Overview & Reviews

Chevrolet sells an impressively wide range of vehicles, from subcompact hatchbacks to huge vans and SUVs. If you're looking for a reasonably priced vehicle, odds are that Chevy will have something to fit your needs.

Chevrolet got its start in 1911. After William C. Durant had been ousted from General Motors, he joined forces with Swiss-born racecar driver Louis Chevrolet to found the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. The company's first offering was the Classic Six. Introduced in 1912, this five-passenger touring sedan could top 65 mph, fast for the time. Chevrolet's storied bowtie logo -- reportedly inspired by the wallpaper of a Paris hotel room that Durant stayed at -- made its first appearance in 1914.

By 1918, Chevrolet's profitability allowed Durant to purchase enough shares in GM to regain control. Chevrolet became another division of GM, and was its largest volume division by the mid-1920s. By 1927, Chevrolet outsold rival Ford, with sales in excess of 1 million units.

In the mid-1930s Chevrolet introduced independent front suspension, which provided a smoother ride over the rough roads of the day. The 1940s saw continued success with affordable coupes, sedans and pickup trucks catering to American families, farmers and businessmen.

By the mid-1950s, Chevrolet, GM's entry-level division, had added a V8 engine, power steering and brakes, power windows and air-conditioning to its list of available features, allowing luxury for those on a tighter budget. Around this time the iconic Bel Air model -- available in coupe, sedan, convertible and wagon body styles -- proved very popular. The company introduced its alluring Corvette in 1953; the vehicle was the first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body.

The 1960s saw the unveiling of the popular, air-cooled Corvair compact, which held the distinction of being the first domestic production car with all-around independent suspension. That decade also witnessed the launch of the compact Nova, the midsize Chevelle and the sporty Camaro, the latter Chevrolet's answer to the wildly successful Ford Mustang. The Camaro proved an instant hit, comprising 10 percent of Chevrolet's total sales in 1967, its first year of production.

In the 1970s, Chevy responded to changing preferences by introducing small cars like the Vega and the Chevette, and by downsizing larger models such as the Caprice and Malibu. The company combated the market domination of foreign nameplates in the 1980s by rolling out the Cavalier. By the end of that decade, trucks and SUVs had started to become increasingly popular with the general consumer, and the brand's mid- and full-size models continue to this day to be some of the most popular on the road.

The '90s and the early 2000s saw the company raising the performance bar with its Corvette (notably the Z06 and, later, ZR1 variants) and reincarnated Impala SS. Chevrolet's Silverado pickup truck and Tahoe/Suburban SUVs continued to be hits as well. By 2010, the Camaro had returned to the lineup after a seven-year hiatus.

Modern times have seen Chevrolet make significant improvements in its small and midsize car models and introduce the Volt plug-in hybrid. The latter provides a nearly 40-mile range on electric power alone, and adds to the company's already well-rounded lineup of cars, trucks and SUVs. Though today's marketplace is very demanding, Chevrolet seems poised to remain a power player through its affordable and innovative vehicles.

User Reviews:

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  Cruze Not Clutch - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By m7silvestri - December 31 - 1:19 pm

  I bought my Cruze new used from a Chevy dealer with around 24,000 miles on it. it was about a year old when I got it. It now has 47,000 and it needs a new clutch. I thought it was bazaar until I did some research on the lifespan of the Cruzes clutch. I found out that my clutch lasted longer then a lot of other people. When I took it to the dealer where I got it from (because it is still under warranty) it was $1600. Judging by the way, the speed, and the confidence of the answer, it is a very safe assumption that the model wears down the clutch fast. The model has only been around since 2011. The car is fun to drive, is nimble, and saves on gas. Only if I knew sooner.

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  Worst Car Ive Ever Owned. No GM Support - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By bradjohnson08 - November 18 - 1:07 pm

  February 2011 – 7,099 miles - Complaint of jerkiness while shifting. Weird shifting. Action taken – Seat belt recall, nothing done concerning our complaint except charge us for an oil change. November 2011 – 17,683 miles - Further shifting issues and chugs while driving. Loud ratting and grinding from under hood by engine. Knocking in back. Slow to take off from a stop. Has stalled 2 times driving. Action taken – Reprogrammed engine control module. Said they couldn’t duplicate the rest. April 2012 – 22,365 miles - Stalled more times. Knocking in engine and rattling. Still shifts incorrectly. Sputters and stalls while driving. Transmission leak.

