1996 Chevrolet Beretta Z26 review from North America

Oil pressure sensor went bad and spewed oil.

Lower intake manifold gasket leaked, expensive repair. Common problem, there is an updated gasket to fix it.

Windshield cracked, probably just due to a stone chip.

Piston slap on startup. This is a known problem with the early 3100 V6s. Its very expensive to repair, but as long as its not severe, it won't hurt the engine at all.

The Chevy Beretta is an all around decent car that can handle most tasks that you throw at it.

With a 160 hp V6, I wouldn't say the car is fast, but it has a good amount of torque and plenty of power for passing and merging.

The sport suspension on the Z26 provides great traction and cornering ability, however, it can get mushy during quick direction changes. The twist beam rear suspension can't quite keep up with fully independent suspensions on cars like the Neon and Civic.

For a sport coupe, the car has better than average room in the back seat, and it has a pretty big trunk.

The interior has a lot of plastic and looks kind of cheap, and there is a lot of wind noise on the highway (might be quieter in Berettas without a sunroof).

Gas mileage is nothing special in the city, but good on the highway: I get at least 27 mpg highway, the EPA estimates 29 mpg.

The only area where this car really excels is its exterior. I think the Z26 is still one of the best looking front wheel drive coupes ever made.