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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  This is an awesome car, But!!!!!!! - 2013 Chevrolet Spark
  By whoknew1985 - August 7 - 12:58 pm

  I can be really happy and satisfied with this car if General Motors fixes the A/C issues that some of them are having. The A/C works while driving, but blows warm air at idle. I do not enjoy driving this car in the city at this time. I love the styling and charm of the design of the car. It is fun to drive and handles longer trips really well, in my opinion. The colors that are available gives this car its unique place in my day to day travels. I will update this review and mark this car with higher scores once General Motors finds a resolution for the A/C problems. I have the LS model with the 5-speed transmission. It is Jalapeno Green.

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  this car sucks and so does gm - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By crapmalibu - August 6 - 9:18 pm

  Bought my 2008 Malibu in 2011 . And since I pulled off the lot I have had problems . Catholic converter gone shocks gone brakes gone sensors gone steering horrible and so on the list goes and I have emailed and called gm after I tlod them I had to pay $1500 for my exhaust system and they dont even care and it was at there dealership . So much for standing behind your product . That new hyndia sonata is looking very good Im about to go foreign for the first time in 13 years. Good bye gm [non-permissible content removed].

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  3 years/70k miles and still going strong - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By setht37 - August 6 - 10:59 am

  I have had this car for 3 years and it now has over 70k miles on it and I have not had any issues with it. There are a couple squeaks and rattles here and there and sometimes the right turn signal does not go off when turning but I figure it is not a luxury car so what do you expect. I feel this car is just as reliable as a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord. When I first got the car it did not get good gas mileage now that the engine is broken in it gets good mileage. I have gotten 33 mpg doing 80 with 5 people in the car and luggage in the trunk.

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  The Value Mobile - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By sbe79 - August 5 - 10:50 pm

  Purchased in 2/2013 with a mere 38K on it. Had been garaged constantly and rarely driven in inclement weather. Basically, it was nearly mint. All in all, the car feels extremely cheap. It does not feel or drive like a 2003 of any type, it feels much older. It is a true budget mobile that offers no thrills or extras -- its a wonder these ever sold at all up against the competitively priced Civic or Corolla. My wife drives it as an errand runner -- and she runs a lot of errands. It has so far proven its dependability. Even though it feels like I could karate chop most of the interior, I think I could drive it at least part way across the US without issue.

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  So DONE with Chevys - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By samaochoa - August 4 - 1:10 pm

  I havent had any huge major probs happen, other than the 2 recalls fuel pump and power steering pumps, which Chevy fixed. I have had lots of electrical probs, the wire burnt up on the blower motor, I fixed that and now my ac/heater is stuck in defrost, it will go hot and cold and you hear the compressor kicking on and off, but its stuck in defrost. Its always small things, but Im done. I only owe $600 on the damn thing and a trade in is in the near future. I loved my cavalier, never had a prob thats why I traded it in for a cobalt and probs since day 1

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  Never again - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By emm4 - August 4 - 10:25 am

  I made the biggest mistake ever in buying this car. I bought it from someone I didnt know well. He told me it might need brakes. Ok I accept that. I take the car to a delership. It neeed rotars, a tirod end and a new battery. But supposedly nothing serious. I get those issues fixed. I went on vacation with my family a couple hours away from home. Fine all the way up there and during my trip. On my way home. Right before we hit the E-way it starts acting funny. Then it died. I had it towed to a dealership. Turns out it has motor problems like it needs a new engine!!! Because of a crack or something deep inside the motor. I had to have it towed home. 180 miles!!!

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  My 2013 Cruze 1LT RS - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By bowtiers - August 2 - 1:05 pm

  Bought the car about 2 weeks ago and couldnt be happier. I am a big gear head and based aspects other than price and reliability. The cruze ranks among the best when it comes to handling and the feel of the drive. Only the focus and mazda3 rank higher. I chose the cruze due to is executive good looks, upscale interior, german like build quality, and peppy turbo engine.

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  Fun car to drive, but seems to have consistent issues - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By mccachement - July 31 - 11:14 pm

  Fun car to drive. I have never owned such a fun car to drive. Power and performance are outstanding. Reliability? Come on, Chevy. I know you can do better. Within months of purchasing the car it began to do "funny" things. Like telling me all 4 tires were flat and not one was, giving me an airbag warning and adjusting radio volume on its own to name a few. The Chevy dealer said it needed a computer upgrade and we did that. Everything was good for a few weeks, and the issues began again. Back to dealer, same problem. Now, 60K miles into it, the car has left me stranded twice and I no longer have any faith in the reliability. Be warned if you are looking for a reliable vehicle.

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  Value car - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By desoto3 - July 31 - 1:49 pm

  I bought 2008 impala in 2011 with 59k on the speedometer. Besides a few issues I like the car. In 2013, the car now is at 92k.

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  I LOVE MY CAR! - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By becktilda - July 30 - 10:40 pm

  Words cannot adequately express how much I love my car! I had been driving the same vehicle for over 14 years. And I decided that enough was enough. It was time to get something different. And it was the best decision that I have made in a very long time!