For over 100 years, Chevrolet has consistently delivered some of the best-selling cars, trucks, and SUVs on the market.
Chevrolet has created quite a few iconic vehicles. Whether you’re talking about the sporty Corvette, subcompact Spark, all-electric Bolt, full-size Suburban, or the award-winning Silverado pickup, Chevy offers a vehicle for just about any type of driver.
But with more than 20 available models and counting, how do you know which is the best Chevy for your driveway? For starters, only 17 of their models are designed for personal use; the rest are either built for motorsports (think literal racecar) or are intended for commercial purposes.
To simplify the process and help you choose a winner, we’ve taken a few of the automaker’s best-sellers and have broken them down into categories, including best SUV, truck, sportscar, and muscle car.
Chevrolet: A Brief History
William C. Durant started General Motors in 1908, which was originally formed as a holding company for the Buick Car Company. However, Durant’s ambitions led to him acquiring Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Pontiac, and what would later become GMC. Durant then lost control of these brands due to the debt he incurred from acquiring them.
However, shortly after he established the Chevrolet Motor Corporation, and after a stock buy-back program in 1916, he returned to GM with Chevrolet at his side.
During World War I, GM built war material and then set up shop in Detroit in the 1920s, which is when they began directly competing with Ford. After another effort supporting World War II, Chevy started its run into the automotive history books by launching the Corvette in 1953. They followed up with the Bel Air in 1955, the Impala in 1959, the Corvair in 1965, the Camaro in 1967, and the Chevelle in 1970.
Fast-forward to the present, and Chevy’s tradition of innovation shows no signs of slowing down, with a plethora of models to choose from, all loaded with the latest tech.
Best Chevrolet SUV: Equinox
Recent car sales number-crunching from Car and Driver reveals that if you were to pick a Chevy SUV from their stable, the Equinox might be the way to go as over 270,000 of them were sold in 2020.
Chevy’s popular medium-sized SUV began life in 2005 as are-badged Suzuki XL7. It’s now in its fourth generation and can be ordered with either a gasoline or diesel-powered engine.
Why did the Equinox win our top SUV spot? With 217 reviews and counting, the 2020 model currently holds a 4.47-star owner satisfaction rating. Add a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and up to 39 mpg on the highway, and our “best” title should make a lot of sense.
For a smaller alternative, consider the Chevrolet Trax, you’ll spend a bit less without sacrificing too much interior storage thanks to its hatchback design.
Best Chevrolet Truck: Silverado
If a Chevy truck is on your shortlist, go big. The number two sales leader in 2020 per Car and Driver was the Chevrolet Silverado, clocking in with over 580,000 units sold. The term Silverado was originally used as a trim package name for 1975-1999 Suburban’s, pickups, and Tahoe’s.
However, in 1999, the Silverado became its own brand along with its twin brother, the GMC Sierra. The Chevrolet Silverado is now in its fourth generation, competing with the likes of the Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan, and Ram 1500.
The Silverado 1500 beat the Ram 1500 for our best truck spot with an owner satisfaction star rating of 4.35 compared to 4.29, so, while it’s close, the Silverado is the winning choice.
While you could go with the smaller Chevy Colorado to save a little on fuel, the Silverado can reach up to 33 mpg on the highway when properly configured. If you need more capabilities out of a pickup, the Silverado 3500’s 23,100 max tow-capacity should fit the bill nicely.
Best Chevrolet Sportscar: Corvette
You can’t talk about buying a Chevy without thinking of a Corvette. The Vette began its life as “Project Opel” in the early-1950s and was designed to compete with British sports cars.
The original 1953 version of the two-seat roadster featured a 3.9L I6 and the requisite fiberglass body. Chevrolet only sold 183 Corvette’s their first year, and they all came in white with a red interior.
With the introduction of the 2020 C8 model, the Corvette has finally broken free from its front-heavy design in favor of a mid-engine layout. This willingness to push-the-envelope (combined with its incredible history) is one reason why the Chevy Corvette wins our top sports car spot.
Owners couldn’t agree more, as the 2020 model currently holds a 4.93-star satisfaction rating, which is a noticeable increase from the 4.54 rating of the 2019 C7 Corvette.
Best Chevrolet Muscle Car: Camaro
In addition to the Corvette, the Camaro is another other iconic Chevy that’s worth a look. It was born to compete with the Ford Mustang, and the first ones arrived in dealers’ showrooms in 1966. The prototype was called the F-car and was also badged as the Pontiac Firebird.
In its first year, Chevy sold 220,000 Camaros, about half the number of Mustangs sold.
The standard plant was 3.8L I6, but it could also be ordered with a big block 396 ci. The Z/28 version made headlines on the race circuit in 1967, and in 1968 the RS and SS versions appeared. The second-generation launched in 1970, followed by the third in 1982 and the fourth in 1999.
Chevy killed the Camaro in 2002 after years of dropping sales, underpowered versions, and design miscues.
In 2010, it came back in its fifth generation with a new chassis and bigger engine options. In 2016, the sixth generation showed up. Today’s newer-model Camaros are available with four different engine options and start in the mid $20,000 range.
We place the Camaro as our top Chevy Muscle car in part due to its broad range of powertrain options. Need a daily driver? The base 2.0L turbo four-cylinder not only delivers an eye-widening 275 hp, but it also manages up to 31 mpg on the highway.
Looking for something with more oomph? The 2020 Camaro ZL1 bumps power output to 650 hp, but drops highway fuel economy down to 21. Regardless, there’s sure to be something that fits your sweet spot.
Best Chevy Overall: Corvette
It should come as no surprise that the Chevrolet Corvette wins our top spot for the best Chevy overall. Sure, you can’t fit more than a single passenger, and you hopefully won’t be towing with it, but if your ultimate goal is to enjoy every second of your daily drive, the 2020 C8 Corvette won’t disappoint.
Photos: Chevrolet
