Drive-Thrus And The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro: Not A Good Match

A few weeks ago we posted some follow-up impressions on the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. While nearly everyone here at TheCarConnection.com loves the way it drives and performs, this time we took a slightly more critical look, in a week of errand-running and daily-grind commuting.

To make it as blunt as possible: when you let that adrenaline rush of the driving experience subside and focus on what's inside, the Camaro doesn't feel nearly so appealing.

"First off, visibility of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is about the worst we've seen in any production vehicle of late," we observed at that time, mentioning slim field of vision through the back window and the huge, convertible-like blind spot as part of the problem. We also pointed to the wide-opening doors, which could have used more stops (and didn't have lights or reflectors), and the seemingly uncoordinated palette of matte-metallic and gray trims.

And overall, we assessed, "the feeling is that you're driving a relatively large car with a relatively small cabin."

Now Consumer Reports has noticed that the narrow window opening in the new Camaro, along with its low seating position (and relative lack of headroom) leaves many hurdles for the drive-thrus all so common across the U.S.

CR's Jim Travers recommends that "if your motoring plans ever include a drive-through ATM or stop for a cheeseburger and bucket-sized beverage, you might want to wait to see if Chevy introduces a convertible model." Yep, cruising the Miracle Mile and going to drive-ins and drive-thrus might have been central to Camaro ownership way back when, and we know old Camaros sure didn't have cupholders, but the modern one gives up a good deal of functionality for its form.

And that goes without mentioning the low, delicate chin spoiler that we worried about all week, creeping sideways up driveway ramps.

Putting the interior to the test is a must for any car shopper, but it's especially important in a type of vehicle that makes compromises for the sake of design and performance. Take a good, long look around inside, try to use it like you normally would while you're still on the test drive, and make sure you know what you're getting into.

For more information on how the Camaro looks, performs, protects, and prices out, visit our overview page on the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. There you'll find galleries of images, in-detail specs, and a library of related news from the High Gear Media network, including the latest from CamaroBlog.com.