The 2019 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible carries the torch as one of the few affordable sports cars out there that still offers unlimited headroom with the top down, that is. However, its chief rival, the 2019 Ford Mustang Convertible, ticks all the same the boxes – muscular styling, thumping V8 power and a fabric roof that disappears fast enough to make a getaway at a California stoplight. As such, Motor Trend recently tested these two icons in a head-to-head comparison that looked at performance, drivability, and surprisingly, practicality.
First up, let’s tackle performance. Peak output figures are close, with the 2019 Camaro Convertible producing 455 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 455 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm thanks to its naturally-aspirated 6.2L LT1 V8. By comparison, the Mustang lays down 460 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 420 pound-feet of torque at 4,600 rpm.
No surprise, then, that straight-line acceleration was a wash. Both contenders managed a run to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and sprint down the quarter mile in 12.7 seconds. Trap speeds clocked in at 112.9 mph for the 2019 Camaro Convertible and 113.6 mph for the 2019 Mustang Convertible.
The figure eight test was also quite close, with both the Camaro and Mustang posting a run time of 24.3 seconds. Lateral acceleration figures peaked at 0.82 G of stick for the Chevrolet and 0.80 G for the Ford.
| 2019 Camaro Convertible SS | 2019 Mustang Convertible GT | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 6.2L V8 | 5.0L V8 |
| Power (hp @ rpm) | 455 @ 6000 | 460 @ 7500 |
| Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) | 455 @ 4400 | 420 @ 4600 |
| Transmission | Six-speed manual | Six-speed manual |
| Curb Weight (lbs) | 3949 | 3980 |
| 0-60 mph (sec) | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Quarter Mile (sec @ mph) | 12.7 @ 112.9 | 12.7 @ 113.6 |
| 60-0 mph (ft) | 103 | 106 |
But the numbers on paper don’t tell the whole story. Motor Trend praised the Camaro as “neutral” and “well balanced,” the Mustang was much more of a handful.
“Like its namesake, the Mustang fights and bucks when pushed hard,” Motor Trend writes. “It understeers into the corner and then suddenly snaps into oversteer on corner exit.”
So then – Camaro for the win, right? Not so quick.
Out on the street, the Mustang found its stride, with the Motor Trend testers relishing in the comfy ride offered by the Ford’s MagneRide suspension, as well as the Stang’s healthy V8 pull.
Not that the Camaro wasn’t equally joyful to drive on the public twisty bits. “The Camaro SS charges from bend to bend like the mighty Mississippi – its chassis, steering, and suspension are so well sorted and balanced that there’s just no way GM is paying its Camaro engineers enough,” Motor Trend wrote.
The publication’s final test was a judgment on the practicality of both vehicles. It was there that the 2019 Camaro Convertible was criticized for having a tight cabin and uncomfortable ergonomics. Surprisingly, Motor Trend also knocked the Camaro for its trunk size, which became “useless with the top down.”
By comparison, the Mustang offered far more storage and comfort, and despite its wooly handling, it managed to secure the win.
In the end, the 2019 Camaro Convertible was deemed the better performance car, but Motor Trend still handed the victory to the 2019 Mustang Convertible for being “the far better convertible.”
Source: Motor Trend
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Comments
Does anyone know what colour that Camaro is? It looks like GE0 Oakwood Metallic WA623D.
So here were are, we find our selves in the “PC” world. everyone’s great, no one looses a pony ball soccer game.
We’re all “winners”, last game’s/model’s, last season’s/generation’s shortcomings are forgiven.
“the Mustang fights and bucks when pushed hard” “It understeers into the corner and then suddenly snaps into oversteer on corner exit”
“BUT IT HAS MORE TRUNK SPACE” = PUKE
https://www.motortrend.com/news/chevrolet-camaro-ford-mustang-all-time-comparison-winner/
I guess we are tied at 14 wins apiece now huh?
PATHETIC!
Get in the “RING” trunkloard!
I bought the Mustang convertible even though I am a GM guy going 40 years back. In the real world trunk space is more important than understeer and oversteer. GM must have put interns on the trunk design. It is stupidly small and wasted space for no apparent reason.
So…the new Corvette will have the Camaro rear tail lights.
Likely interchangeable too to save money.
Good lord. My friend has a 2015 Mustang convertible or the same as the current car tested. It is tiny to say the least. How GM could possibly manage making it smaller must have taken real hard work
Goes to show you that most automotive journalists are no longer “car guys.” Haven driven both, the Camaro outshines the Mustang on everything that matters to a pony car – Handling, Acceleration, and so on. If you want trunk space buy a damn equinox. Compare the cars on what matters relative to what they are – is that too much to ask?
These pony cars are often purchased by young single guys to use as their only vehicle. They can’t afford to buy a both a truck and a joyride toy.
The reality of the current car market is that If you can’t daily drive it then it won’t sell well.
GM Design stupidly gimped the practicality of the Camaro. There is no reason it couldn’t have had a larger trunk and better interior packaging for more space, while also being track weapon. I’d also point out that it’s vital to know where the other cars are on a track, so the Camaro’s limited visibility is a big negative for track use. It’s not only the rear quarter view, either. I test drove one and I couldn’t even see well straight ahead. There is no reason to design a car that way.
I drive my 2016 SS to work everyday and have never felt that visibility was a big deal, you get used to it pretty quickly. The nice thing is, people get out of my way when they see me come up behind them when they’re driving in the left lane holding everyone else back!
