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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  Future Babys First Car - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By crenstrom - May 25 - 2:00 am

  Since we went down to one car nearly 1 year ago we have been very satisfied with our choice of the Malibu LS. The interior is very comfortable. Id recommend it as a reasonable alternative to anyone looking at a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry unless you plan on keeping the car for 15 years. The 3.1 engine is in many Chevrolet products. It has great performance, great ride, larger interior, and doesnt need 93 octane gas in the v6.

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  Excellent car, especially for the $. - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By SJP - May 25 - 2:00 am

  This is an excellent and impressive car for the money. Good power, and handling and ride as good as the Camry. Very quite, as good as the Camry except for a little noisier engine - at least when accelerating hard. Has just about everything one would want in this class of car. Very good stereo (we have the upgrade), comfortable seats (again, since ours is the LS, the seats are an upgrade over the base - do not like the seats in the base). Very roomy. The original Firestone Affinity tires are the only down side. I replaced them with Dumlap SPs. They improved the ride and handling, especially in the rain.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By admyrar - May 25 - 2:00 am

  I have owned an Explorer and Expedition and feel that the Traiblazer EXT is one of the most comfortable and flexible SUVs on the market. The engine is ultra quiet and performs smoothly.

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  truck - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By radlt1mo - May 25 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Silverado. All complaints I had about the previous truck have been addressed on this new one. Much tighter turning radius than my 97. Much roomier extended cab. Controls are all placed very conveniently.

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  Not a Porsche but not $40,000 - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Lee - May 24 - 6:56 pm

  Ive had my Cobalt for 7 months and it is time to rate it. Its great. Im really a big car fan but this is a fun car. I drive about 250 miles every 4 to 5 days and I enjoy. I got every option except the ashtray for $18,200, lets see Honda beat that. Okay it does have cheap plastic interior like thay say but for the money I think it is a fine car.

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  Great first car - 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By KenX - May 23 - 2:00 am

  Purchased new in 94. Very few problems, mostly routine wear & tear. Wonderful, reliable, sporty car for 8 years. 3.1V6 makes the RS a Z24 in disguise. Buy one if you find a decent one with reasonable miles!

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  Leasing the Malibu 2016 - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Louise Z. - May 22 - 6:20 am

  I have had my Malibu for the past month and I do honestly love it. I traded in my 2015 Chevrolet equinox to get something smaller and better gas mileage and I do not regret my decision with the Malibu. Again I did get the base version so I do not have all the bells and whistles that I wouldve hoped for but even with that I get rear camera, touchscreen display, apple carplay, the rear seating is roomy. The acceleration isnt the fastest at first but if you give it a couple seconds itll get pretty fast especially when merging onto the freeway. It is a push to start which Ive never had before and I think this feature is awesome. The engine does auto stop which I had no idea about until I was driving it the day after purchase. I was never told about this feature before purchasing so I was really confused, so after I read my owners manual it told me what it was. I wasnt expecting it to be on a non-hybrid but if its saving me gas I cant complain. I understand the jerking when you press the gas if you like to drive like [non-permissible content removed] and have no patience to accelerate when a light switches. I have had no problem with jerking motions thus far because the engine will start again once you ease off the brake and then accelerate. Honestly not a problem. The auto stop will activate when you stop after having been driving for a couple minutes or certain speed (not quite sure yet but this is what Ive observed). Sometimes when Im stopped at a light it will randomly turn the engine back on which I dont understand but I mean, it normally would be running in any other car, and thats not really a point that sold me on this car so Im not mad. Overall I love this car, very sporty inside and out.

