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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  I Wouldnt Buy One Again - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By jaxjack92 - October 25 - 2:24 pm

  For a small car the Sonics fuel economy is poor. The cars computer claims I attain 5.6 mpg than I actually get. (eg the computer tells me I am averaging 30mpg when manual calculations reflect 24.4mpg. Pretty darn poor considering I drive 60% hwy. The car is comfortable for the driver & front passenger but if either is 6 feet or more only children will be comfortable in the back. Shifting gears in the automatic transmission is VERY noticeable & I only have 5,000 mi on the car.

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  REALLY Nice but needs some tweaking - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By debs13cruzin - October 24 - 5:55 pm

  My first car in MY name, and American made YAY ! ( sorta) I am becoming less fond of new cars with so much dependence on computer systems. At this moment, my car is in the dealership having the radio or at the very least, the control panel and fancy little display screen replaced. Often when stopped at red light, radio goes off and lights on panels go off and on. Hopefully this will be my only problem. Other than that I really like my car, it handles wonderfully on the highway, takes curves really nice.

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  A real head turner. - 2013 Chevrolet Camaro
  By spurned - October 23 - 7:34 pm

  I purchased my 2013 Camaro LT2 nearly 4 months ago. Opted for the 6, with a manual transmission and the RS package. A blast to drive, and quite the head turner for many passing motorists and pedestrians alike. Car is solid, plenty of pull, and I love the sound/feel of the exhaust in the higher RPMs. HUD is a nice touch, and gauges are easily visible. Rear leg room is limited, and I wouldnt recommend it. Its a daily driver for me, and I look forward to it. Rear visibility is limited, but with the optional camera assist, I can see just about everything I need when backing up. Getting about 24 MPG now, with a mix of city and highway driving.

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  11 years and still going - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By cdnbrian - October 21 - 8:51 pm

  I have had this car since new almost 11 years ago. I have not replaced any major components on this car in over 300,000 km. I have the full original exhaust system. In the past 20,00 km I replaced the wheel bearings and CV shaft. The car still runs like new. I have put paint on the hood and trunk to correct rust but then this car has never seen wax. I had a 93 Lumina and a (8 Lumina before this. In total the 3 chevs have gone a million km. I guess Ill buy another Impala. My son is looking forward to taking this car. Pretty dependable as well as economical.

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  My bad experience - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By celestial - October 21 - 8:01 pm

  We paid 17,000 for this car at only 2 yrs old. It had great performance at first, the lost all its gusto. We were going through tires in the back like crazy and found out later there was a recall. We got into a head on car accident at 70km/hr and NOT 1 airbag went off. We had curtain and front airbags and nothing. Thankfully we walked away. The car was totaled. The other car had all airbags deployed. Contacted chev, got the run around. After research found out some of these cars were sold without air bags. We wanted it investigated but our car was mysteriously crushed 3 days after the accident. Prior to the accident, the whole exhaust system needed replacing, the electrical was going $.

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  Impressive MPG - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By agwriter - October 18 - 9:34 pm

  I was first interested in the car for its MPG and it hasnt disappointed me. Not only did I get 47+ on a 600-mile trip to LA and back (freeway, backed-up traffic and mountain passes), but the power is impressive. Set the cruise control at freeways speeds going uphill and it held its speed and didnt downshift (Grapevine or Cajon Pass). Definitely a sporty feel but it rides very nice and the leather seats are quite comfortable. Only complaint is MyLink system reset once then quit working another time for no apparent reason then started working again.

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  High class car with low class backup cam - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By alabama4 - October 17 - 3:21 pm

  Ive had my 2LTZ for 10 weeks. It didnt take long for me to notice that the rear view camera has such low resolution that the view has no details - everything is a blur. To me this a safety issue. When I need to see whats behind me, I use the mirrors and turn around and look through the rear window. Its a shame that Chevy chose to install a very low end camera into their new Impala which has been favorably compared to the Lexus LS class. This has been a big disappointment to me because the Impala is a really wonderful vehicle.

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  Malibu now a great car - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By hansup - October 17 - 11:45 am

  13 Malibu has more power, gets better mileage, has more room, and is quieter than my 2000 BMW 323i.

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  Fun Car: When its not in the shop. - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By mjperry - October 16 - 4:40 pm

  Over the past 3 years I think my car has had a major breakdown 6 or 7 times. The first time the shifter broke. After that all problems have come from the car computer, which has died 5 or 6 times now, including today.

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  Great everyday driver, with style! - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By darnell1977 - October 16 - 9:45 am

  I bought this car for my wife. She didnt think that she would like a small car coming away from a Nissan Armada let me tell you she was wrong, cant her out of it. The car looks small in stature but interior has good spacing and a large trunk for a small vehicle. The car handles very firm but is really fun and comfortable. We have owned an Audi A4 1.8 turbo a while back and it handles just like it, very predictable and hugs the road. The ride is smooth and bumps are effortless. The electronics inside the car are great for long trips or short work journeys. Let me be the first to admit we were going to opt out on the Mylink and the other, GET THEM YOU WONT REGRET IT!