Along with Ford, Chevrolet is one of the biggest car manufacturers in the United States, and certainly one of the most popular as well when it comes to sales. You would be hard pressed to be on a stretch of road in the United States and not have a Chevrolet near to you, new and old.

And in its long history, the company has gone on to produce a wide variety of cars, for various needs and all with varying amounts of performance. Not all of these are worth your time and money. Indeed, some don’t actually make an awful lot of sense. They either are aimed at a purpose they can’t fulfill or perhaps just too unreliable, too fragile to be useful.

Of course, they have produced some wonderful cars as well and oh some of them are great. Some are the most beautiful creations you have ever seen. Some might not look so great but they can certainly catch the eye in performance terms.

What you are going to find here then is a very good list of some of those Chevrolets that are absolutely worth all the money in the world. And of course, you are going to find a lot of them that are not worth anywhere near the retail price and leave the mind well and truly baffled.

22 No Sense: Chevrolet Vega

via Cruisin Classics

The Vega is certainly a Chevrolet to be avoided, not least because it is just not a car you should buy if you want something easy to look after. This applied when the car was new as much as today. Infamously, the Vega’s front bumper fell off the moment John DeLorean went to look at it. It was designed by GM designers who really didn’t want anything to do with it, and thus it suffered terribly and was not a well-designed car at all, despite being quite a pretty one even with all of that baggage. But it wouldn’t make sense to own one with how fragile it is.

21 No Sense: Chevrolet Chevette

via Wikipedia

The Chevrolet Chevette is in a similar boat to what the Vega was in, but to a slightly better or worse extent depending on your viewpoint. More towards the worse though, as the Vega wasn’t mass produced. But the Chevette was, and the design quality was simply bad despite it being made for the masses. It would rust like nothing else on earth and was underpowered, and its structure was so weak it could almost be called lethal. And indeed accidents did happen. It’s hard to find one of these in really good condition, so if you do and look after it well, you have done a pretty good job.

20 No Sense: Chevrolet Monte Carlo

via Consumer Guide

The Monte Carlo makes no sense in that it aimed to replicate sporting credentials that it didn’t have. The name implies it is trying to replicate something along the Grand Prix magic, but it was aimed to be a sort of ‘NASCAR that you can take to the road.’ But the performance was incredibly underwhelming, and the car featured basic styling that wasn’t a world apart from the regular Chevrolet Malibu. That was in essence why this car didn’t make sense. For all the sporting prowess that it was trying to replicate it did nothing of the sort. A shame really.

19 No Sense: 2003 Chevrolet Malibu

via Zomb Drive

The Chevrolet Malibu is a bit of a fail when it comes to Chevrolet cars. The car itself has now become the butt of jokes from the ‘real people, not actors’ commercials which have been parodied on YouTube. The Malibu is a strong car, but the 2003 edition was probably the weakest both in design and performance of the lot, and its rather bland and drab styling did nothing to help sales figures, plus its four-speed gearbox was one of the most unresponsive of its type to ever grace a car. Thankfully, the Malibu has improved since 2003.

18 No Sense: Chevrolet Lumina APV

via Consumer Guide

The Lumina APV is certainly an interesting car. A lot of hype actually surrounded it when it was announced and subsequently launched, because it was something different. But different isn’t necessarily good. And indeed the Lumina APV wasn’t good. It went from a hype machine to going bust on the market, with a multitude of issues that Chevrolet knew about accompanying it. Sadly, Chevrolet didn’t try to fix the various issues that the APV had and it very soon became a white elephant. Somehow, a handful more Luminas were released following the APV, which at least shows the companies aim of making it work, it just never did.

17 No Sense: Chevy EV1

via Wikipedia

Now the Chevrolet EV1 is not the worst car to feature on this list, and it was actually a very good vehicle on paper and in early reviews. For a fairly early attempt at an advanced electric car, it had good performance and range and was certainly stylish and comfortable. But one issue was its range of around 80 miles was halved when commuting around cities, making it quite useless for the purpose it was actually designed for. As a result, the EV1 sadly didn’t last long and it made no sense for consumers to purchase the car. But it would be nice to see the company have another stab at it.

16 No Sense: Chevrolet Citation

via Barn Finds

The Chevrolet Citation was bafflingly voted car of the year in 1980 by Motor Trend Magazine. But customers and fellow journalists worldwide were puzzled as to why this was the case. It was one of the most unreliable of Chevrolet’s cars, mechanically it was an absolute mess. Build quality was bad and it is, in fact, one of the most recalled vehicles of all time thanks to its awful reliability record. It has become a bit of a legend in that regard. So it can at least claim to have won a more legitimate award than car of the year, but that doesn’t change the fact it’s an awful car.

15 No Sense: Chevrolet SSR

via WeBe Autos

The Chevrolet SSR is a confusing machine. Because it was a good little car. Its styling was certainly interesting and depending on your tastes, was either good or bad. But it’s little V8 engine gave it some punch performance, it was a bit of a hit. But it came at a time when GM was facing huge financial issues, so it begs the question why the company poured so much money into a car that might not last long. And it didn’t last long, and it did nothing to help GM’s overall position either. A victim of the times in which it was born in.

14 No Sense: Chevrolet Uplander

via Car and Driver

The Uplander was born of Chevrolet’s aim to produce a good-sized, spacious and reliable family vehicle and the 2005 edition did indeed appear to be that from first glance. But it unfortunately became one of the worst cars that the company had the misfortune of producing. Transmission and engine problems were rife, meaning there was no sense at all in buying this in the hope of it becoming a reliable family car. Nor was it a particularly safe car to be in either and it fell well below the expectations that had been set upon it by Chevrolet. One they really regretted making.

