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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  Surprisingly good car - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By david331 - August 22 - 4:43 pm

  Ive been driving for a long time and have never bought a car from an American company until now. The Cruze is more solidly built than our previous Hondas and Toyotas, and I recently got 45 mpg driving from Georgia to Virginia.

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  MY 97 TAHOE LT - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By gene105 - August 21 - 2:43 am

  Had to replace engine around 85,000 miles, then around 130,000 miles had to replace head and vortec gaskets. Also had to replace radiator, shop busted old one when they replaced the gaskets. Still on original tires. Seats are fully adjustable,power windows, rear hatch style doors w/washer n blade, cruse control low mileage on mine due to the fact I drive a 18 wheeler.

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  Love This Car! - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By carlover75 - August 19 - 11:44 am

  We have had our LTZ for 3 weeks now. Being high gloss black with chrome, it is a real head turner. Has everything that most luxury cars have. Huge trunk with roomy back seats that fold down for easy pass through from trunk. We traded in our 07 Corvette and the Impala gives us the feeling of a sports car with the ride and comfort of a luxury car. Really love the back up assist and heated and cooed seats. Once we saw this model we had to have one. Looked at lots of other sedans and for under $40,000 could not find one to compare.

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  Avoid Suburbans with 5.3 engine - 2009 Chevrolet Suburban
  By boomer1971 - August 18 - 9:48 am

  Hey everyone have had on going issues with my truck and wanted to share my experience . I have a 2009 Suburban with the 5.3 liter engine. I have been to the dealer 4 times with engine related issues. Me and my family have been left at the roadside by this truck. The truck has had the engine rebuilt at 38000 miles by the dealership and continues to consume oil at 41000 miles. I have no confidence in this truck any longer. Ive requested a new engine or buyback. Best GM has to offer is $2000 certificate towards purchase of another GM product. Avoid the 5.3 liter versions of the Suburban/ Tahoe/ Yukon as many have had engine problems.

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  Could be better but age has something to do with that. - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By markb873 - August 17 - 9:23 pm

  Purchased a 2006 Impala in December of 2012 at 67,000 miles. Pulled the service history from Chevy and found no major issues in the vehicles past. Someone ripped the connector off the rear window defrost so that needed to be re-attached. This Impala had the factory fluid in the transmission causing the delayed shift issue common to these. Managed to eliminate that with a few transmission flushes, additives, and filter changes. Had to replace the lower intake gaskets as the engine was leaking coolant internally. Somebody tried to fix that with a few bottles of stop leak so the coolant looked like mud. Head gaskets have some external oil leaks but I havent replaced them yet.

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  Great Car. - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By markb873 - August 17 - 9:01 pm

  I bought a 2008 Cobalt at 77,000 miles in the summer of 2011. Just rolled over 100,000 miles. Had a few common problems. Transmission had to be rebuilt under GM Powertrain, both front speakers failed, lower control arms. This is all things I would expect with a disposable GM vehicle. I noticed in the snow that maintaining a proper alignment was key to driving straight, and adjusting the rear brakes was key to stopping. The paint still looks brand new even after $4,000 of paintless dent removal. The car has always been dependable and I dont plan to trade mine in.

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  I regret buying this car! - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By ck1102 - August 17 - 12:42 am

  I usually dont leave reviews like this, but maybe I will save someone from the headache of owning this piece. I bought my 02 Malibu in 2010, and it only had 80k miles on it. Now, with 130k miles and regular checkups, Ive had to replace the ignition switch, fuel pump and filter, water pump, the wheel baring twice, the master cylinder and entire brake system, oxygen sensor, the throttle body sensor, the temperature gauge, spark plugs,2 speakers, 2 batteries, 2 sets of brand new tires, and the door handle. This adds up to a significantly higher amount than the car is actually worth, and guess what? My head gasket just blew and flooded my entire engine. Thanks, Chevy, thanks a lot.

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  Fantastic Car 60k miles and still going strong! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By smithg89 - August 15 - 9:07 am

  Bought this car brand new in 2007. Since then there have been no major repairs required. No check engine lights nothing. Still on the factory break pads and theyre still fine! Factory battery lasted five years before we replaced it to be safe. And, after being in a front end collision, the body is durable and the car is safe. I do have a minor electrical problem with the radio but its nothing worth writing home about. Paid $18k out the door for it (warrantied to the ceiling) and havent looked back! Great car, sad they replaced it with the Cruize.

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  30,000 mile review - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By captdavid100 - August 15 - 6:56 am

  Car purchased December 2011. Trouble free since new. Main reason for selecting the Cruze 1LT was the availability of the six-speed manual transmission. Recently completed 2,200 mile road trip - average fuel burn 36.4 MPH (real - not computer). The car remains surprisingly tight, is very quiet, tracks well with no torque steer and a all and all a pleasure to drive. Because the engine lacks "punch" it takes a little getting used to when passing or entering a highway - pay attention and drive defensively. I look forward to driving the car every day and enjoy the Cruze much more than I would have thought. GM deserves two thumbs up for designing and delivering a quality vehicle.

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  A couple things need improvement - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By notsocool - August 14 - 9:44 am

  Overall good car. 2 things I think need improvement. One is the front seat construction. The plastic side piece comes way up the cushion so that when I get out it squishes my thigh and hurts unless I snake sideways and slip out of the car, but that gives me a panty wedgy every time. Secondly and most important is the vibrating rear view mirror. They have replaced the mirror but to no avail. After driving 2 more new cars on the lot we discovered the same issue. Must be a poor design. Bad. It actually deters me from looking in my rear as often as Id like.