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  Great For High Mileage, Cool Tech, Tight Parking! - 2017 Chevrolet Spark
  By C. Tatum - May 22 - 5:31 am

  I am a simple kind of guy, and my goal with getting another vehicle was very simple – get a new vehicle at a reasonably low price. Happily, the 2017 Spark is simple in all the ways I like – I got the base LS model because I’m not a fan of power anything (power stuff breaks first). The only “power” options I wanted and got on the Spark were power steering and an automatic transmission. The most common descriptor my friends use for the Spark is “cute.” It’s quite a small vehicle, but it’s one I have no problem fitting my 5’ 11”, 230-pound frame into. The seats, while not easy-chair material, are sufficiently comfortable. The Spark is good with mirrors and window space – blind spots on either side of the car have been kept to a minimum. The rear-view mirror inside the cabin could be a little wider, but it’s adequate. And the rear window is wide enough to monitor tailgaters. Internal storage space, as has been widely written about, isn’t very much, but you can fold the rear seats down for additional space. It also has two rear doors which might be suitable for loading large items as well as associates. Much has also been written about the Spark’s 98-horsepower engine and that it takes 10 seconds to get to 60 mph. I have not found it to be a problem. I would not call it underpowered at all. If you’re an angry, pushy driver who loves to tailgate others, the Spark will exhaust your patience. But if you’re a judicious, considerate driver, the Spark’s acceleration won’t be an issue for you. I was a little surprised to find out the Spark has a 9.2-gallon tank – the smallest in any vehicle I’ve ever owned, but that’s offset by its high-rated fuel mileage of 38mpg (highway) and up. If you do the math, that’s a cruising range of at least 340 miles. This is not a “touring” car, but for 180- to 250-mile trips that I take on occasion, I’m confident the Spark can handle the pull. The deal clincher for me was under the hood – the EcoTec engine, this one a 1.4-liter jobbie – is the centerpiece of the Spark. I became a huge fan of EcoTec with my last car which lasted over 296,000 miles with that original engine. Unlike the Fiat 500, you can use 87 octane fuel with the Spark. Compared with what I’ve read about similar subcompacts, the Spark’s instrument panel and dash are welcomingly simple and very nicely designed. No screen is too “busy”. If you have an Android or iPhone smartphone, you can plug either device into the USB jack and access music and certain mobile apps from those devices on the touch-screen display. The semi-digital dash on the base model is the carries a nice amount of information including mpg, miles to empty, and average speed. The 1LT and 2LT models are supposed to be even better on this point. The radio does NOT pick up HD channels (at least not in the base model), so get your premium stations thru your Bluetooth enabled smartphone and apps like Sirius XM or Pandora. The Spark includes several modern conveniences and safety features such as a rear backup camera and the MyChevy touch-screen control system with Bluetooth. You get a 3-month trial of OnStar remote monitoring and assistance free, too, as well as built-in 4G wi-fi service you can add on for as little as $10 a month (1 GB). Automatic lights, cup holders, and too many other features to include in this short review. The Spark is a good, simple little car that has in reviews been compared favorably in specific ways to the pricier Honda Fit, the trendy Fiat 500, the practical Nissan Versa, and the equally reliable Toyota Yaris. The Spark stands out, though, for its integrated OnStar service and onboard technology. If you’re in a precarious situation with savings or credit score, and you need basic transportation, you’ll like the Spark a lot. If you’re a road hog, or a gearhead, look elsewhere. The Spark is most certainly not a ride for hipsters (unless they’re driving it ironically). For its high fuel mileage, its maneuverability in tight parking spaces, its safety features, and its integrated smartphone technology, not to mention its low price relative to other vehicles in its class, the 2017 Spark earns its 5 stars overall. Just a few things keep it from being an absolutely perfect subcompact, but no one has made one of those yet! Take a test drive! You’ll love it!

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  great car so far - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By john stricker - May 22 - 2:00 am

  this car has really taken me by suprise, it has over 100,000 miles on the engine and it runs so smooth. great handling, factory stereo, and not too mention a chick magnet

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  Ford Cant Beat it - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By KEN JOCHUM - May 21 - 11:36 pm

  I would love to have one with a V8 but at age 63 a V6 goes fast enough. The gas mileage is great. I average 27.2mpg a tank driving at 60-73mph with some city driving included. It has remarkable correction on the road. This car will not go on the block for sale anytime soon.