13 No Sense: Chevrolet Cobalt SS

via Jalopnik

The main issue with the Cobalt SS is what it is trying to be. What is trying to be is a sportier version of the cheap and basic Chevrolet Cobalt. That car was a basic, tacky car that was meant to be a good alternative for people who couldn’t afford the best. But it was not a good car, unreliable, poorly built and not a great sales hit. The SS version tried to induce some cool into the Cobalt but there was very little performance gain and the spoiler did nothing other than add weight to the car, baffling people as to why it was even fitted to the SS.

12 No Sense: 2005 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid

via Pinterest

A hybrid pickup truck might sound like a good idea, especially in today’s world. And indeed, a hybrid Silverado is a very good idea for sure. But only if executed properly. And it wasn’t. The big issue with the 2005 Silverado hybrid is that it actually offered no real gain in fuel economy over the original, non-aspirated engine Silverado models. So to buy this thing on the basis that you would be saving yourself some money did not make sense and thus you’d only be looking to brag to your mates about how you could afford a ‘fancy hybrid.’ You would be much better off with a base Silverado.

11 Worth Dollars: Chevrolet Corvette 1990-1995 ZR1

via Barret-Jackson

When it comes to Chevrolets that are worth the money, it doesn’t get much better than the 1990-1995 editions of the Corvette ZR1. Chevrolet made a bold decision to really change the entire design of the Corvette, and it certainly paid off. An incredibly aggressive looking styling was the cover for a huge amount of power produced, and it shot the model to the very top of the tree once again, doing much better than even the company itself could have envisioned. Sometimes bold moves pay off, even for Chevrolet. And this is one that paid off handsomely and helped to really carry on the ZR1’s legacy.

10 Worth Dollars: Chevrolet Impala

via Christenson Chevrolet

The Chevrolet Impala is hardly along the same lines as the ZR1 from the early to mid-1990s. But it's still a good car for everyday use that is worth considering. Whilst not as stylish as the models from the 1950s, it still retains a very classy look and is probably one the companies best models that is currently on sale. A classy interior makes it an inviting place to be, and it’s good mileage and reliability play a big role in its success, despite a lot of modern cars not being so good in those areas. It is certainly worth a purchase if you need something along its lines.

9 Worth Dollars: Chevrolet Silverado

via Car and Driver

This might be a contentious pick because the Silverado, whilst a popular purchase, is certainly not as good as its Ford rival the F150. It isn’t as durable, not as good looking and you often get a very out of date feel with the Silverado. But for a heavy-duty pickup truck, it does what you want it to do for the most part. Even if used models can actually be better than new ones. It’s quite a polarizing vehicle. Some maintain it is bad whilst others will happily defend it. But is has been around for a long time and no doubt will be around for a long time to come as well.

8 Worth Dollars: Chevrolet Camaro

via Driving

Muscle cars have been a part of the United States DNA for a long time, and Chevrolet has played their part in that too. But the Camaro is perhaps quite an underrated car, and it certainly doesn’t get the same attention that the Corvette does despite the fact the latter isn’t even a muscle car, but a sports car. It is a big beast and certainly would frighten the life out of you if it crept up on you. It’s loud, fast, brash and not that well suited to everyday use. But a muscle car isn’t supposed to be. It’s is worth every dollar that it costs, and hopefully always will be.

7 Worth Dollars: 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

via Cnet

The latest edition of the Corvette builds upon the legacy the car has left in the sports car market, and indeed the last few editions have become absolute classics. They are certainly some of the best looking cars on the market, even if a Ferrari does have that little bit more class and luxury about it. 755 bhp is an astonishing figure for the latest ZR1, a 0-60 in just 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 212 mph. That’s around 40 faster than just what the 2017 model could do. Surely the 2019 ZR1 will go down as a classic in the Corvette’s long history.

6 Worth Dollars: Chevrolet Volt

via Wired

I did a piece on the Volt a while ago that reflected it in a negative light, but I was perhaps being a little unfair. Because the Volt is a good reflection of a company doing something a bit different, even if it didn’t sell as well as it could have done. For those more environmentally friendly, the Volt is a good choice is a hybrid. The Volt provided a very different twist for the company, and a nice break from the usual naturally aspirated cars they have made, save for the EV1 and hybrid Silverado. What’s more, it looks really good as well.

5 Worth Dollars: 1963 Chevrolet Corvette

via RM Sotheby’s

In the legendary Sting Ray series, the 1963 Corvette was the first of the line. With the looks that the company was able to give this car, it isn’t surprising that it was a huge success and it has gone down as one of the best Corvette models to date, and perhaps the most loved. It should certainly be right up there for any classic car collector, heck I’d drive one every day if I had the opportunity. And despite its vintage credentials, it is still a very fast car for its day and can surprise a lot of people. If you want a classic Corvette, then look no further.

4 Worth Dollars: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air

via Hemmings

The 1950s were a great time for those who loved cars, and a great era for us to look back on. Because almost everything looked good, and they still look good to this day. The 1957 Bel Air is a prime example of this gorgeous era. The Bel Air helped Chevrolet blossom into the huge company it is today, and a good one of these can go for very high prices indeed. It is up there amongst the 1963 Sting Ray when people are asked about their favorite ever Chevrolet cars. Maybe there are better classics out there. But are they all as good looking as the Bel Air? I don’t think so.

3 Worth Dollars: Chevrolet SS

via AutoTrader

The SS is, like the volt, a car that didn’t really do that well. And it shouldn’t be confused with the truly awful Cobalt SS. Now that car really was terrible. But the SS has an incredibly powerful engine that is able to get it to its top speed very fast indeed, but the car is also just packed with good features. It’s fast of course, comfortable, spacious, reliable and it is also a very good looking machine and perhaps worth investing in over other well-known models such as the Corvette and Camaro. Plus it’s a four-door. How cool is that?