The 1996 model brings with it some additional options as well as some newly standardized equipment. The 3.8-liter V6 engine that was optional in the 1995 models is standard in the 1996 base model, and the Z28 had its 5.7-liter V8 enhanced to 285 horsepower (305 in the SS). 1996 also brought the new RS package with a lower-body aerotrim and a three-piece spoiler.
As always, the Camaro's big engine is what distinguishes it from other sports cars--especially those in its price range where it remains unmatched in value. Alloy wheels with painted surfaces add a sleeker look to the pony car. A variety of packages were available to sport up the look of the car, as well as to add some nice features, such as more engine power, traction control, and remote keyless entry.
Pluses of the Camaro included super-responsive steering and agility in the turns. The Camaro also is considered by many to be extremely dominant over the Ford Mustang...in other words, Camaros kick Mustangs butt.
Minuses of the Camaro include a failure to adhere to slippery roads (especially in winter) and a lack of passenger and cargo room.
While we highlight specific author bylines where possible, sometimes our content results from the combined efforts of several members of the CarGurus editorial team. As with all our editorial content, you can expect high levels of automotive insight and expertise delivered in a style that is approachable and free from jargon.
I had a 95 Z28 i love the body style the handling and performance with a few upgrades youre pushing plenty of horsepowerJun 20, 2021
by Anonymous
Mar 05, 2015
I love this car i have had it for about 5 years now and it is always there for me. It has so much potential, and was the first car i did a full engine/tranny swap on. Super fun to drive and every body loves Catfish!Mar 05, 2015
by John W
Aug 07, 2014
Stylish looks and good handling in a package which is aesthetically pleasing. This car is fun to drive with the 5-speed and fools most people into assuming that it is much speedier than it actually is. It might not pass all the cars on the road but surely passes the gas stations.Aug 07, 2014
User rating:
by Jeff C
Jun 20, 2021
I had a 95 Z28 i love the body style the handling and performance with a few upgrades youre pushing plenty of horsepowerJun 20, 2021
by Anonymous
Mar 05, 2015
I love this car i have had it for about 5 years now and it is always there for me. It has so much potential, and was the first car i did a full engine/tranny swap on. Super fun to drive and every body loves Catfish!Mar 05, 2015
by John W
Aug 07, 2014
Stylish looks and good handling in a package which is aesthetically pleasing. This car is fun to drive with the 5-speed and fools most people into assuming that it is much speedier than it actually is. It might not pass all the cars on the road but surely passes the gas stations.Aug 07, 2014
by John A
Nov 01, 2013
Love this car, truly a fun experience cruising around. Got the car from my father and I believe he was the 3rd owner. Amazing how good the paint looks, garage kept with car cover. Overall performance is pretty good from SLP; no mods yet but thinking about it! Nov 01, 2013
by Anonymous
Jun 03, 2013
I like everything about this car from the color combination to the power of the LT-1 to the gas mileage on the Highway while cruising with the top down! Very fast acceleration, excellent top end (140+), smooth handling along with superior braking.Jun 03, 2013
by Brad R
Apr 05, 2011
The Z28... This car Rocks! With the LT1 motor, and 350hp... this car is/was a rocket. Gas milage wasnt the best, but when your having fun with the car, who cares. Handling is just as good as any other sports car.Apr 05, 2011
by Matt M
Mar 30, 2010
I love my Camaro. There's nothing like flying down the highway in a legendary American muscle car with the T-Tops off and the radio blasting the classic rock. She's got 135,000 miles and running stong. I wouldn't want to drive anything other than a Camaro.Mar 30, 2010
by Don D
Feb 19, 2010
great car it is black on black leather interior it is a true z28 SS. it has some mods done to it nothing exstensive just free mods and what not car makes around 325 HP with 345 Tourqe estimated. It has t tops and bose in it also better eibach springs and bilstein shocks. i also ave the window sticker for this car as well!
Feb 19, 2010
by Anonymous
Nov 26, 2009
had the car for 2 years now. the stock motor was alright but could be better so edelbrock LT-4 kit (part # 2019) was a must along with eagle 383 kit (part # B13055L030). 4L60E trany was good but of course was made better with a 2500 stall, B&M shift kit mixed with the 4.10 rear end just made the car even more fun. a super charger would be sweet but well see Nov 26, 2009
by Kyle F
Nov 07, 2009
Fast, fun and gets lots of looks. It's all stock except for the tint I added (5% limo tint on driver/passenger windows and the hatch). Mileage...I didn't buy it for that...There are a few minor things cosmetically but it's to be expected for a 13 year old car...Acceleration is all that you would think for a v8, the handling is great but I need to upgrade the brakes for better stopping power...as the fun factor...it's spectacularly awesome.Nov 07, 2009
by Andrew A
Sep 17, 2009
Well i have wanted a American muscle car so rather then going with the ford mustang I wanted a camaro, It had good get up and go, did better on gas mileage then I thought. loved my T tops and the leather, great on a cool daySep 17, 2009
by Doug M
Sep 08, 2009
Great car... pretty fast v6 and very fun for a first car. I
love the style of the exterior. It's very classy. It gets
decent gas mileage and whips the asses of ricers...
