The best and worst cars in Chevrolet history

Chevrolet has been around for over a century. Many Chevy cars have become automotive icons, while others have gone down in history as impressive flops.

From powerful sports cars to weird panel vans, these are the best and worst cars Chevrolet has built over the years. Some of them are really terrible!

Best: 1969 Camaro Z'28

Very few American cars are as iconic as the Chevrolet Camaro. Originally designed to compete with the Ford Mustang, the Chevy Camaro has rightfully earned its place as one of the world's most iconic muscle cars of all time.

1969 was the last year of production for the original first generation Camaro. The optional Z28 package turned the base Camaro into a monster, powered by the small-block V8 engine previously reserved for Trans-Am racing cars.

Worst: 2007 Avalanche

The Avalanche is considered one of the worst pickup trucks of the 21st century. Particularly terrible are the early production cars built in the early 2000s. Its terrible exterior design certainly didn't help sales.

Despite its terrible reputation, the Avalanche was on the market for over a decade before being discontinued in 2013. In general, this is a difficult path.

Best: 2017 Camaro ZL1

Chevrolet is currently selling the latest, sixth generation Camaro. Originally designed to compete with the original Ford Mustang, the Chevrolet Camaro quickly became one of the most iconic muscle cars of all time.

The advanced trim of the ZL1 is performance-focused. It features a supercharged V8 engine that can hit 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and an ugly body kit.

Worst: 2011 Cruze

The Cruze isn't the most exciting Chevrolet car of all time. Most generations of this compact have been, for the most part, decent choices in their price range. However, facilities built between 2011 and 2013 are an exception to the rule.

The 2011-2013 Chevrolet Cruze is notorious for its reliability. In fact, it was the least reliable compact sedan sold during those years.

Best: 2019 Corvette ZR1

This is the most hardcore 700th generation Corvette money can buy. Over XNUMX horsepower sent to the rear wheels is a car enthusiast's dream, especially when paired with a manual shift transmission.

The ZR1 has a lot in common with the Z06, although its brand new 6.2L V8 engine makes an incredible 755 horsepower! Other changes include an aggressive body kit and an improved cooling system consisting of 13 radiators and various air vents throughout the body.

Worst: 2018 Volt

The Chevrolet Volt looked like a promising sedan, at least on the surface. The plug-in hybrid uses the same platform as the Chevy Malibu hybrid and the vehicle first hit the market for the 2011 model year.

Reliability, or lack thereof, has been a major concern for the Volt since its debut. By 2018, the Chevy Volt's reliability rating had fallen below virtually all of its competitors. Ultimately, General Motors discontinued the model by 2019.

Best: 2018 Malibu

It's easy to overlook how great the Chevy Malibu really is. Like the Cruze, the Malibu isn't the most exciting Chevy product of all time. However, it is a choice that is objectively better than most of its competitors.

The 2018 Chevrolet Malibu is renowned for its reliability, safety and practicality. This four-door sedan also comes with a surprising amount of luxury features, as well as an extremely economical powertrain.

Best: 2009 Corvette ZR1

The ZR1 celebrates the best versions of the Vette since the 90s. In 2009, the Corvette was as good as it gets.

The ZR1 was the most hardcore variant of the C6 Corvette, powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that put out a whopping 638 horsepower to the rear wheels. As a result, the 2009 ZR1 can hit 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds and top out at roughly 200 mph.

Worst: Aveo 2002

Don't let the athletic looks fool you. This is one of the worst Chevrolet cars of all time. It seems that low price was the only thing Chevy engineers had in mind when designing this terrible car.

Aveo first appeared on the market two decades ago. The low price attracted many buyers. However, they quickly realized that they got what they paid for. The Aveo was notorious for poor build quality and many reliability issues.

Best: 1990 Corvette ZR1

The legendary ZR1 moniker returned for a second time for a 1990 model year inspired by the C3 ZR1 sold between 1970 and 1972.

Like any real Corvette with this iconic package, the C4 ZR1 was powered by an all-new LT5 engine with 375 horsepower, as opposed to 250 in the L98-powered base model. Other upgrades included a stiffer suspension system, improved brakes, and a more agile steering system.

