Compare the2024 Subaru WRXVS 2024 Chevrolet Camaro

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru WRX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chevrolet Camaro doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Subaru WRX are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Camaro doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the WRX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Camaro doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The WRX has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Camaro doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The WRX has standard Pre-Collision Braking, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Camaro offers an available collision warning system without the automated brake feature that would prevent or reduce the collision if the driver fails to react.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The WRX Limited SPT/GT has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Camaro doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The WRX has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Camaro doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The WRX’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Camaro doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The WRX’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Camaro doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the WRX and the Camaro have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

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

	WRX	Camaro
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	250	258
Neck Injury Risk	24.5%	32%
Neck Compression	65 lbs.	87 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	284/524 lbs.	479/694 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	156	317
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.8 inches

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 Subaru WRX is safer than the Chevrolet Camaro:

	WRX	Camaro
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	152	233
Chest Movement	1 inches	1 inches
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	208	237

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) performs roof strength tests. In that test the WRX earned the top rating of “Good” because its roof supported over four times the WRX’s weight before being crushed five inches. The Camaro was rated lower at “Acceptable.”

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the WRX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Camaro is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

The WRX’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Camaro’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the WRX has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Camaro.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the WRX’s reliability 48 points higher than the Camaro.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 14 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the WRX lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Camaro doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the WRX gets better mileage than the Camaro:

			MPG
WRX
	Manual	2.4 turbo flat-4	19 city/26 hwy
	Auto	2.4 turbo flat-4	18 city/25 hwy
Camaro
	Manual	3.6 DOHC V6	16 city/26 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	16 city/24 hwy
		6.2 supercharged V8	14 city/20 hwy
	Auto	6.2 OHV V8	16 city/26 hwy
		6.2 supercharged V8	13 city/21 hwy

The WRX has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Camaro. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

The WRX offers an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Camaro doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The WRX stops much shorter than the Camaro:

	WRX	Camaro
70 to 0 MPH	153 feet	170 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	112 feet	118 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The WRX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Camaro’s standard 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The WRX Limited handles at .95 G’s, while the Camaro RS Coupe pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the WRX’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Camaro’s (36.74 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The WRX’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Camaro ZL1’s (36.74 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

Chassis

The WRX is 4.5 inches shorter than the Camaro, making the WRX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces. The WRX is 6.4 inches shorter than the Camaro ZL1.

For excellent aerodynamics, the WRX has standard flush composite headlights. The Camaro has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the WRX a Mid-size car, while the Camaro Coupe is rated a Compact.

The WRX has standard seating for 5 passengers; the Camaro can only carry 4.

The WRX has 5.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Camaro Coupe (98.9 vs. 93).

The WRX has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 3.2 inches more rear headroom, 6.6 inches more rear legroom, 3.6 inches more rear hip room and 5.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Camaro Coupe.

Cargo Capacity

The WRX has a much larger trunk than the Camaro Coupe (12.5 vs. 9.1 cubic feet).

The WRX’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Camaro Coupe’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

Ergonomics

The WRX’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them. Chevrolet does not offer a locking feature on the Camaro’s standard power windows.

The WRX Premium/Limited/GT/TR’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Camaro’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the WRX Premium/Limited/GT/TR’s exterior PIN entry system. The Camaro doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The WRX has two rear doors to provide better access for cargo and rear passengers. The Camaro doesn’t offer rear doors.

The WRX’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Camaro’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen. The WRX’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Camaro’s optional xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

Consumer Reports rated the WRX’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Camaro’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the WRX detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Camaro doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the WRX Premium/Limited/GT/TR has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Camaro doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The WRX Premium/Limited/GT/TR has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Camaro doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the WRX has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Camaro doesn’t offer rear vents.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the WRX has a standard Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Camaro doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru WRX, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Camaro isn't recommended.

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