one problem, not a v8. I love it though.Sep 08, 2009
by Jake R
Aug 31, 2009
Quick car. Not the best looking, but doesn't matter to me. Beats Mustangs, Fact. Gets alright gas mileage, usually 14-18 mpg around the city. Very fun car to drive, also has excellent handling. I would recommend this car to anyone.Aug 31, 2009
by Karen K
Aug 05, 2009
This car has nearly 400,000 miles on it as of summer 2009. I definitely can't complain about that, considering the minimum amount of motor work that's had to be done (head gaskets at 300K is it). It's an extremely fun car to drive, and gets reasonable mileage (20ish during DD, near 30mpg on highway trips). I love it. :)Aug 05, 2009
by Shawn A
Jul 29, 2009
This is a great car if you are looking for power. it can get a little sticky when you are working under the hood because everything is just packed in there with little room to work with but other than that its a terrific car.Jul 29, 2009
by Jocelyn M
Jun 24, 2009
it's very used, we spent 1000 on it origionally and have since fixed it up. it rattles and has some chips, but is reliable and fun to drive. the padding on the roof is gone so it's just the frame on top, but we're hoping to fix that soon. we had a new radio put in, too, and the speakers are fine, but not the greatest. we're hoping there won't be too many more repairs, because we've already replaced the clutch, brakes, and various tubes, and the engine runs well. all in all, i love it, and it's a great first car.Jun 24, 2009
by Kyle A
Apr 22, 2009
Car is a great ride. Performs fantastic. Appearance is sleek and attractive. No major repairs needed thus far. A good buy. There are no major repairs needed, only general maintenance. Great car to buy if looking for speed and fun.Apr 22, 2009
by Joe P
Mar 13, 2009
Great power, more torque than most cars... not the
best handling, but better than you might think.
American build quality which means plastic interior
but should be fairly mechanically sound. Very fun to
drive, loud, turns a lot of headsMar 13, 2009
by Robert L
Jan 29, 2009
I've had this car for almost 3 years, it has been highly modified. The 350 was punched out to a 355, all forged internals, eagle crank and rods, JE nitrous pistons, ported and polished LT4 heads, 3 angle valve job, 1.6 ratio comp roller rockers, pro-magnum push rods, arp studs, LS7 springs, lifters, and retainers. upgraded injectors, port matched LT4 intake manifold, ported throttle body, K&N intake, TNT Nitrous 300hp wet shot. FLP longtube headers, 3 inch Y-pipe, 3 inch borla cat-back, 2800 vigalante stall, fully build 4L60E trans, steel drive shaft, Moser 12 bolt rearend with upgraded axles, c-clip eliminator kit, and eaton truetrax posi with 3:73 gear set. baer big brake kit, eibach springs, bilstein shocks, bmr control arms, torque arm, panhard bar, 6 point roll cage, 5 point harnesses, stewart warner gauges. All and all 400hp on the motor 700+hp on the gas, hasn't been to the track yet, so no lap times yet. Its on hell of a street car seeing as it still has full leather interior, A/C, and stero system. still averages 24mpg highway. Jan 29, 2009
by Jason D
Nov 26, 2008
Great drifter. Lots of torque with exceptional hadling. Built Chev tough with minimal upkeep as long as the driver doesn't really raw-hide the car. Stlyish exterior with an average but functional dash which wraps around the driver for a real sports car feel. As expected the fuel milege is not so great but it makes up for it in grins.Nov 26, 2008
by Dan D
Sep 09, 2008
Faster than hell. Tops out at 150 MPH. Only has a few scratches. Needs a new fog light. Needs to have the shift nob to be worked on. It looks good on the outside but has a few scratches. Interior is fine. The gas mileage is great on it. It is great fun to drive especially with the tops off.Sep 09, 2008
by Joseph E
Aug 03, 2008
The 4th generation Camaro Z28 is deffinately a nice car. It performs well, handles well, and looks tough. It's hard to tune-up even for a ASE mechanic. Parts are expensive and if you have any major work done that you can't do yourself.. expect your mechanic to have it for a few weeks then cuss you out when you go pick it up. Once they hit around 100k you start hearing weird rattling noises from the rear hatch. They are fun to modify and you can squeez a lot of power out of the small block. The 4L60E automatic transmission was not made to handle a lot of torque so if you plan using one for a race car.. buy a better trans. General Motors is not exactly known for quality and I have replaced just about everything mechanical on this car and I baby the hell out of it. I recommend this car if you are looking for an all out performer and have the money to maintain it. If you don't get your ass a Honda.. they run forever.Aug 03, 2008
by Kevin S
Jul 31, 2008
The car overall is a great driver and performer. The car has 300 horsepower and a great suspension setup along with big wide tires and some good brakes to keep the car on the road. Howeve the car is very expensive to drive. Fro exaple only one tire costs around $200 and it gets around 16mpg if u drive normally. Jul 31, 2008
by Aaron K
Jun 26, 2008
It's only a v-6 but it still has power. Turning at high speeds works very well, the car doesn't do a lot of shifting. The appearance is o.k. The paint is good and everything but I like the look of the old '67 the best. I think it's a very fun car to drive. I've got Magnaflow so it at least sound decent. I wish I could get the GTP's supercharger on it cause it the same engine (3.8 L 3800 series II) but it wont fit. I usually get 29 mpg so for a sports car, thats pretty good considering the Mustangs only get 24 at the best (usually). Its all around been a good car.Jun 26, 2008
by Christian P
Jun 11, 2008
I can't dislike much about as its actual cost was 18,000 dollars. For a car with such a vast aftermarket and Powertrain, its unbeatable. it has its drawback like a weak Rear differential (never had an issue though), extremely cheap plastic (crap the car was cheap) so... Everything is in its due place... Jun 11, 2008
by Danny S
May 30, 2008
This car is so much fun. I still get the same feeling driving it that i did when i bought it which is pure bliss.May 30, 2008
by Jason B
Apr 15, 2008
This car is pure power. Even with just 6-cylinders, the pony car heritage is evident with a
stripped interior featuring the bare minimum of accessories. The seats lead back so that
the driver has can only guess the length of the hood, a testament to the holy driver mod.
