Skip to main content

The 2023 Nissan Z’s advantages over the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro article highlights:

  • Compared to the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro, the 2023 Nissan Z has a more spacious interior, better visibility, and easier cargo access
  • The Z has more standard advanced driver-assistance features and offers some interior features that aren’t available on the Camaro
  • Overall, the 2023 Nissan Z is more fuel-efficient than the V8-powered Chevrolet Camaro models

Although Nissan’s and Chevrolet’s sports cars have gone head-to-head for years, this year opens a new chapter in their rivalry. Not merely a 370Z refresh, the 2023 Nissan Z is a major overhaul with heritage-heavy style. And it’s arriving just as the Chevrolet Camaro seemingly enters its sunset years. But there’s still time for a duel before that happens, and in a few areas, the Z is walking away victorious.

It’s easier to sit and see out of the 2023 Nissan Z than the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro

While the current-gen Chevrolet Camaro’s interior doesn’t have the highest-quality materials, they’re not the biggest things that hold it back against the 2023 Nissan Z. No, those would be its smaller interior space and poor visibility.

Credit to the Camaro, unlike the 2023 Nissan Z, it has rear seats, albeit small ones. But despite its size, the 2022 Camaro feels cramped inside, Car and Driver says. In addition, accessing things like USB outlets and map pockets involves awkward reaches or minor contortion acts. And outward visibility, especially out the sides and back, is simply not great.

Admittedly, the 2023 Z’s C-pillar design does create a sizable blind spot. But overall, compared to the 2022 Camaro, the Z’s side and rear visibility are fantastic. Furthermore, its interior feels more spacious. And while the extra storage pockets and shelves are behind the seats, they’re both easy to access.

The 2023 Nissan Z’s trunk is easier to load and it has more interior storage areas than the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro

The 2022 Chevrolet Camaro has one advantage over the 2023 Nissan Z when it comes to storage: a separate trunk. Meanwhile, the Z’s rear cargo space is basically part of the interior. However, that, as well as the 2023 Z’s overall design, lets it one-up the Camaro in several ways.

Firstly, the Z has a hatchback tailgate, which is larger and opens further than the Camaro’s conventional trunk lid. Secondly, because the Nissan Z is lower than the Chevrolet Camaro, it’s less of a hassle to load heavy and/or awkwardly-shaped objects. Furthermore, unless you drop the Camaro’s rear seats, you can’t get into the trunk. With the 2023 Z, though, you just reach back and grab whatever you need.

On that subject, the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro does have more rear cargo space than the Nissan Z, especially once you fold the seats down. But the 2023 Z has more interior storage spaces than the Camaro. Sure, both sports cars have seat pockets. The Z, though, has behind-the-seat storage shelves and compartments as well as pockets.

The 2023 Nissan Z offers a few tech and luxury upgrades over the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro

When it comes to technology, especially interior tech, the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro is fairly well-equipped, particularly the SS models. And in some areas, the 2022 Camaro SS and the 2023 Z, which have similar performance figures and prices, are evenly matched. Both sports cars, for example, have 8.0” touchscreens with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as well as available WiFi. And props to Chevy, it makes WiFi standard in the SS models.

However, the Nissan Z has a few gadgets that the 2022 Camaro SS doesn’t offer. For example, even the base Z Sport has a 12.3” TFT digital gauge cluster, with a night mode no less. In addition, while both the Z and Camaro have two cupholders, the former has two door-mounted bottle holders. And if you step up to the Z Performance you get a 9.0” touchscreen.

To the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS’ credit, it does have a nine-speaker Bose audio system, while the Z Performance only has eight speakers. However, the Camaro SS Convertible only gets seven speakers. Also, while the Z offers both dual USB and 12-volt outlets, the Camaro only offers the former. Plus, one of the Z’s USB outlets is a USB-C, while the Camaro only has USB-A ports.

It has more standard driver-assistance features, too

Compared to its muscle car rivals, the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro is a safety paragon. It has better IIHS scores than both the Mustang and Challenger as well as a five-star overall NHTSA rating. As neither agency has rated the 2023 Nissan Z as of this writing, it’s impossible to compare it to the Camaro on those metrics. However, there is one safety area where the Z does beat the Camaro: advanced driver-assistance features.

Although the Nissan Z is a retro-inspired sports car, its standard ADAS features list is solid. Even the base Sport has adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Also, front and rear parking sensors.

In contrast, the 2022 Camaro 1SS, which starts at $1000 less than the Z Sport, doesn’t get any of those standard features. In addition, the 2SS, which costs $4000 more than the Sport, only has rear parking sensors, not front ones. And neither offers adaptive cruise control or automatic emergency braking.

The 2023 Nissan Z gets better gas mileage than the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro SS and LT1

Unlike the Z, the 2022 Chevrolet Camaro has more than one engine option. But while the V6 and turbocharged four-cylinder models are more fuel-efficient than the V8-powered SS and LT1, they’re also cheaper and slower. So, to keep things equal, let’s focus on the V8 Camaros.

According to the EPA, the manual 2023 Z and 2022 Camaro SS/LT1 both get 24 mpg on the highway. However, the stick-shift Z gets 18 mpg city while the Camaro ‘only’ gets 16 mpg. This gas mileage disparity increases if you shift (sorry) to the automatic models. While the V8-powered Camaro gets 16 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, the Z gets 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway.

So, if you’re worried about fuel prices, the 2023 Nissan Z should give you less pain at the pump than the Chevrolet Camaro.

Follow more updates from MotorBiscuit on our Facebook page.

Related

2023 Chevrolet Camaro Keeps Bringing the Shock and Steel