I’d love a convertible Mustang but I can’t afford $40,000, or more, for a new one. Also considering a Camaro or a Challenger. I’d prefer one from this decade and something under $30,000. I want four seats. What are my used options? – Jag, Toronto
If you don’t want to pony up for a brand new pony car, go used – but steer clear of the 2013 Camaro and the 2012-2013 Mustang, said Consumer Reports.
With terrible predicted used car reliability, they’re on the magazine’s list of cars to avoid.
If you’d like a convertible Challenger, it’ll be a challenge – Dodge doesn’t make one.
There are two-seater convertible options – such as Chevy’s Corvette or the Nissan Z. But the average price for a 2011 base Corvette is nearly $45,000. To find one at less than $30,000, you’ll probably have to look back to 2005 or 2006. And you want four seats.
Are there other sort of sporty four-seater convertible options in that price range? Not really. Maybe the Mini Cooper Convertible S or the Fiat 500C Abarth Cabrio. But, they’re not muscle cars. And, they both have reliability issues, depending on the year.
So, if you want muscle without a roof, you’ve got to choose between the Camaro and the Mustang. And the Mustang will probably be cheaper.
We’re looking at both for 2011, the first year of the Camaro convertible and the year the Mustang got better engines. It’s also the year after the Mustang got a facelift and GM brought back the Camaro after it had spent eight years out in the pasture.
2011 Ford Mustang base convertible
- Fifth generation: 2005-2014
- Average price: $18,976 (Canadian Black Book)
- Engine: 3.7-litre V-6 (305 hp)
- Transmission/drive: Six-speed manual, six-speed automatic/rear
- Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 13.4 city, 9.3 highway (automatic)
With a new V-6 for 2011, the Mustang pulled ahead of the competition, Edmunds said.
“The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro still takes top honors for dramatic styling, and the 2011 Dodge Challenger is surprisingly lovable in an old-school muscle car sort of way,” Edmunds.com says. “But if you’re looking for the best all-around pony car of 2011, you need not look any further than the holistically improved 2011 Ford Mustang.”
The same year, the GT got a new 412 hp, 5.0-litre V-8. For the GT convertible, the average asking price is $29,717. Still, the V-6 is no slouch, Edmunds said.
“The V-6 model is no longer the butt of rental-fleet jokes, as it’s now quite quick, particularly when fitted to the slick-shifting manual transmission,” Edmunds said.
Consumer Reports praised the Mustang’s acceleration, handling and braking but it wasn’t happy about the tight rear seat, small trunk opening, and awkward manual release for the top.
This year started the slide in reliability, Consumer Reports said. Predicted used car reliability was above average for 2010, average for 2011, below average for 2012 and terrible for 2013.
2011 Chevrolet Camaro 1LT convertible
- Fifth generation: 2010-2015
- Average price: $28,166 (Canadian Black Book)
- Engine: 3.6-litre V6 (312 hp)
- Transmission/drive: Six-speed manual, six-speed automatic / rear
- Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 12.7 city, 7.9 highway (automatic)
The 2011 Camaro is fast and turns heads – but it’s not great for real life errands, trips to Costco, or seeing what’s around you, reviewers said.
“It’s hard to see out of and has an uncomfortable backseat, a not-so-useful trunk and quirky ergonomics,” Edmunds said. “Compared to its Ford and Dodge rivals, the Camaro is simply a harder car to live with on a daily basis.”
Other gripes? The steering wheel was “not designed for human hands,” and the hard, cheap plastic in the retro interior.
Edmunds liked the Camaro’s acceleration with both the V-6 and the pricier SS’s 6.2-litre, 426 hp V-8, great value and nimble handling. The average price for an SS convertible in its lowest trim is $37,376.
GM upped the V-6’s hp from 304 for 2011, but the lighter V-6 Mustang still beats it in acceleration, Edmunds said.
Like the Mustang, the Camaro’s top has an awkward manual release, Consumer Reports said.
The magazine likes the “classic muscle car looks” but says the emphasis on styling undermines practicality.
For 2011, the Camaro gets excellent predicted used car reliability, beating the Mustang’s average rating, Consumer Reports said. The Camaro’s ratings slide to average for 2012.