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  Worst car ever never buying again. - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By pattona6 - November 17 - 8:23 am

  bought the first chevy cruze model and the tires that came with it were not good for Michigan weather. at 30,000 miles had trouble with the engine. It stalls on me as well. the breaks are extremely touchy, the blind spots on the mirrors are god awful. it will tell me it needs to be serviced when it doesnt. the tire pressure reading on my car is off as well. at around 50,000 miles my air conditioning stopped working but my heat still works (thank god) but I just found out yesterday I guess their was a recall on it? once again two recalls on that terrible car. but my step mom has the LT and hers does run better than mine. but the mpg in my car is terrible. I DONT EVEN HAVE CRUZE CONTROL.

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  Ridiculous piece of trash - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By sherrypisces - October 22 - 4:22 pm

  I purchased my 2009 Traverse used last year and it was exactly what I wanted and needed for my family. Well, from the beginning I had problems with the car. I was experiencing a stalling type of drive. I would be driving along and all of a sudden the car would jerk and go extremely slow almost killing myself and my family. At times the vehicle would jerk and lose all power and shut off in the middle of the highway, street, anywhere! I have put so much money into this vehicle that I am embarrassed to say. I dont know what to do or who to contact because this is not a safe vehicle. Do Not, I repeat, Do Not purchase the 2009 Chevy Traverse EVER!

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  poor car - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By wsusdorf - October 14 - 7:14 pm

  the volt is a poor car. I have had one for 2 years and have had a radiator replaced a water pump. The radiator cost $1100.00. I took the dealer 3 days to get it back to me. It now needs a battery. The battery cost 300.00 and it has a leak in it so when it goes to the car wash it leaks on the passenger side. that will cost 400.00. In the past I have bought 9 chevrolets. THis is my last. Save yoursellf the grief and look at a Prius.

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  Most uncomfortable car I have ever driven - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By tony_aston - October 5 - 2:19 pm

  Hard to know where to start. Alarm system goes off when I try to get into car. I am normal size (510", 170 lbs.) but I have to contort myself to get into drivers seat. Seat belt has too much tension. Right knee rests against hard surface--gets sore on long ride. Very little leg room for driver. Very poor visibility. Head rests and rear pillars block view when I back out of parking space. Stereo sounds tinny. Style is bleh. Key body is too large and bulky. Passengers find it difficult to get in and out. Feels like a sardine in a can.

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  Death trap & money pit - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By v85 - September 21 - 8:15 am

  This is a horrible car. Not long after I bought it, the steering rack had to be replaced (ended up being replaced 4x in under a year). I had to replace the sway bars and the brake pads were warped - keep in mind this was all at 30k-40k miles. Even better? At 63k miles, the engine light came on because the thermostat was broken. Also, in 1 month, I received 2 recalls - one has to do with the brakes, the other has to do with the transmission. In 5.5 yrs, I put almost $2500 in keeping this thing running. I recently traded it off for a foreign car. Thanks for the solid work, GM!

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  Do Not Purchase a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban - 2008 Chevrolet Suburban
  By patsfanman67 - September 15 - 2:29 pm

  Junk!! My Suburban has required air bag sensor replacement ($300), the 4 wheel drive stopped functioning for unknown reasons, the Stabilitrac stopped functioning for unknown reasons, the Traction Control stopped functioning for unknown reasons, exterior lighting stopped working (puddle lamps, license plate lamps), and window buttons stopped working. All before it hit 80k miles! The frame and undercarriage is rusted beyond recognition too. General Motors is proven unreliable and proven to be unable to build a sound vehicle. I will never buy another GM vehicle and I think the company should have been allowed to go bankrupt.

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  Things start falling appart - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By wilhitejm - September 8 - 8:36 am

  I drive about 120 miles per day and do get a little better gas mileage than my last car. The problem is the gas tank is so small I have to fuel up every other day, although the tank is smaller than my last car. My check engine light started coming on recently and I had the codes checked, indicating an oxygen sensor. I checked and the bold that holds the bracket and wiring for the oxygen sensor had fallen out and was gone leaving the oxygen sensor cable on the hot manifold. Cant find the bolt so I have it zip tied to a little loop on the engine. I have checked some forums and it is common on the Sonic and Cruz (same motor) The engine over temp light started coming on as well.

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  Dont Do It! - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By equinoxhater1 - September 5 - 5:15 pm

  If my review savesat least one person from buying this SUV than Ive done my job. I am 54 years old, owned alot of cars, this is the worst i have ever owned! I have put over 200,000 miles on may cars and have not had the problems that I have had with this one. With 120,000 miles on it, I have had to replace the Throttle Body, both front Wheel Hubs, the Radiator Fan Assembly, The Wiper Linkage and more. I expect things to wear out on a car, but not these at relitivly low milage. This is over 2500.00 worth of parts and labor on top of regular maintaince.