Worst: 2002 Trailblazer

The Trailblazer is infamous for its ride quality, or lack of it. This SUV was built on the platform of a pickup truck similar to the previously mentioned Suburban or Tahoe. However, Chevy didn't bother to soften the ride at all, which made the Trailblazer painfully uncomfortable.

This disgusting creation failed to attract buyers. The model was discontinued just 7 years after its original debut in 2002. Not exactly a big shock.

The following vehicle is infamous for its reliability issues, avoid it at all costs!

Worst: 2015 Silverado 2500 HD

The Silverado is Chevrolet's flagship pickup and one of the best-selling pickups in the US. It has been one of the favorites among buyers for decades. Silverado trucks are generally a good value for money choice. Although this one is an exception.

However, in 2015 the Heavy-Duty Chevrolet Silverado 2500 received a significant downgrade. This particular model year is infamous for notorious reliability issues, especially with regards to the suspension, as well as interior leaks and poor overall body integrity.

Worst: Trax 2017

It's hard to find any positives about the Trax subcompact SUV other than its affordable price. In fact, it's just one of the only reasons anyone will ever buy this car at all.

The Trax is terribly underpowered, even for a subcompact SUV. Most of its direct competitors simply offer better performance and reliability at a slightly higher price.

Best: 1963 Corvette.

1963 is one of the most significant in the history of Chevy Corvette. That's when GM introduced the all-new C2, the second generation of America's first sports car.

The C2 generation was produced for only a few years, until the end of 1967. What's more, 1963 was the only year the car's rear featured the iconic split-window design, making it one of the coolest and most coveted classic Vettes of all time.

Worst: 2008 Captiva

When it was in development, the Chevrolet Captiva was only for fleet sale. Today, however, used examples are available for sale to the general public.

The low price can attract potential buyers, although most of them don't seem to know what they're signing up for. Because the Captiva was built as a fleet vehicle, the build quality and comfort are terrible.

Worst: 1953 Corvette.

Today, the first generation Corvette is considered a gem coveted by car collectors around the world. However, this does not necessarily make it a good car. During its first year on the market, the Corvette was the exact opposite of a decent car.

In fact, the '53 Corvette was put into production in a hurry. As a result, the car was crammed with all sorts of problems. The lack of a V8 under the hood only exacerbated the situation. The original Corvette was so bad that Chevrolet almost took it off completely!

Best: 2017 Bolt EV

Chevrolet introduced the Bolt as the latest addition to the U.S. electric vehicle market back in 2017. The Bolt EV got off to a great start and remains one of the best options in its price range.

Some of the key features of the all-electric Bolt EV include an impressive 230 miles of range on a single charge. A quick 30 minute charge will also add 90 miles to the range. The 27 model year Bolt starts at $000, making it one of the most affordable electric vehicles money can buy.

Best: 2023 Corvette Z06

The latest, eighth generation of Chevy Corvette made a splash in the automotive world. While most car enthusiasts were blown away by the car's amazing performance, some criticize the C8's mid-rear engine layout and revolutionary design.

The latest high-performance Z06 trim will arrive for the 2023 model year. The car is equipped with a monstrous 5.5-liter V8 engine with 670 horsepower. As a result, its LT6 powerplant is the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 engine ever fitted to a production vehicle.

Best: Commuter GMT 400

The GMT400 is Chevrolet's platform of choice for customers looking for an extremely reliable and durable ride. Both trucks and SUVs produced between 1986 and 2000 used this wonderful platform.

The Suburban GMT400 remains one of the most reliable SUVs today, and you can buy one for just a few thousand dollars! These monsters will live forever! Provided they are properly maintained, of course.

The following vehicle featured a unique body style that was only available in a certain high performance trim level!

Best: 2001 Corvette Z06

The Z06 is another legendary package for the Corvette sports car. It was first introduced back in '63 with the debut of the second generation Vette and was only offered for a year. Then, in 2001, the Z06 nameplate made a grand comeback.

The 2001 Corvette Z06 is based on the fifth generation Corvette. Chevy removed both the removable targa top and hatchback rear glass to maximize the performance of the Z06, making it easily distinguishable from the base model. 405 horsepower allowed the Z06 to hit 60 mph in just 4 seconds.

