1997 Chevrolet Camaro Reviews, Pricing & Specs
Overview
The 1997 Camaro represented the last of the style first revamped in 1993. It runs like the muscle car it is: gas inefficiently, but...
The 1997 Camaro represented the last of the style first revamped in 1993. It runs like the muscle car it is: gas inefficiently, but responsively. GM's Series II 3800 V6 has pickup like a much bigger engine, making for an ever-exciting ride. New in 1997 are daytime running lights and a redesigned dashboard. The interior itself is anything but spacious. While drivers may enjoy the reclining, sporty feel to their seat, passengers in the practically non-existent back seats may struggle a bit to find comfortable places for their legs.
Available for 1997 were two special trims to celebrate the Camaro's 30th birthday: a 30th Anniversary package for the Z28 and an SS Z28. The 30th Anniversary package is easily detectable by the Arctic White paint accented with Hugger Orange stripes, a combination intended to pay homage to the 1969 Camaro Indy Pace Car. The seats were similarly trimmed in Arctic White, again paying tribute to the classic car. A 5.7-liter sequential fuel injected V-8 and six-speed manual gear box gives the Anniversary Edition the kind of smooth and responsive ride that even the '69 may not have had. The SS trim was as Corvette-like as a Camaro can get: it was powered by a 305-horsepower Corvette LT1 V8. Performance was further enhanced by a high-performance exhaust system and special sport suspension package featuring Bilstein shock absorbers. The Camaro is great fun to drive and at a reasonable price. Consumers rave about its price and peppy ride. Reviews are mixed on the gas mileage, with some drivers suprised about how such a heavy car can get such excellent mileage, and others disappointed in the city miles. Acceleration is universally lauded, while several drivers complain about typical Camaro problems: the low-riding, easily-bottomed-out front end and easily derailed fuel relay lines.
What owners say
"Overall, owners of the 1997 Chevrolet Camaro have a strong affection for their cars, often describing them as fun, fast, and reliable. Many owners love the car's performance and sporty look, especially the 30th Anniversary models, which are noted for their distinctive styling and power. However, some drivers pointed out the car's lack of interior quality and issues with fuel consumption as drawbacks."
All the raw power you have at your fingertips. It just never ends. destroy all rice rockets that comes in front hit. plus the supercharger is awesome. it hits you right when you need it the most and thats what i like about this car
September 16, 2009I love the way it accelerates and corners. The 3.8L v6 has plenty of potential.
September 29, 2007The preformance was solid, I love the acceleration, nothing too obnoxious but it gets the job done when you're having some fun between the lights. Breaking's pretty standard, although the breaks in the front need replacing and I haven't gotten around to it yet. Handles real well, I've thrown it around corners pretty haphazardly and never experienced much of an issue. It's built pretty solidly although I frequently hear about Camaro's rattling themselves apart, I've yet to have an issue though. Cost of ownership? Pretty cheap, I mean, I got it after it spent many a long day sitting in someone's driveway collecting dust and developing issues like dry rotted tires and crap gathering in the coolant. It gets pretty good gas milage, but, it is a V6 RWD vehicle that does a good job of making it hard to not give it more gas when leaving from a red light. And on that note, is the car fun to drive? Heck yeah? It's a 30th anniversary Camaro with T-tops! Any day the weather's above 75 is a blast. :] Try one sometime, you'll understand.
April 5, 2010What owners say
All the raw power you have at your fingertips. It just never ends. destroy all rice rockets that comes in front hit. plus the supercharger is awesome. it hits you right when you need it the most and thats what i like about this car
September 16, 2009I love the way it accelerates and corners. The 3.8L v6 has plenty of potential.
September 29, 2007The preformance was solid, I love the acceleration, nothing too obnoxious but it gets the job done when you're having some fun between the lights. Breaking's pretty standard, although the breaks in the front need replacing and I haven't gotten around to it yet. Handles real well, I've thrown it around corners pretty haphazardly and never experienced much of an issue. It's built pretty solidly although I frequently hear about Camaro's rattling themselves apart, I've yet to have an issue though. Cost of ownership? Pretty cheap, I mean, I got it after it spent many a long day sitting in someone's driveway collecting dust and developing issues like dry rotted tires and crap gathering in the coolant. It gets pretty good gas milage, but, it is a V6 RWD vehicle that does a good job of making it hard to not give it more gas when leaving from a red light. And on that note, is the car fun to drive? Heck yeah? It's a 30th anniversary Camaro with T-tops! Any day the weather's above 75 is a blast. :] Try one sometime, you'll understand.
