Chevrolet Cars & Trucks

While outselling Ford for many years prior to World War II, GM's entry-level division didn't really hit its stride 'til the mid-'50s, when now-iconic designs were powered by a new, lightweight V8. At that point everyone, including singer Dinah Shore, wanted to see the USA (or, at a minimum, Route 66) in their Chevrolet. With its Corvette Chevy had a performance base, and in the '60s that only grew larger with Super Sport variants of its Chevelle, Camaro and Impala. Like most domestic manufacturers, Chevrolet was caught flat-footed in the aftermath of the first OPEC crisis in 1973, followed by the influx of low-priced, reliable Asian imports.

In the years following GM's 2009 bankruptcy, Chevrolet and its customers have enjoyed a resurgence of consumer-focused product, much better build quality and significantly enhanced performance. Most affordable is arguably a 3-way tie; Chevy's Spark is the smallest and cheapest, but both Sonic and the all-new Cruze are comfortably under $20K. And if seeking a fun-to-drive package, Corvette and Camaro can provide it, starting with the base Camaro at around $25K. As you'd guess, the Silverado pickup is the best seller, while performance variants of the Corvette are the most expensive. Finally, Chevy is keeping the diesel 'flame' relevant with the oil burners under the hood of both its midsize Colorado pickup and (for model year 2018) Cruze, while attracting eco enthusiasts with the all-electric Bolt and plug-in Volt.