Many people want to own a sports car. Folks of all ages often find the sleek designs and fancy colors of sports cars to be appealing. Sports cars not only look nice, but they have great, modern features both on the interior and exterior. 

The problem is these sports cars are usually way too expensive for the average person. Ferraris and Lamborghinis are out of the picture, as are Maseratis. There are two cars that are more realistic as far as their price goes: the Mustang vs. Camaro.

These two sports car icons are not only visually appealing, but they are also affordable enough for middle-class people to think about shopping for one. We'll talk about the best features of each car, from the model prices to the insurance costs. 

We'll also discuss the maintenance of the cars and why these two vehicles have endured on the market for decades. 

Which car Is safer?

One of the most important things for any sports car is whether it has sufficient safety features. The Mustang and Camaro are both known for their tight handling and fast speeds, so they need great crash test ratings so customers are safe behind the wheel.

The three most important crash test evaluations have to do with rollover, frontal, and side collision impact. The Camaro got a perfect score in all three categories in recent tests, while the Mustang got 4 out of 5 stars for the frontal and side collision tests. This means if you are looking for a safer vehicle, the Camaro is the way to go.

Four stars are nothing to sneeze at. You don't need to worry about the Mustang being an unsafe vehicle. It's just that in a close comparison, the Camaro comes out ever so slightly ahead. 

The 2012 Camaro is a good example of the innovative stance Chevrolet takes to protect its drivers in case of a collision. While a lot of cars made in the last decade have sensors that detect when an accident might occur, the Camaro takes extra steps in technology implementation. 

Technology

StabiliTrak is Chevy's signature safety feature on the Camaro. It uses smart technology to control the car in case it is getting too close to another car, barrier, or obstacle. It will try to reroute the direction the vehicle is going, slow down the vehicle, and show the driver potential threats in front of the vehicle. 

It also has premium blind-side warning detection with high-quality cameras and photography. These are all things you may get individually in other vehicles, but the majority of sports cars don't have all these features. In fact, the Mustang is lacking several of them. 

These safety features were all implemented in the 2012 model, which means other companies have been catching up in the decade since then. This also means these cars are more expensive now than they were back then. 

All sports cars have gotten more powerful, like the Camaro's 2017 iteration. Therefore, they need even more safety features. If you want to settle on something a little more mellow, you are going to have a hard time finding a 10-year-old sports car with as many safety features as the 2012 Camaro. 

Which car is cheaper to insure? 

You can probably already assume the answer to this question based on the discussion on safety features, but it deserves a little more explanation. Insurance companies care about a lot of risk factors when giving out a policy. 

One of those factors is the safety features of a car. Due to the Camaro's flawless safety ratings and the company's commitment to safety innovations, the car is about $300 cheaper than the Mustang to insure on average. 

The insurance is still going to be higher on both of these cars than non-sports cars. This is because sports cars are associated with higher rates of accidents due to their use as vehicles for speeding and having fun. 

Decreasing Insurance Rates

You can try to decrease your rates for either car by proving you are a safe driver. Keep a clean driving record. Get signed up for programs that give you discounts. This is the best way to make an expensive situation a little more affordable.

You could also make sure you don't try to buy or rent either car until you are at least 30 years old. Most insurance companies are going to view an under-30 driver of a sports car as very high risk.

Young men get into more accidents in cars like the Mustang and the Camaro. This is why car insurance for 21-year-olds can be so much more expensive than insurance for 30-year-olds.

What does the newest model cost?

Newer models of both of these cars try to implement as much power as they can into the vehicle. That's what sports cars are known for, right? The 2018 model of the Mustang added one of the biggest engines on the market yet. In turn, the cars keep getting more expensive.  

If you are trying to figure out whether the Mustang or the Camaro is cheaper for your budget, the answer is that they are both similar in pricing. The base models for 2021 both come in at just under $40,000. This is pretty good compared to other sports cars, but more expensive than something family-oriented, like a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord. 

It would be better for you to take into account all the things we already discussed instead of the base price of the car. If you like the safety features of the Camaro better, pick that car. If you like the horsepower on the newer Mustangs since 2018, you should buy that model. It's really all about personal preference when it comes to these cars. 

Adding more spoilers, safety features, or interior design is going to make both cars more expensive than they have to be. It's really up to you how affordable your Mustang or Camaro will be after that original price of just under $40,000. They are both immaculate sports vehicles, though. You can't go wrong with either one. 

Shawn Laib writes and researches for the auto insurance comparison site, AutoInsurance.org. He wants to help people evaluate the features of cars so that they can make the most educated purchase possible.