With so much engineering that has gone into these into these cars they are both great examples of the pony car evolution. Biases be damned either one can be optioned to meet an individuals wants. And that includes whether you want a bow tie or an blue oval for decoration. Imo. Day in and day out they both make a persons day either by driving one or sighting one. Arguing over trunk space is hardly a make or break item. Performance, sounds, rigidity, looks, features and how your butt feels behind the wheel is a formula that when done right brings a smile to your face and can be different for each driver. Win win win. Go Camaro, go Mustang, and yes go Challenger.
GM needs to figure out the ergonomics of the Camaro, because it does matter. I’m 5’9, and that back seat is useless even with me in the front. The convertible trunk is almost completely useless. And the sightlines in the coupe are some of the worst I’ve ever experienced- and I have a C7 and had a CTS coupe.
Those things may not matter to everyone, but they matter to a lot of people. And if we want this car to continue to be around, it needs to sell better. Sedans are dropping like flies, I don’t want the Camaro to be next.
Right on Mike. These cars have changed so much and come so far from the iffy suspensions and questionable build quality of 20 and 30 years ago. Of course there will be certain requirements that people look for in a vehicle and sight lines, and ergonomics are primo but I am happy to have a choice of vehicles of this caliber that still give reason to believe. We all want the automakers to produce an all round solid machine. Then we vote with our cheque book. Mustangs cause Camaros to be better and Camaros push Mustangs to be better. Been that way forever and a day.
Agreed as far as ergonomics. I still believe the side windows in the Camaro are too narrow, thus limiting side view for the driver. This topic has been brought forward by consumers and discussed in forums for a few years now.
Reality is if you’re buying a Camaro or mustang you’re not buying it to fill the freaking trunk so who really even cares if it has a trunk
You may not be, but many people do own these as their only vehicle.
And why do you think there’s way more rental mustangs? More friendly design, more useful.
The Mustang beats the Camaro interior space, interior design, visibility, trunk space…
If you want to the Camaro to stick around, it needs to compete. The majority of Mustang sales are not GTs, but it helps keep the car around
I rented a Camaro convertible in Hawaii and my bags wouldn’t even begin to fit in the trunk, (same bags that fit easily in Mustang convertible trunk). These cars have to have a certain practicality. They are not all purchased as track toys. Based on this real world comparison I bought a Mustang Convertible. Could be why the Mustang is preparing a new generation and the Camaro is about the end production.
I love my ’17 Camaro 2SS convertible! The mustang still uses the “old fashioned” method of putting the top down that the 2015 camaro convertible used … stop the car (or be moving less than 3 mph) pull the handle down, twist to unlock, then push the button to open the top, and the top sticks out of the back. The ’16 and newer Camaro tops are more simple … just push the button to open it (while driving at speeds up to 30 mph) and when it’s complete, it’s a more refined look, similar to a mercedes hard top convertible, the convertible top is completely covered and protected. I’ve been on trips with my wife and two kids, with a trunk full of luggage, so I don’t know if people that “test” these cars realize there’s room under the open convertible top in the trunk area. You just have to be smarter than the trunk. I’ve had two 22″ carry-on sized suitcases, two back-packs, 2 duffel bags, and a laptop bag, as well as a couple pillows and blankets in my trunk with the top down. Maybe I just know how to pack. It’s a battle that will hopefully rage on for decades to come, but time will tell whether or not GM will ever “fix” what all the complaints seem to be about seeing out of the car. I’ve never driven a mustang, but I don’t see much difference in some of what people complain about between the two cars, as I doubt there’s anyone out there driving that can see the front of the mustang while driving. To each their own, but I’m a bow tie guy
“I’ve had two 22″ carry-on sized suitcases, two back-packs, 2 duffel bags, and a laptop bag, as well as a couple pillows and blankets in my trunk with the top down.”
I’d like to see that. Pics? Because I prefer the Camaro for everything except having a smaller trunk than the Miata I’m looking to replace. Hope next generation solves it or I’ll talk myself into ‘settling’ for a Mustang to go from 2 seats to the 4 I need for kids and have trunk space for a roadtrip.
I don’t have any pics of it, and I’m not able to do it again at the moment, but if I get a chance, I’ll try to do it again. It takes some trickery, like putting the top down, then removing the “trunk curtain” that must be up in order to open/close the top, then stuffing things in. You can also look at the sides of the trunk liner to see where the top will be when opened, as there’s a definite “line” you can tell the top does not go below. And again … need I mention the fact that you have to be nearly at a complete stop, or idling forward in order to operate the mustang top, whereas you can be traveling up to 30 mph in the Camaro to operate the top, and having had to put the top up during a mountain drive that began in nice weather and ended up with rain, it was nice not having to come to a complete stop on a skinny mountain road and hold up traffic just so I could close my convertible top.
GM engineer the Camaro to best handle on the track. Problem is the general public don’t take these cars to the track. The general public wants a muscle car that looks good, go fast in a straight line, and have great daily usability. Ford does well in those areas with the Mustang and FCA excelled in those areas with the Challenger. Hence why they both outsell the Camaro. This review is just a reflection of what the general public wants. GM needs to rethink how they engineer the Camaro if it wants to stay in the game
You’re forgetting at the end of every straight away there usually is a corner you either must stop or turn
The Camaro is a more sporty looking car.We didn’t buy the car to haul luggage.We bought it for its looks and the power behind it.To each his own.