Worst: EV1

EV1 is about as bizarre as its design would suggest. This all-electric car was a real shock in the second half of the 1990s, and not in a good way. This car was so terrible that back in 2002, GM seized and scrapped all 1117 EV1 units.

On the other hand, the Chevy EV1 deserves at least some credit. It was the world's first mass-produced electric car, available on the market between 1996 and 1999. In a way, this strange creation paved the way for modern electric vehicles.

Featured: Suburban 2021

This is an original SUV from Chevrolet. The Suburban first hit the market back in the mid-1930s and has been an important part of the automaker's lineup ever since. The Suburban is based on a truck platform, so it's extremely durable and practical.

The latest version of the Suburban is equipped with a 5.3-liter V8 engine with 355 horsepower. However, buyers have the option to upgrade to a more powerful 6.2L V8 engine that maxes out at 420 horsepower.

Best: Nova SS

The timing of the Chevrolet Nova Super Sport was truly perfect. The car appeared on the market in 1968, at the peak of muscle car popularity. No wonder it became an instant hit.

The main advantage of Nova SS was the affordable price. It was the best muscle car available for those who couldn't buy a Z28 Camaro or a Shelby Mustang.

Worst: 1971 Vega

The Vega has earned a place not only as one of the worst Chevrolets, but also as one of the worst cars of all time. However, at first this terrible creation fooled everyone. Motor Trend even named it Car of the Year in '71.

Just a few years after its release, owners began to discover many different problems with the car. This was mainly due to the poor build quality of the car, which negatively affected everything from the car's transmission to the overall integrity of the bodywork.

Best: 2021 Tahoe

At one time, the Chevrolet Tahoe was, in fact, the Suburban's younger cousin. Today, both models are almost the same size. However, many owners claim that the Tahoe's ride quality is much better than the Suburban's.

The latest Chevrolet Tahoe costs around $54,000. Buyers can choose between a standard 5.3-litre V8 engine or upgrade to a more powerful 6.2-litre V8 engine. A diesel version of the 3.0L-Duramax is also available.

Best: Traverse 2022

The Traverse is a relatively new addition to GM's SUV lineup. The badge first appeared on the market for the 2009 model year. It's as practical as an SUV can be, it can seat up to 9 people and has an economical four-cylinder engine under the hood.

Traverse quickly won the hearts of buyers across the country. In fact, it completely replaced the Chevy Trailblazer within a year of its debut. Beginning in 2018, the Chevrolet Traverse was reclassified as a mid-size rather than a full-size SUV.

Best: Equinox 2016

The Equinox has gone from the latest addition to the Chevy lineup to GM's second best-selling vehicle in just 15 years. In fact, only the Silverado is more popular with Chevrolet buyers in the United States.

The latest version of the Chevy Equinox features a more powerful drivetrain than its predecessor. The base model has an economical 170 horsepower boxer four-cylinder engine, although more demanding buyers can upgrade to a more powerful 252 horsepower engine.

Despite the fact that this car was positioned as a completely new generation, it was originally equipped with a heavily outdated V8 engine.

Worst: 1984 Corvette.

Early production cars used to be much worse than later ones. Cars were often rushed into production, and it took the automaker several years to fix any problems. This was the case with the fourth-generation Corvette back in 1984.

The C4 Corvette hit the market after a mass strike by GM workers last year. As a result, the all-new C4 was fitted with an ancient crossfire V8 borrowed from the previous generation. Luckily, in '98 GM was able to introduce an all-new L1985 TPI engine.

Best: Blazer K5

General Motors first introduced the Blazer, a rugged SUV built on the C/K pickup truck platform, back in the late 1960s. In 5, the second generation of the car, called K1973, went on sale.

The K5 Blazer quickly became a hit with off-road enthusiasts before eventually being hailed as an old-school off-road icon. Today, the pristine K5 Blazer is a rare gem coveted by collectors across the planet.

Worst: 1976 Chevette.

Everyone expected Chevrolet, as well as US buyers, to have learned their lesson after the horrific history of the Chevrolet Vega. Chevy has unveiled yet another inexpensive subcompact just a couple of years after the terrible Vega's debut.