April 5, 2010The Biggest fault with the 1997 Camaro= THE DRIVER. ( I broke it in half). Performance) In 97' It was one of the fastest cars you could buy for under 30k.Today they are still very competitive,stop great and handles just as good if not better than most of today's cars and they can be bought for under 5k. Build Quality) Good, only faults (optispark) if it get wet its toast and they are a pain to replace your first time.Rear ends on these cars are small/weak any power increases over stock and sticky tires its gunna break (6 spd. cars especially) Appearance) interior looks great love the interior of the car (fighter plane cockpit styling) havent owned any cars that i like better except maybe the 00' bmw z3.exterior it was designed for speed. the mustang of the same year is better looking ( but I have grown to love the imo stealthy look) Cost of ownership)Relitivly cheap V8 power 0-60 in around 5-6 sec with 23-27mpg on the highway Fun Factor) :D O Hell YEAH!!!
August 7, 2009Definitely the best N/A six you can buy... stock it got upwards of 32 MPG on the highway, modded still up to 30 MPG. With a little help from removing 150 lbs and a cam/headers/exhaust it's good for a 0-60 of 5.8 seconds (computer verified) and 1/4 mile in the mid 14's... It's pushing about 215Hp at the wheels. The car is well balanced and the chassis/body accomodates some seriously wide tires (up to 315mm) that can give it heart stopping grip in the corners. Overall, the car is just a blast to drive at a bargain price... easily had for $3k these days in decent shape. All the performance and fun aside, the engine/transmission are still going strong at 177k miles without a rebuild. The 3800 Series II is bullet proof. My only complaints would be that the interior has some cheap plastic that is easily damaged/rattles a little and that the rear end can't take more than occasional abuse at stock power levels... this car is on it's third rear end and it doesn't even have a V8.
June 5, 2009The Chev Camaro 30th anniv is a solid car with great performance. It is white with orange stipes 350 v8 and has plenty of power to do most anything you would need it to do and gets 25+ mpg on the hwy
January 19, 2009I have had the car for about 5 years, and since then it has ran like a champ. It had 40,000 miles on it and now has almost 100,000 on it! It has never broke down once, and the stuff that has broken was not that expensive to fix. It is a blast to drive, plus it is a Camaro.... Nuff Said...
December 15, 2008awsome car to drive, good for hot rodders, fastest stock 1997 muscle car.
July 8, 2008the car has the LT1 engine with the z28 refinements pushing 400 horsepower. very fast off the line and keeps you moving quickly through the upper ends of its gears. first gear will throw you into the back seat if your not paying attention. the interior is great the leather and its trim makes you feel like your in a cockpit of a jet fighter.
April 10, 2008The Camaro has great acceleration and handling, easy for any beginner or advanced driver. It's smooth sailing with this guy, and as a 97, it's quite affordable and a great buy. It's fun to drive, especially with the T-Tops off, the windows down, and the wind flowing through your hair as you cruise in style
July 30, 2009Trims & specs
Base MSRP $24,639 | Seating 4 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity N/A |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
Base MSRP $23,695 | Seating 4 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity 7.6 cu ft |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
Base MSRP $26,045 | Seating 4 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity 7.6 cu ft |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
Base MSRP $22,295 | Seating 4 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity 7.6 cu ft |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
Base MSRP $18,495 | Seating 4 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity 12.9 cu ft |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
Base MSRP $20,640 | Seating 4 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity 12.9 cu ft |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
Base MSRP $30,044 | Seating 4 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity N/A |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
Base MSRP $16,740 | Seating 4 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity 12.9 cu ft |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
Pricing trends
MSRP range
$16,740 - $30,044
Current avg. market price
$19,330
Trending down by 1.0% this month
August 2026 - November 2026
