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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  2105 2SS Commemorative Edition - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Joel Smith - October 15 - 10:34 pm

  The rearward poor visibility of this car is significant. The back up camera is not a luxury , it is a "must have" option. The interior has the same old hard plastic that has plagued the Camaro and the Corvette since their inception. The Camaro is not made for tall people.I am only 57" and my head almost scrapes the roof. With that being said , I absolutely love this car!I just recently purchased the 2015 2SS Commemorative Edition with the Summit White exterior and the Adrenaline Red interior. This car looks fabulous! It also runs and sounds fantastic!!! The exhaust note is hypnotic :) It sounds impressive even at a full stop when it is quietly rumbling. When you go down hill at low speeds it has stunning rumbling, burbling, popping sounds coming from the tailpipes. I am not a skilled driver by any means but this car feels very planted when you go around curves in the road. I feel very secure in this car. It has a 5* government rating in all the safety categories. The styling of this car is retro but even if this year had been the introduction of the Camaro , it would have been just as stunning. The only thing I have a concern about is the intermittent burning smell that I notice. It is not related to hard driving. I can go to the grocery store 3 miles away from home and only get into 4th gear and it will have that burning smell. I have the so-called premium audio system and it is pretty good for a factory system but it still needs a real subwoofer and not the 6x9s that Chevy has designated as "subwoofers." I did a lot of research on this car and I chose it instead of the Mustang GT and the Dodge Challenger. I just felt more secure in it than the other two mentioned during test drives. Bottom line is that this car looks very good , it sounds very good and it runs exceptionally well. I would not trade it for anything right now. When my boys leave home and graduate college , I am planning on getting a new Corvette. ( I almost got a used Corvette instead of this new Camaro!) Chevy makes some sexy cars!!!!

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  2014 Chevy Cruze 2LT RS - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Dana - October 14 - 11:36 pm

  I bought this car certified preowned with 24k on it. I have only had it for 3 months and now have close to 32k on her. Gas mileage is impeccable! I was driving 84 miles round trip to work 5 days a week and only having to fill up once! I love the control and the quality of this car. Its my first car Ive bought on my own and I couldnt have made a better choice. I love the TPMS and the oil percentage. Take off and braking are awesome. Almost had an accident last week on the interstate and she went from 70 to 0 without locking the brakes! Overall I would recommend this car to anyone looking for something to commute in. Not to mention it is very fun to drive! And the heated leather seats are amazing when its been a long day at work!

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  06 Aveo bought new in 06, current owner review - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Ben R - October 14 - 6:20 pm