This terrible creation has been on the market for more than a decade. In hindsight, this is quite surprising as the Chevette was horribly outdated and unreliable from the start.

Best: C10 pickup

The classic boxy body of the Chevrolet C10 is one of the coolest retro pickups you can buy. These things are extremely reliable and practical, they are a pleasure to drive, and they also look great.

Today, more owners are turning their C10s into show trucks and treating them like classics rather than workhorses. Produced between 1960 and 1987, buyers can choose from three different generations of the C10.

Worst: 1980 citation

You might find it hard to believe that this ugly compact was designed to replace the beloved Chevy Nova. Unlike its predecessor, Citation was neither funny nor particularly interesting. Chevy Citation entered the market in 1980 and lasted only 5 years.

The most powerful engine offered in the Citation was a staggering V6 with just 135 horsepower paired with a front wheel drive transmission. It was also considered a performance-oriented option.

Best: S-10 pickup

The S-10 was released for the '83 as a smaller and more practical alternative to its larger cousin. Buyers could choose between two-door and four-door body styles.

The S-10 Blazer was also fitted with a more intelligent propulsion system. The most powerful engine available in the first generation was the 4.3-liter V6, which is considered the best of all. The original S-10 Blazer remained on the market until 1993.

Worst: 1979 Corvette.

1979 was a far from successful year for America's first sports car. In fact, it is considered one of the worst among Corvette enthusiasts.

By 1979, the third generation Corvette had been in production for over a decade. The car was starting to feel rather dated, and its base 48-horsepower L8 V195 engine certainly didn't help. The optional L82 V8 only produced 225 horsepower, which wasn't much of an improvement.

Best: 1955 Bel Air

This beauty is one of the most glamorous cars of the 1950s. This full-size car first appeared in the Chevy lineup in 1950 and remained on the American market until the mid-70s.

The second generation Bel Air, sold between 1955 and 1957, is arguably the most iconic of them all. Unmistakable style combined with a smooth ride and a compact V8 engine under the hood make the Chevy Bel Air a joy to drive.

Worst: Tahoe Hybrid

The debut of this SUV was one of the biggest failures of General Motors in the 21st century. The model was introduced for the 2007 model year. It seemed like the perfect economy SUV, at least on paper.

However, in reality, the hybrid version of the Tahoe was a complete failure. While it did offer better fuel economy than the regular Tahoe, the hybrid was far worse than its cheaper alternatives. It was nearly impossible to justify the SUV's starting price of over $50,000.

Worst: 1973 Corvette.

Many dedicated Corvette fans claim that the best years of the C3 Corvette were over by the end of 1972. In 1973, the oil crisis hit America's first sports car very hard.

Beginning in 1973, powerful big-block variants built with little regard for fuel economy began to die out. The C3 Corvette has also undergone visual changes, for better or worse.

The next car will be probably the only popular one-piece pickup of all time!

Best: 1970 El Camino SS

Unibody pickups never caught on, with the exception of the Chevy El Camino. At its peak in 1979, Chevrolet sold just over 58 El Caminos within a year!

The most demanding buyers had the option of choosing the powerful SS variant. The boost truck will then be powered by a monstrous 454-cubic-inch big-block V8 engine with up to 450 horsepower!

Worst: HHR SS panel van

It's pretty hard to know what Chevrolet engineers were thinking when designing this ugly thing. The HHR SS panel van was designed as a high performance hatchback that is also a tribute to hot rod culture.

The HHR SS is more of a parody of a high-performance hot rod than an homage. Powered by a weak 2.0-litre engine and notorious for its terrible handling, there's no reason anyone would ever want to drive one.

Worst: 1980 Corvette.

Seeing the criminally underpowered 3 C1979 Corvette, you'd probably think the C3 couldn't get much worse. To everyone's surprise, 1980 was the undisputed worst year for the C3 Corvette.

In 1980, the C3 came with the same outdated L48 V8 engine, producing a measly 190 horsepower. Due to stricter emissions laws, buyers in California got an even lower horsepower option! The 1980 Corvettes sold in California had only 180 horsepower!