Making Sense of How the Ford Mustang Outsold Chevy's Camaro Two-to-One Last Year

For almost 60 years, these cars have brought joy to people all around the world with each generation, becoming so much more than just loud and grossly overpowered means of transportation.

The Mustang started it all back in 1965, giving birth to a new type of sports coupes that would eventually become known as pony cars.

Its tremendous success prompted General Motors to release the Camaro a year later, creating a legendary rivalry that lives on to the present day.

The sixth generation of each model has come a long way from its ancestors, but they keep the pony car spirit alive by giving customers affordable, American-made, rear-wheel-drive coupes with a wide range of options.

For starters, both models feature entry-level variants powered by potent, turbocharged straight-fours. The Camaro’s 1LS trim, which starts at around $26,000, comes with a 275-hp LTG Ecotec 2.0 liter, while the Mustang offers a 313-hp 2.3-liter EcoBoost for a starting price of $28,350.

Further up the trim ladder, where we find the best combination between performance and value, Ford offers the 460-hp 5.0-liter Coyote V8 in the GT Fastback which starts at $37,315.

Its crosstown rival answers with the 1SS that hides a 455 hp 6.2-liter LT1 V8 under its hood and can be purchased for a base price of $38,500.

This brings us to the main event of this powerplant comparison. In the blue corner, hammering out 760-hp from a supercharged Predator V8, sits the heavyweight champion of the Mustang lineup, the $74,100 Shelby GT500.

Across the ring, in the red corner, powered by a 6.2-liter, 650-hp supercharged LT4 V8, the $65,700 contender and undisputed champion of the Camaro lineup, the ZL1.

However, regardless of the power it develops, its price, or even nameplate, nobody buys an ugly car. The return to bulkier, retro-inspired designs of this generation is a blessing, considering the dubious experiments of the nineties, but which of the two current-gen pony cars is more appealing is a question of personal taste.

That said, my humble opinion is that the Mustang has the edge. It’s a thing of beauty from every angle, as opposed to the Chevy, which was given two facelifts in recent years and still looks a little goofy, especially when equipped with the standard bumpers.

Inside the Camaro’s cabin, ergonomics is practically nonexistent, with useful things like mirror adjusters or navigation being somehow difficult to reach.

Furthermore, it’s ruined by the overwhelming use of cheap materials and the grotesque steering wheel that looks like it was taken off the shelves of a ‘90s kitsch shop.

On the other hand, Ford designers did a fantastic job with the Mustang’s steering wheel, and the rest of the cabin is not bad either. It’s nothing like a Mercedes, but it’s a major improvement over the ergonomic nightmare of the Camaro.

In terms of daily drivability, customers have reported that the Camaro is an absolute joy to drive. It offers very precise steering, well-rounded suspension, and won’t mess around when it needs to go fast, even with the four-cylinder.

Similarly, the Mustang handles nicely, delivers plenty of power, regardless of the engine, and those who drove it for extended periods are in awe with its manual gearbox.

Some owners have complained about its behavior on uneven surfaces, but since it’s a sports car and not an SUV, it’s hard to hold that against it.

We live in a superficial world, no matter how much we try to deny it, and the design is what ultimately sells a car.

Even though it’s extremely fun to drive, it offers some excellent powertrains and most of its trims are cheaper, the failed facelifts and disappointing interior ultimately cost the Camaro, which is in desperate need of a complete overhaul.

In recent years, the industry has changed dramatically, shifting its focus towards electrification, and these two barbaric gas-guzzlers should be dead by now.

Yet, looking at the sales figures and given the fact that we’re still talking about them, these amazing machines are here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future.