2021 Chevrolet Camaro vs 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona

The 2021 Chevrolet Camaro offered buyers a choice between coupe and convertible body styles, both maintaining a similar aesthetic with the convertible's soft roof replacing the coupe's fixed roof. The convertible, with its top down, exuded a classic American coastal touring vibe, while the coupe presented a fierce appearance. The Camaro was available in eight trim levels, with the ZL1 being the most performance-focused and the SS offering a balanced daily-driver performance. The 2SS Coupe, tested for this review, featured standard 18-inch silver-painted aluminum wheels, with options for larger wheels and summer tires. The Camaro's design included a limited-slip differential, dual-outlet stainless steel exhaust, and LED daytime running lights, with additional options like LED headlights and a sunroof for the coupe. Inside, the Camaro's cabin, refreshed in 2019, was stylish but raised functionality concerns, with parts-bin elements typical of General Motors. Wild Cherry design packs offered unique wheel and graphics designs, carbon fiber accents, and suede knee pads, varying by trim level.

The 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona embraced a retro design inspired by the old Dodge Challenger, with a four-door model that retained the 1968 styling despite the extra doors. The Charger Daytona lineup included a two-door coupe, both offered in Scat Pack trim, with the less powerful Daytona R/T discontinued. Option packages included Plus Group, Blacktop Package, Track Package, and Carbon & Suede Package, with pricing starting at $61,990 for the coupe. The test car, a Charger Daytona Scat Pack, featured upgrades like Bludicrous paint, summer performance tires, and a Sun and Sound Package, bringing the MSRP to $80,455. Despite its price, the Charger Daytona Scat Pack offered impressive acceleration, reaching 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, faster than the old Hellcat. The interior, though cheaply outfitted, was enhanced by option packages, and the Charger boasted digital instrumentation and a widescreen Uconnect 5 infotainment system, offering a technological edge over its predecessor.

The 2021 Chevrolet Camaro came standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 275 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed manual transmission. Buyers could upgrade to a 3.6-liter V6 with 335 hp and 284 lb-ft of torque, or choose from two V8 engines: a 6.2-liter V8 with 455 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque, and a supercharged version delivering 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. The Camaro's manual transmission was less fuel-efficient than its automatic options, with the turbo-four manual achieving 19 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined, while the automatic version got 22 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined. The V6 manual achieved 16/26/20 mpg city/highway/combined, with the automatic getting 18/29/22 mpg. The V8 engines were similarly efficient, with the 6.2-liter manual at 16/24/19 mpg and the automatic at 16/26/20 mpg. The supercharged V8 achieved 16 mpg combined regardless of transmission. The Camaro 2SS tested featured a direct-injection, non-supercharged V8 with Brembo brakes and a six-speed manual transmission, which was criticized for its long, narrow channels and numb clutch and gas pedal. The Camaro offered a drive mode selector with customizable attributes and up to four selectable drive modes: Tour, Sport, Snow/Ice, and Track.

The 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona featured two 250-kilowatt electric motors, one in the front and one in the rear, creating an all-wheel-drive system with 630 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. The Power Shot button on the steering wheel allowed access to 670 hp. A 100.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack, with a usable capacity of 93.9 kWh, was compatible with 350-kW DC fast-charging stations, charging from 20% to 80% in 24 minutes. At home, an 11-kW AC charging station required 5.4 hours for the same charge. The Charger Daytona offered multiple driving modes, including Eco, Auto, Sport, Track, Drag, and Wet/Snow, with a Valet mode and Drift, Donut, and Launch Control modes. The Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system altered its tone based on the driving mode. The Track Package added an adaptive-damping performance suspension and Brembo ultra-high-performance brakes. The Charger Daytona's explosive acceleration was surprising, even without using Sport, Track, or Drag mode, and the AWD system provided a stable driving experience. The electric drivetrain improved handling, with the car's weight located low in the chassis, giving it a slot-car feel. The Charger Daytona's steering was nicely weighted but lacked feedback, and its size required extra care on tight roads. The test car achieved an EPA efficiency rating of 47 kWh per 100 miles, with an observed result of 2.6 mi/kWh, translating to a maximum range of 244 miles.

The 2021 Chevrolet Camaro featured cloth upholstery and front bucket seats as standard, with an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat and a four-way manual front passenger seat with power recline. The front seats were comfortable but not particularly sporty, with Recaro sport seats available. Leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, a six-way power-adjustable passenger seat, and heated and ventilated front seats were optional. The Camaro's narrow windscreen limited visibility, worsened by the oversized hood over the instrument cluster. The rear seats were not suitable for adults, and the trunk space, though ample for a muscle car, had a high load height and narrow opening. The Camaro's steering wheel was leather-wrapped and flat-bottomed, with manual tilting and telescoping capability. Single-zone climate control was standard, with dual-zone available in higher trims. The Camaro's cupholders were well-positioned for automatic transmissions but obstructive for manual versions.

The 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona's four-door model featured a hatchback design with a rear liftgate and folding back seats, offering modern functionality. The liftgate opened tall, with a generous cargo area opening, accommodating 22.7 cubic feet of luggage or 37.4 cubic feet with the back seats folded. A small front trunk, or frunk, was also available. The Charger Daytona's front doors were shorter than the two-door model's, making entry and exit easier. The interior was roomy, with ample stash space for personal items. The seats, though robustly bolstered, were relatively flat, providing comfort but not snugness during spirited driving. The heated, ventilated, 16-way power-adjustable front seats were comfortable for long drives, while rear-seat passengers enjoyed generous legroom and excellent thigh support. The panoramic glass sunroof added to the sense of spaciousness, and heated outboard rear seat cushions were a welcome feature in colder weather.

The 2021 Chevrolet Camaro came equipped with a 7-inch infotainment system touchscreen, Bluetooth, voice command, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, a six-speaker audio system, 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, and keyless entry and start. Optional features included a head-up display, navigation, Bose premium audio system, satellite radio, an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless charging, and a rear-camera mirror. The driver-information center displayed information in typical GM fashion, with functional but awkwardly styled screens. USB ports were hidden in the center console, and the wireless charging pad protruded into the rear seat space.

The 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona featured a 16-inch digital instrumentation screen, a 12.3-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen infotainment system, and a head-up display. The Uconnect system included wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, Amazon Alexa integration, SiriusXM satellite radio, and Dodge Connect services. A wireless charging pad was located under the dashboard. The Charger Daytona's infotainment system offered customizable screen layouts and quick-access buttons for seat heating and ventilation. The Uconnect 5 system experienced occasional screen-loading delays, but the voice recognition system performed well. The Charger Daytona's premium audio option was an 18-speaker Alpine system, which lacked fidelity across music genres.

The 2021 Chevrolet Camaro received mixed safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with a combination of "Good," "Acceptable," and "Basic" ratings from IIHS and five-star and four-star ratings from NHTSA. Available safety technology included rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, lane-change alert, and rear parking sensors, though some features were unavailable on convertible models.

The 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona came with a comprehensive list of standard driver-assistance systems, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and parking sensors. The Plus Group option package added surround-view cameras and a blind-spot camera. The Charger Daytona's Active Driving Assist system used adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist, though it lacked a hands-free driving system. The driver aids were intuitive, with effective controls and alerts, though the system occasionally disengaged on sharp curves and in mixed traffic. Crash-test ratings from NHTSA and IIHS were unavailable at the time of writing.