1998 Chevrolet Camaro Base 3.8L V6

Summary:

Good overall performance budget sports car

Faults:

Nothing really bad went wrong with the car, but we only owned it for a year. There was some fix we did when we first got it that cost 160, forgot what it was, but we didn't have to fix it. The ac compressor was bad from when we bought it, but that was alright for where I live. The interior still looked great and the engine was strong.

General Comments:

Got good mpg, I normally averaged 27 with a mix of 30%city/70%highway and good performance. Don't underestimate the v6. The handling was really good too. It was a sports car none the less. I originally wanted a Mustang, but ended up with a camaro, but I couldn't of been more happy. I became an f-body fan from the first few times I drove it around town. The car was great. The interior wasn't as bad as most people say, and same with comfort, unless you were in the passenger or especially the rear seats of course :P It was a little hard to get out of, but not bad. The looks grew on me, but honestly I liked the looks of the firebirds much more, well 98+ ones. I ended up buying a v8 6speed firebird with ram air, reason I sold this one so early. I wouldn't of bought it though if I didn't like this camaro so much.

Btw, insurance on the v6 isn't bad at all (under 25, I'm 19 now), I saved money actually from my old 4 cyl car due to the ABS (which I can't live w/o now :P) and the anti theft system.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th December, 2007

1998 Chevrolet Camaro 3800 Series 6-cylinder

Summary:

6-cylinder sports cars suck

Faults:

Nothing real horribly expensive that comes along with having a car you hate for 5 long, agonizing years.

1) Engine problem= about $300

2) Bad Belt Tensioner= about $150

3) Something that made the engine overheat, can't remember what it was though= about $150

4) Bad water pump which I still have so therefore it's $0.

5) Bad catalytic converter again which I still have= $0.

6) Several dozen bad blinker bulbs, probably because the battery overcharges for some reason= a total of about only $70 or $80 over a 5 year period.

General Comments:

The reason I hate this car and have actually hated this car since I got it way back on 12/31/00 has been because it's a damn 6-cylinder rather than an 8-cylinder. Had this 1998 Camaro coupe all this time been a red Z28, then I would've loved this car way back then and to this day. I wanted an 8-cylinder from the get go.

I can't wait 'till this car becomes completely undrivable. Recently, I took it to a mechanic because it was running odd one day. After the mechanic inspected it for $30, he told me that that noise I've been hearing under the hood is the engine knocking. He said it won't be long 'till this car that I despise so much becomes undrivable by probably having the engine blow up. I can't wait 'till that happens because when it does, I'm gonna finally take it to the junkyard rather than waste $800 getting it fixed and finally get an 8-cylinder sports car, and it WILL be an 8-cylinder sports car that I want.

Sports cars shouldn't have 6-cylinder engines because they don't have that same performance that you can only get with an 8-cylinder. 6-cylinder sports cars aren't real sports cars. When it comes to performance, they suck. If you're looking for that V8 power and instead get a 6-cylinder sports car, you'll be EXTREMELY dissapointed, take it from me.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th March, 2006

18th Mar 2006, 11:50

Hmmm, I suppose a Porsche 911 with a six-cylinder is going to have problems outrunning a V-8 Camaro. HA!! HA!!

18th Mar 2006, 14:39

If you hate sixes so much, then why did you buy it in the first place?

Try test driving next time.

18th Mar 2006, 17:37

And yet you made the decision to buy it, knowing it had a 6 cylinder, and it has stood up to your abuse for five years. Although you hate the car, it sounds like it's actually a good car. What a dilemma!