From the Corvette to the Silverado, Chevy has a stable of iconic vehicles. We pick the best of Bow Tie’s trucks, cars, SUVs & EVs.
The Chevy Corvette and Camaro are both iconic autos that took the driving experience down new highways. The Blazer helped pioneer what SUVs would eventually become. The Silverado and the Equinox are now carrying the ball as Chevy’s best sellers.
The Bolt EV replaced the Volt and is now Chevy’s top-selling EV. Current models also include the stalwart Malibu, the Colorado pickup, and four other configurations of SUVs.
Before diving into Chevy’s legendary lineup, we’ll take a quick trip through Chevrolet’s history for a look at the early innovations that led to these iconic cars, trucks, SUVs, and EVs.
The Birth of Chevrolet Motor Corporation
Swiss-born engineer and race car driver Louis Chevrolet drove for Fiat and Buick in the early 1900s. While working for Buick, he met William C. Durant, the founder of General Motors, which was originally conceived as a holding company in 1908. Durant quickly expanded the firm by buying several other brands, including Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac. He left the company three years later.
Chevrolet designed his own overhead-valve, six-cylinder engine, and in 1911, he teamed with Durant and other investment partners to form the Chevrolet Motor Corporation.
However, design disagreements between Chevrolet and Durant eventually led to Louis Chevrolet selling out of his namesake firm in 1915. A year later, a stock buy-back program gave Durant the chance to get back into GM, and he took the Chevrolet brand with him.
Louis Chevrolet later formed the Frontenac Motor Corporation, which specialized in building racing kits for Model-Ts. Chevrolet continued his career as a driver and raced in four Indy 500s, once placing seventh. His company eventually went bankrupt, and in 1933, he went back to work for GM as a mechanic.
Best Truck: Chevy Silverado
In 2020, Chevrolet’s Silverado truck came in second only to Ford’s popular F-series trucks in Car and Driver‘s list of the year’s top 25 best-selling vehicles. Before it became its own standalone brand, the Silverado was a fancy trim package that could be ordered on Suburbans, Tahoes, and pickups. The Silverado is currently in its third-generation and has a little brother named Colorado.
Silverado’s biggest nemesis is, of course, the Ford F-150, and while Chevy has been staring at Ford’s tailgate for a number of years, it is making some progress in catching up, starting with the tailgate. Featured in commercials that include an ode to an ear-worm pop song from the late 1960s, the Bow Tie crowd is banking on the MultiFlex tailgate as a viable selling feature.
In recent head-to-head competitions with Ford, the Silverado has been coming out ahead in pricing, cargo space, interior technology, and towing capability.
The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 debuted with an all-new 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel engine delivering an EPA-estimated 33 mpg highway and 23 city in rear-wheel-drive models. EPA-estimated fuel economy for four-wheel-drive models is 29 mpg highway/23 city.
With an SAE-certified 277 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque, the Silverado 3.0L Duramax with four-wheel-drive is also capable of towing up to 9,300 pounds and a max payload of 1,870 pounds, meeting the towing needs of about 90 percent of light-duty customers.
This is the first diesel offered in Chevrolet’s light-duty trucks since 1997, and the brand’s first-ever inline-six for full-size, light-duty trucks.
Silverado: Safety & Mechanical Issues
Oil consumption problems were cited in certain 2010-2013 Chevrolet Silverados. Interior flaws showed up in 2000, 2004, and 2007. Transmission problems, leading to surges and jerks, showed up in 2017, especially in the 1500 model.
2015 was another bad year for transmissions and there were AC failures in 2014. There were additional recall issues of varying urgency with additional Silverados, including in 2011, 2003, and 2015, among others.
Best Sportscar: Chevy Corvette
The Chevy Corvette roadster has inspired everybody from George Jones to Prince. Launched in 1953, the Corvette was originally targeted at a market that was buying British sports cars like Jaguars, Triumphs, and MGs. Early model Corvettes were powered by an I6 that only produced 150 hp, and sales were as sluggish as the cars.
Styling clicked up a notch by the late 1950s, and in 1963, the hardtop version of the Vette got a split rear window and a 327 ci V8. Chevy also realized the racing crowd had a need for more speed, so they rolled out the Regular Production Option Z06, which outfitted a limited number of cars with beefed-up braking systems, springier suspensions, and larger engines.
The Corvette received another major makeover with the third generation in 1968. The next generational turning points were 1984, 1997, 2001, 2005, and 2014. The Z06 returned for 2001. The eighth generation began in 2020 with current base pricing starting at $60,000. The Vette remains an automotive icon.
The Corvette continues playing the role of proverbial pace car for a brand named after an Indy driver. Going mid-engine was a move long overdue and scored points with the automotive press.
In a throwback to the original Z06 high-performance packages that made the Vette race-ready in 1963, the Z51 package was rolled out in 2019.
The Z51 option includes magnetic ride control, dual-mode exhaust, and improved cooling for both engine and brakes. The 2021 version Vette allows buyers to add magnetic ride control as a separate option. The bottom line is recent generation Vettes go 0-60 in 2.8 seconds, which is a long way from those original I6s.
Lastly, keep in mind that the 2008 Corvettes were famous for fuel odors infiltrating the cabin.
Best SUV: Chevy Equinox
In 2005, Chevy got into the SUV business by re-badging a Suzuki Vitara XL7. The early response was muted, but since then the brand has achieved respectable sales numbers against Ford and its other competitors. Equinox sales have reached more than 2 million since its market debut in 2005, and it is Chevrolet’s second-best-selling vehicle, after the Silverado.
