Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2013 Chevrolet Camaro VS 2013 Ford Mustang Near Scottsdale, AZ

For enhanced safety, the Chevrolet Camaro’s rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Ford Mustang doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Chevrolet Camaro has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The Mustang doesn’t offer Daytime Running Lights.

Compared to metal, the Camaro’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Ford Mustang has a metal gas tank.

Both the Camaro and the Mustang have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Camaro is safer than the Ford Mustang:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Camaro is safer than the Ford Mustang:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Camaro 40,000 miles longer than Ford covers the Mustang. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Mustang ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Camaro’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Mustang’s (6 vs. 5 years).

The battery on the Camaro is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures, which can degrade battery life. By keeping the Camaro’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Mustang’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Camaro first among midsize sporty cars in their 2013 Initial Quality Study. The Mustang isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2013 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet fifth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 27th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2013 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 12th in reliability, above the industry average. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 13th.

The Camaro has more powerful engines than the Mustang:

As tested in Car and Driver the Camaro SS Manual 6.2 LS2 V8 is faster than the Mustang GT 5.0 DOHC V8 (manual transmissions tested):

As tested in Road & Track the Camaro ZL1 6.2 supercharged V8 is faster than the Ford Mustang 3.7 (manual transmissions tested):

As tested in Motor Trend the Camaro LS/LT 3.6 DOHC V6 is faster than the Ford Mustang V6 (automatics tested):

In a Motor Trend race course test, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Coupe was clocked 2.4 seconds faster than the Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca (101.3 sec. vs. 103.7 sec.).

An engine control system that can shut down half of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Camaro SS Automatic’s fuel efficiency. The Mustang doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Camaro has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Mustang (19 vs. 16 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Camaro’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Mustang:

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Camaro has a standard brake assist system to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Mustang doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The Camaro stops much shorter than the Mustang:

For better traction, the Camaro has larger standard tires than the Mustang (245/55R18 vs. 215/65R17). The Camaro ZL1’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Mustang (F:285/35R20 & R:305/35R20 vs. 255/40R19).

The Camaro LT’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Mustang V6 Auto’s standard 65 series tires. The Camaro ZL1’s tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Mustang’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Camaro has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Mustang V6 Manual. The Camaro’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Mustang.

For superior ride and handling, the Chevrolet Camaro has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Ford Mustang has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Camaro’s wheelbase is 5.2 inches longer than on the Mustang (112.3 inches vs. 107.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Camaro is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Mustang.

The Camaro ZL1 Coupe handles at 1.02 G’s, while the Mustang V6 Coupe pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Camaro SS Convertible handles at .92 G’s, while the Mustang V6 Convertible pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Camaro ZL1 Coupe goes through Road & Track’s slalom 3.7 MPH faster than the Mustang V6 Coupe (72.9 vs. 69.2 MPH).

The Camaro LT Coupe performs Car and Driver’s emergency lane change maneuver 7.2 MPH faster than the Mustang V6 Coupe (63.7 vs. 56.5 MPH).

The Camaro ZL1 Coupe executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the Mustang V6 Coupe (23.9 seconds @ .83 average G’s vs. 26 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

The Camaro SS Convertible executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Mustang V6 Convertible (25.3 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 27.1 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

As tested by Road & Track, the interior of the Camaro SS Coupe is quieter than the Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca:

As tested by Road & Track, the interior of the Camaro SS Convertible is quieter than the Mustang GT Convertible:

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the Camaro Coupe is rated a Compact car by the EPA, while the Mustang Coupe is rated a Subcompact. The Camaro Convertible is rated a Compact car by the EPA, while the Mustang Convertible is rated a Subcompact.

The Camaro Coupe has 9.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Mustang Coupe (93 vs. 83.3). The Camaro Convertible has 12 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Mustang Convertible (93 vs. 81).

The Camaro Coupe has 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom and .1 inches more rear legroom than the Mustang Coupe.

The Camaro Convertible has 1.6 inches more front shoulder room and .1 inches more rear legroom than the Mustang Convertible.

To help each driver find a more comfortable driving position, the Camaro has a telescoping steering wheel. Much better than just a tilt steering wheel or adjustable seat, this allows a short driver to sit further from the steering wheel while maintaining contact with the pedals. The Mustang doesn’t offer a telescoping steering wheel.

The Camaro offers an optional heads-up display, which projects speed and other key instrumentation readouts onto the windshield, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Mustang doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Camaro has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Mustang only offers an automatic headlight on/off feature as an extra cost option.

The Camaro offers optional automatic dimming rear and side view mirrors, which automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Mustang offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Bluetooth wireless connectivity is standard on the Camaro, connecting the driver and passenger’s cell phones to the vehicle systems. This allows them to use the vehicle’s stereo and hand controls to place calls safely and easily. Bluetooth costs extra on the Mustang.

Insurance will cost less for the Camaro owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Camaro will cost $410 less than the Mustang over a five-year period.

The Camaro will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The Intellichoice estimates that the Camaro will retain 52.33% to 95.31% of its original price after five years, while the Mustang only retains 46.22% to 57.52%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Camaro is less expensive to operate than the Mustang because typical repairs cost less on the Camaro than the Mustang, including $9 less for a water pump, $36 less for a starter and $22 less for a power steering pump.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its March 2012 issue and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Coupe won out over the Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca.

The Camaro was selected by Automobile Magazine as their 2010 Car of the Year. The Mustang has never been chosen.

The Chevrolet Camaro outsold the Ford Mustang by 8% during the 2012 model year.