Test Of Time?

2001 Chevrolet Camaro on 2500 mile road trip

Last week I took a trip to San Luis Obispo, California via Los Angeles. Now normally a road trip in a new car would be very exciting, but this time I was doing it in a car that had just turned 130,000 miles. Why would I want to do this? Two reasons really, I wanted to have the t-tops in California and see how a genuine product of GM and America would stand up, especially since it is now 9 years old. The car—a 2001 Chevrolet Camaro.

I have to admit, after some 2500 miles I am pretty impressed with the performance and economy of the 3.8-liter V6. Even with automatic transmission, two people and lots of luggage we averaged about 27 mpg on the trip to and from California. This includes a couple mountain passes, the scorching desert heat and of course, L.A. traffic. Something else that surprised me was the relative comfort of the Camaro on the 15 hour drive. Now it isn’t a Lexus or a Mercedes, but for a low slung and fairly simple sports car, it actually has decent support. The negative, however, is that it has a huge hump in the passenger well and the awkward driving position that keeps someone 6 foot or taller in a constant state of recline.

2001 Chevrolet Camaro with 130,000 miles

2001 Chevrolet Camaro waiting for the next leg of the road trip

The 2001 Chevrolet Camaro does hold up well and has relatively low road noise considering its t-tops that are known for water and sounds leaks. It also exhibited fairly little rattles and creaks, which considering the plastic nature of the interior should give it extra kudos. The portions of the car that do disappoint are the electronics, specifically the body electrical sensors. The Camaro has wheel speed sensors that control the ABS and the traction control, which can cause problems over several years of ownership and then of course there are the oxygen sensors and a host other sensors and modules that crop up over time.

Unfortunately for me, the wheel sensor on the Camaro seemed to have a problem during the trip, which in turn disabled the traction control, ABS and turned on the Service Vehicle light. Even with the inconvenience of the lights, it should be considered an accomplishment for an American car to achieve over 130,000 miles and not have had any major mechanical issues. Will it do another 130K? We will just have to wait and see. Until then if you are looking for used late model Chevrolet then you won't find one with more style then the Camaro.

In the meantime, check out our most recent stories like the 370Z Pricing Announcement, GM and Global Design and Honda’s New Hybrids.

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