Suffice it to say that Chevy sells a lot of Equinox vehicles, and while it does not have the panache of the Corvette or the muscle of Silverado, it racks up steady sales numbers by doing a number of things well.
The brand got a major makeover in 2018 that added a more sleek exterior, more functional interior, and additional engine options, including turbochargers and diesel power. The new Equinox’s expressive exterior echoes Chevy design cues seen in the Volt, Malibu, and Cruze. The richer, more detailed design features chrome trim on all models.
Projector-beam headlamps are standard, along with LED daytime running lamps. At the rear, horizontal taillamps emphasize the Equinox’s wide stance, while uplevel models feature LED taillamps.
The interior takes advantage of the Chevrolet Equinox’s all-new architecture to offer a down-and-away instrument panel, while a low windshield base provides an optimal outward view. New elements like available denim-style seat fabric blend high-style with high-durability, while a new “kneeling” rear seat enhances functionality. by allowing the bottom cushions to tilt forward when the split-folding seatbacks are lowered, allowing a flat floor for easier loading.
The Equinox offers a comprehensive suite of available active safety technologies and adaptive crash-avoidance features that provide ease of use and peace of mind on the road. Teen Driver is also offered, allowing parents to set controls and review an in-vehicle report card in order to encourage safer driving habits, even when they are not in the vehicle.
Available advanced active safety features to enhance driver awareness on the road include radar- and camera-based adaptive technologies that can provide alerts to potential crash threats, allowing the driver to react and make changes to avoid them, including:
- New Safety Alert Seat
- New Surround Vision
- New Forward Collision Alert
- New Low-Speed Forward Automatic Braking
- New Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning
- Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert
- Rear Cross-traffic Alert
The 2018 Equinox is the first Chevrolet model in North America to use an all-turbocharged, multi-engine powertrain lineup. That includes the expected segment-exclusive 1.6L turbo-diesel that will offer customers excellent efficiency and capability.
Also added to the 2018 model year, a new Rear Seat Reminder feature that prompts drivers to double-check the rear seats under certain conditions, reducing the chances that something (or someone) gets left behind.
In 2019, updated electronics joined the options list, including adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, and wireless device charging. And in 2020, many of these updates became standard equipment.
The Chevrolet Equinox is now in its fourth generation and is among the most popular of Chevy’s SUVs, which also includes the Trailblazer, Trax, Traverse, Tahoe, and the Suburban.
Best Muscle Car: Chevy Camaro
The Chevy Camaro was originally code-named the “F-Car” and was supposed to be the answer to the Ford Mustang. The Camaro was rushed to showrooms in 1966 and came standard with a straight-six, but it could also be ordered with a big block 396 ci.
In 1967, the Z/28 version showed up and the next year saw the release of Rally Sport and SuperSport versions. The souped-up editions scored points on the race circuit as America fell in love with the Camaro.
The second generation of Camaro began in 1970 when the design got less boxy and more streamlined with a longer front end. The third generation launched in 1982. The fourth started in 1999 which was the beginning of the end for the brand as Chevy dropped it in 2002. The Chevrolet Camaro came back in 2010, and it got a major makeover in 2016.
Most car enthusiasts agree that the models from the late 1960s represent the top of the heap in terms of visual appeal and pure muscle, including the 1969 Camaro ZL1, which came with a 427 ci aluminum block. Only 69 were built.
Chevy has done an excellent job bringing the Camaro back to a place of prominence in the lineup and American car culture. It was named “Car of the Year” in 2016, which is not too shabby. But things didn’t stop there.
In 2018, they rolled out the ZL1 1LE. All those letters and numbers add up to a track-ready, street-legal, 650 hp rocket ship that goes around corners very quickly. Current model Camaros come in hardtop or convertible. Engine options go from a turbocharged I4 to a 3.6L V6 to a 6.2L V8.
The Camaro has had some recall issues in 2010, which was the first year it came back from hiatus. Timing chains were the main culprit and there were issues with airbags too. Engine failures were prevalent in 2012.
Best Midsize Sedan: Chevy Malibu
Although sedans have mostly gone out of style, the humble Malibu is one of Chevy’s best midsize sedans. Since 2015, Chevy has sold over 15 million Malibus as sedans, coupes, convertibles, and station wagons.
The Malibu, like the Silverado, started life as a trim package that could be ordered on a Chevelle. In 1964, it was reborn as a brand, and by the mid-1970s, they were terrorizing the NASCAR circuit.
Like the Camaro, Chevy gave the Malibu a timeout by stopping production from 1983 to 2003. The ninth generation began in 2018, and current prices for a base model four-door start in the low 20s.
The sales strength of trucks and SUVs may have turned drivers’ focus away from four-door sedans, but the Malibu is Chevy’s last-standing sedan with a long history of respect and reliability (and a few recalls).
While the Malibu may not be a great car, it’s still a good car, which is why it’s still on our list of recommendations if you’re looking for a new or pre-owned midsize sedan. Its base price remains affordable, but to get the better trim package and bigger (recommended) engine, expect the price to go up.
In 2019, the Malibu got a continuously variable automatic transmission and upgraded electronics. The 2021 models will integrate with your smartphone. If the best Chevy is a middle-of-the-road Chevy, Malibu is the way to go.
Which is the Best Chevrolet?
Full-sized trucks, mid-sized SUV, sports cars, and sedans all have their appeal. If going electric is an interest, look at the Bolt or the compact Spark. Looking into the past reveals the beloved badges of the Impala, Nova, and Bel Air. It all comes down to your lifestyle, budget, and driving desires.
Photos: Chevrolet; GM Heritage Center