  I bought my aveo with 12 miles in 2006. I opted for the hatchback special value manual. No power locks, or windows, came with an amfm radio, only option I got was A/C. Today (oct. 2015) I have 180,000. Figured Id go over EVERY repair Ive had in the last 10 years. Ive had the following repairs done (non scheduled maintenance): spark plug wires/plugs with valve cover gasket (225$ @ 80k). Wires opened up causing arching at high rpms which resulted in a flashing check engine light. Also had oil on the plugs due to the valve cover gasket being bad. Both common aveo problems, upgrade the wires/gasket. Have never had the issue repeat. Upper radiator hose leak/vacuum hose repair (80$ @ 100k). Standard collant leak. Vacuum hose leak caused a rough idle and reving idle from 1500rpm to 2500rpm. Never had this issue repeat. Splice pack repair (135$ @ 120k miles). Common issue in the fuse box. Causes only half of your lights to work. Never had this issue repeat. Removal of the day light running module (45$ 130k miles). Was a recall, opted to remove the module, could short out and cause a fire. Headlight electrical harness (60$, 160k miles). Plastic connector failed, causing a short and no right headlight. Back hatch replacement (120$ 160k). Rear hatch wouldnt open. Air intake hose replacement (210$ @ 160k). Intake hose decomposed opening up causing a check engine light and poor MPG and acceleration. Wiper arm springs failed (120$ @ 170k). Wipers no longer laid flat against the windshield. My Aveo has NEVER left me stranded or resulted in a repair over 500$. No engine or transmission failures. Word of advice. Keep up on the general maintenance. Timing belts/water pump/thermostat/serp belt should be replaced every 50k miles. Timing belt failures in Aveos are common at around 60k and destroys your engine if it fails. Use synthetic oil. Helps on the valve tick noise, and get it changed every 5k. Replace the air filter every 45k and flush all fluids (coolant/transmission) every 75k. Brakes (front) disc factories are horrible. Upgrade to ceramic pads and a quality rotor. Rear drums Im still on the factory drums. No issues. Tires/wheels. Upgrade your wheel and tire package. I went with a wider tire and 15 inch wheel. Same overall height as factory. This makes freeway driving safer, and winter driving (with snow tires) extremely safe. Factory tires are banana peels. Upgrade to a common tire. My tires cost 62$ each. Shocks/struts/springs: Im still on my original suspension. No failed parts or issues. Was advised at my last maintenance that the struts will need replaced at the next appt. My aveo has been a great car, especially for 10,400$ brand new (in 2006). Small minor issues are common. If you want your aveo to last drive it easy. I never accelerate past 4000 rpms, and never drive faster than 70mph. Also take turns easy and dont bury the gas when letting go of the clutch. Its not a sports car. Im still on my original clutch at 180k miles. If you follow the maintenance, fix the minor issues, the car should last well past 200,000 miles. If you dont take care of it, expect your timing belt to snap and your engine to blow up. Maintence is key on Aveo ownership. Cant stress that enough. I average 325 to 350 per 10.4 gals of gas. This has been consistent for the ownership of the car. I drive a combination of 75% freeway, 25% city. At 180k Ive had zero gasket issues. No leaking oil or other fluids or overheating issues. Hope this review was helpful.

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  Pep and Fuel Economy - 2015 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Joe - October 14 - 1:52 pm

  This car was for my son. Fuel economy and comfort were his main must haves. Through college he was driving a Jeep Wrangler. Very fun but loud, uncomfortable and terrible fuel mileage. Lesson learned. The most important thing I would say is to ignore the exterior noise. From the outside, the diesel is louder than the gas engine but driving down the road, there is no difference. The extra insulation absorbs any diesel noise.

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  Love my car impala 2014 ltz/ 2lz - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By n/a - October 12 - 5:41 am

  I have 8 months with my 2014 Impala LTZ / 2LZm super happy though with 3 children and they will all use carseat very comfortable this car is the best Ive had is very comfortable and very economical on gas and what I like This style is beautiful!

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  The combination of a Volt and a Bolt will rock - 2015 Chevrolet Volt
  By Rennie Allen - October 11 - 8:25 pm

