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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  Galaxy S4 Cell Phone Owners Watch Out!!! - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By geminiman - November 1 - 8:36 pm

  I love the Sonic RS, however Im a little disappointed in the phone compatibility options. The Sonic uses BringGo as a navigation app that runs through your phone. After I bought the car, it turns out that the app doesnt work with the latest and greatest andriod, the S4. It does work though for the older S3 and S2. Also, I was thinking that pictures videos can be viewed from your phone through the usb port. It turns out only pictures and videos on a flash drive can be used.

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  WOW! - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By italiangrandpa - October 31 - 1:40 pm

  My wife and I have owned many GM products. This Impala ranks as the BEST we have ever had. Great styling and comfort. Simply put the car is a real head turner.

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  Love the new 2013 Chevy Malibu, great design. - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By kuekio - October 30 - 3:08 pm

  I really love this car. I bought the 1LS model and it rides wonderfully, looks sporty. Maybe this vehicle is a little more expensive than competitors, but this is a classic American auto. I bought a 2013 Toyota Corolla and I had serious steering problems so I changed it for this new 2013 Malibu. The Malibu has a great smooth ride and that the interior is comfortable and excellent design. The car gets mpg just like it says, 37mpg open road and 31mpg in town. Not many cars will get that good right out of the gate. In my experience, I went to Alabama driving around 58 mph average and the car did 52mpg!

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  What A Trip Its Been - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By darkwolf927 - October 28 - 2:09 pm

  Second car ever, lots of ups and downs. Lots of little things, my electrical problems alone have been a total nightmare, the $2K price tag for the AC repairs, the extra-expensive profile tires, the fact that you cant replace ANYthing easily... but Im trying not to complain here, and heres why. Overall, I bought it used with 36k miles, 5 years later I just passed 265,000! Eaten probably $5,000 in various repairs, and I never did get around to fixing that AC. But it fits my family of 4, strollers and luggage, and I still marvel driving around on FL roads and watching it get 38 MPG. Oh, and the stock stereo has killer bass! Quarter million miles on the original trans & still going!

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  So far so good! - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By dmcnuttfamily - October 28 - 9:54 am

  Bought the 2013 Equinox 2LT this past April. Nice car. First time to buy a Chevy after having Hondas and Toyotas for the past 20 years. Couldnt beat the options and the price when compared to the Hondas and Toyotas. Had some difficulty trying to find the exact car as there are so many options that are not necessarily automatic on a 2LT. For example found the color we wanted with the leather seats we liked but it had a manuel rear door. You would think that on a 2LT the power rear door would be automatically included. Back seats are roomy enough for our 3 teenagers. Front seats provide many adjustments for a comfortable ride.

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  Leaking water into interior - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By chowjones - October 27 - 2:03 pm

  I have mixed feelings writing this review. Overall, I really like my 2013 Sonic LT hatchback. The interior is very roomy for a car in this class and I like the design. However, my car has developed a water leak on the passenger side. As of 10/27/13, my car has been at the dealer trying to correct the problem for two of the past three weeks. Postings on a Sonic forum have confirmed that this is happening to many people. There is a serious design flaw with this model. Equipped with the 1.4L turbo and no water leaks, this car would be nothing short of excellent.

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  Chevy Volt almost burned my house down - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By powenp - October 26 - 9:18 am

  Ive been driving the Volt for 18 months. I loved the car until a month ago when I went to unplug the charger from our garage outlet and the outlet was melted - very scary situation. Ive spent a month trying to get GM and my dealer to do something (Woodward Motors in Andover, MA). GM wants me to produce the license of the electrician who built my house in 1982 before they do anything. No joke... Dont buy this car, its dangerous and GM and dealers dont stand behind it.

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  Learn how to drive a manual - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By tacitus7 - October 25 - 10:35 pm

  This month I purchased a gas Cruze Eco with the six speed manual. I just filled up the tank and checked the gas mileage. I got 39 mpg! That was all around driving, although the majority was highway. Then I drove 98 miles all highway at 62 mph, twice aggressively passing and negotiating some hills. I filled up and it only took 2 gallons! 49 mpg! I am very happy so far. It handles well and isnt underpowered. My 2004 impala 3.8 which I traded in for this had a better ride and more passing power, but I dont think I lost much in these areas. I am very happy. My advice: learn how to use a manual:>)

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  Just bought an LT manual - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By gino985 - October 25 - 9:54 pm

  Since its so late in the year, I could only find a couple near me, and ended up with Crystal Red tintcoat, not my first choice, but I actually really like it. Shifting is incredibly easy, like butter, and the engine really does have some pep. Its also true that the car feels much bigger, its hard to feel the speed, Ive been afraid I will get a ticket because Ive been speeding everywhere! Mileage is right on as reported, the first tank was exactly 30 mpg, mixed city and highway, and included a lot of idling at the dealership, so Im hoping that number will go up. With all the great cash back offers right now, I highly recommend this car, great value for the cost.

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  GM "What Quality Control" ? - 2013 Chevrolet Camaro
  By buuud - October 25 - 4:33 pm

  Problem 1: When I first picked up the car it exhibited a loud creaking noise from bad front end bushings. Problem 2: Driver side weather-stripping kept falling down out of its channel. Problem 3: After 5 months of ownership was a slight shuddering I thought was something with the motor. It would start at about 1400 rpms during acceleration. Mechanic test drove the car saying it feels like its misfiring. BS, it had a bad tranny and four attempts later I got it back. Problem 4: Metallic sound from driver side rear. Lug nuts loose. Tightened myself. Sound gone.