Featuring hard-hitting rear-wheel drive and a rough suspension that allows the driver to
feel every bump in the road, the Camaro represents the best driver-automobile bond of
any car I've ever driven. Apr 15, 2008
by Ryan S
Jan 25, 2008
Has an LT1 said to be out of a Corvette, automatic transmission, some small spot on body need to be fixed, interior is better than average for this year of carJan 25, 2008
by MAli M
Jan 05, 2008
The strongest car I've ever owned. Saved my life...Jan 05, 2008
by Joe S
Dec 30, 2007
The one that i bought had custom interior straight from the factory. It has Chevy red velore seats trimed with black. Also everything is exactly like the Z-28 except of coarse the horsepower, but This series three 3800 HO is crazy fast. If you have a speeding problem this would be a better buy than the V-8 models. Better to loose seventy horses than to go to jail.Dec 30, 2007
by Anthony M
Dec 27, 2007
As first-ever cars go, I think I win the Awesome contest. Throwing caution, and common sense, to the wind, I skipped past all the used Civics and Corollas and dropped the biggest chunk of cash I've ever spent on a General Motors car from the 90's. And I wouldn't have it any other way. This car has introduced me to power, speed and real handling, and after a summer with it I'm hungry for more. It's also introduced me to GM's idea of interior fit-and-finish from the mid-90's, which I'll call far from spectacular, but the hard plastic doesn't feel so bad when you're in a four-wheel drift around one of those circular highway offramps. It won't win every stoplight race, but it's plainly a hoot to drive around town or on the highway, where stressful moments like passing three logging trucks in a row becomes child's play. It's no show car, either, so I don't consider it rolling bragging rights. It's all about the fun I have driving it, which is all that should really matter.Dec 27, 2007
by Robert C
Dec 20, 2007
LT1 350(305hp)....Superb Handeling and response....Great sports car for the money....Many possiblities of add ons...SS Package was great feature with alum drive shaft...also coming with ZR-1 Wheels...bigger exhaust manifold...functioning hood scoop...General Motors prize for this time.Dec 20, 2007
by Scott V
Nov 22, 2007
love it, handles great, looks good and has decent gas milageNov 22, 2007
by Anonymous
Sep 16, 2007
We've had it about three years and have replaced the engine. It runs GREAT! It's a sharp looking car and we're always getting "challenged" by other drivers with sports cars (not that we're interested).Sep 16, 2007
by Anonymous
Aug 13, 2007
great classic car with a great ride and plenty of power, everybody wants to race you, put the top down and cruise the stripAug 13, 2007
by Anonymous
Jul 04, 2007
fun to drive. constant money pit.Jul 04, 2007
by Anonymous
Jun 27, 2007
This was my friends car, a black V6 T-top. Lots of fun to drive, fast enough to get into serious trouble, just ask him about how much that cost him. 5 star crash rating, dual air bags. Good car for a teen age girl, but I have to crawl out of it as it's something you wear when your in it. She gets one ticket and it will be sold.Jun 27, 2007
The lights come on, but it will not crank nor make any kind of sound. Battery is brand new, and sometimes is able to start just fine but other times will not. Somehow leaving it to sit overnight will get it to start after it not being able to. No idea what's going on.
Fuel pump was bad so I replaced it. Tested new pump while out of tank and it worked. Put tank back in car, now nothing. No hum from pump motor, no fuel being pushed to the cars motor. Fuel sensor works in dash. HELP! Ready to put fuel all over car and light it up.
Last night i stopped to vacuum my 96 camaro rs when i moved the car i noticed a large puddle where it had been sitting. It didn't overheat but the radiator was near empty but the reserve was full. After adding water to the radiator i noticed it was leaking from somewhere below. I recently replaced the thermostat only to find it had been taken it before i bought the car.....any suggestions pin what it could be?