  I have had this car for 5 months (purchased new in May 15) and now and have 8000+ miles on it. So far the car has been mechanically flawless (software issues noted below). Only after owning a car like this, do you begin to understand all of the considerations that need to be taken into account when purchasing an EV. One of the most amazing things about the Volt that is overlooked, but is incredibly significant is the selection for the range of the battery. It isnt that more is better when it comes to battery range in fact, what GM engineers nailed is the realization that a ~50 mile range battery hits a significant sweet spot, in that it can be fully charged overnight on 120V. This has the significant advantages that the battery life is maximized (by a slow charge rate) and that no special charging equipment is required to be installed into the home. If you are going to have only one EV, currently the Chevy Volt is it, there is nothing that comes close. As mentioned above, if you have only one EV the Chevy Volt should be it (unlimited range with gas, no special charger required, maximal battery life) but the other interesting point is that if you have two EVs one of them should be a Chevy Volt (the Volt becomes the long distance vehicle, freeing you to select a second battery only EV that matches your situation exactly). Clearly Chevy is intending to be the premium choice for the second EV as well, with the forthcoming Bolt EV. The combination of an unlimited range Volt, with a significant (~200 mile) range Bolt means that for 90% of the travel of a typical family can be electric only, with the Volt easily handling the typical cross country trips. Of course, at that point a Level 2 charger must be employed to charge the Bolt (but importantly, I would still charge the Volt on 120V in order to maximize battery life). When you consider that you can purchase a Volt + Bolt for less than the price of a Tesla Model S, it is clearly the way to get the majority of people doing the majority of their mileage with electric drive. OK, so thats the good news. As mentioned above there are a couple of software issues, one that will affect everyone and one that will only affect a very small number of people (probably in San Francisco only). The first issue is that when charging on 120V, you will almost certainly want to select 12amps rather than the default 8amps, otherwise a full charge cannot be achieved overnight. The problem is that you will need to select 12amps every time you charge, as there is no way to configure the software to default to 12amps. I charge 12amps every night and I have never had a circuit breaker trip, so I should be able to configure the default to 12amps as I know exactly what circuit I am on and that 12amps is fine for that circuit. This will affect pretty much everyone who charges at 120V (and everyone should even if a Level 2 charger is available). The second issue is an odd bug in the software that causes the Volt to underreport zero emission miles, for people who live right at the top of steep hills. I live at the top of a 1 mile long 16% grade hill and in the morning when the car is fully charged, when I go down the hill in L (always, always drive in L by the way) the software will incorrectly report gas operation, since the battery can not accept any more regen charge and will engage the ICE (internal combustion engine) without starting it, as a braking element. The engine is not burning fuel but only acting as a braking element, yet the software will count it as ICE mode operation since the clutch to the ICE is engaged. This is a silly bug that wont affect 99.9% of the people, unfortunately it affects me.

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  King of the Hill - 1990 Chevrolet Corvette
  By The HeadMaster - October 10 - 6:45 pm

  BUY ONE.......Yeah, its a mid-life crisis joke of a car at surface level. But for the money, nothing can compare. A real DOHC V-8, hand built and almost unbreakable. The C4 Vette body and interior are a love-it, or hate-it thing, but the performance is worth it. Unlike most older Vettes, this one still keeps up with current performance cars, and without all those pesky driver aides. Useless car in the rain, the glass top is not pleasant at temps above 95degrees, but otherwise these are wonderful cars. The ride is firm, very firm, so dont expect to drive it daily on potholed roads. HVAC is OK, radio is OK if working (separate amps on each speaker can be a problem). Cargo area is decent sized. I would NOT use this as a daily driver or even long distance cruiser, but for a fun blast through a twisty road, or an occasional track-day, you cant go wrong. They are dirt cheap right now, and its the ONLY Corvette to date with 4-valve per cylinder technology........Best advice I can give, buy a mid-mileage one, something in the 30-60,000 mile range. Too low and nothing will work, too high and it might be worn out........

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  BLAZER XTREME - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Lazaro - October 7 - 1:05 am

  I purchased a 2001 blazer xtreme in 2005 with 55,000 miles which i still own (176,000 miles now). I loved my blazer since day 1 and have to say it, I took my brothers 2013 honda civic to Santa Cruz and is this thing as fun to drive as my xtreme, NOT even close. For a chassis used for decades by GM on their blazer it is a outstanding small sporty SUV. Ones again, super fun to drive.

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  really nice well built car with alot of optiond - 2015 Chevrolet Cruze
  By jeremy - October 6 - 5:21 am

  We have had our cruze for two months now and we really like it. It drives great good gas mileage and great style, I have a 5&3 year old and room isnt a problem. And the front seat has a ton of leg room le

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  From focus to impala - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Maranda - October 4 - 9:22 pm

  Has some issues with ac/heater some with airbag sensors but WOW i am in love with this Impala! Such a wise choice from a 03 ford focus to a 07 impala ls flex fuel.