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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  Pleasantly surprised! - 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Scott in Illinois - December 19 - 6:21 am

  I got my GM Certified Pre-Owned 2017 Cruze Premier with only 15k miles on it. I went with the intention of buying a Malibu, but after driving the Cruze I was so pleasantly surprised, I bought it instead of the Malibu. I have only put on a little over 1000 miles in the few weeks Ive owned it, but it has not disappointed. I drive 100+ miles round trip 2-3 days per week for work, through moderate rush hour traffic (so no using cruise control, and some slow downs and stop-and-go traffic), and the seat comfort and ride quality have been great. I wish in the Premier at least there was adjustable lumbar support, but the seats are plenty comfortable anyway, so no big deal. The Bluetooth, Android Auto, SiriusXM, voice recognition, etc, all work flawlessly without any hiccups. Climate controls are simple to use. Performance wise, Im not sure what the deal is with Edmunds review. Most other review sites put the 0-60 around 8.0 seconds, some even under 8.0 seconds. I would agree with those test results. The 1.4L turbo has plenty of pep. Merging and passing on the freeway is easy. Plenty of instant torque down low in the RPMs. I had driven a 2016 2.0L Mazda 3i before buying the Cruze, and in daily driving, the Cruze is way more peppy. The Mazda had to get the revs up before it had any power. Gas mileage for me has been a little over 33 combined, based on miles divided by gallons @ fill ups. The trip computer says about 35 combined, Ive had it read as high as 42 in highway driving. My driving is about 50/50 highway/city. But my highway driving often includes some rush-hour traffic, so it isnt pure highway cruising. I agree that the engine start-stop feature should have a turn-off. But if Im in traffic and I dont want it to stop, I simply shift down from D into L, which disables the auto-stop feature. Overall, Im very satisfied with the my purchase. Well see how long-term reliability is, but so far Im pleased with every other aspect of the car.

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  Last of the Red Hot SS Camaros - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Raidersfan - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I have been both very happy with my driving experience and happy with my dealers who have helped maintain this car. I live and work in San Francisco which is a very car unfriendly place to drive. My 99 six speed SS has handled the steep bumpy hilly terrain admirably. The car has been maintained at a local dealer and with 65,000 miles has not experienced any problems. We dont have any plans on selling this car. When the time comes we will retire it to part time duty. Our trouble will be replacing it with something as exciting as this SS.

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  Surprising little car! - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By adorable little car! - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I had my doubts when I first considered this little car, but it really is a surprise! Very roomy, comfortable and quiet. The drivers seat is very comfortable on your lower back. Love the sunglasses compartment on the drivers side, very convenient if you always wear them while driving. Great sound. The remote key alarm lock has a cute little chirp that seems to match this little puddle-jumper. VERY good price and quality, especially for the younger 1st time car buyer with a tight budget!

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  Great Truck - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By James Bond - December 19 - 2:00 am

  My Tahoe has a Monroe Sport Truck conversion package on it and I love it. The truck would be nice even if it didnt have the conversion package.

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  I love it! - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By goodguyzz - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I love my Tahoe. It is roomy, powerful, comfortable and Ive never owned a vehicle that had such a tight turn radius. I wish the back seats folded into the floor instead of having to remove them.

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  GREAT - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Rich714 - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE MY TRAILBLAZER

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  A+ First Chevy Experience - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By D Friess - December 18 - 10:56 am

  27 years I drove Ford (7 different models), and Im as happy as I can be now driving Chevy. Got the 6.0L Vortec Max. 367 hp and 375 lb-ft torque and 18.9 mpg (after first 500 miles)! Im still amazed at all of the amenities. The comfort, the quiet. I understand completely why this truck got all of the design and performance awards that it did, including Motor Trend 2007 Truck of the Year.

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  My Camaro bliss. - 1994 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Mark Rider - December 18 - 2:00 am

  Bought it new. 113,000 miles with no problems. The only glitch is minor- slight corrosion on an aluminum rim is said to be the cause of a slow tire leak. Cannot bear to part with the car.

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  Fun Car to Drive - 1997 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Zipponator - December 18 - 2:00 am

  I have an RS 6 cylinder model Camaro. The car is very fun to drive and has plenty of power for a V6. I would recomend this car to many people, except for people who might have a tough time gettin into and out of a regular car. Camaros, and its sister car the Firebird, are not real easy to get into or out of. I would say that is its only real draw back. The only other real draw back would be the fuel economy from the V6 model. My Camaro gets around 18 mpg in a combination of street and highway driving. That is any where from 5 to 10 mpg less than I thought I would get. Other than those two liitle items, I really love my convertible camaro.

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  Using Oil - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By pes52 - December 18 - 2:00 am

  Bought the car with 3 miles on it, I ordered it Oct 2000 and took ownership in Jan 2001. I had the dealer to changed the oil and rearend fluid topped off and/or changed. The oil change was free and the rearend cost me about $100. I had 3200 miles on it. I never checked the from that point until I changed it myself at 7000 miles using Havoline syntheic formula 3. I put in the recommended 6.5 quarts. The low oil light came on at 8900 miles. I checked it and it was quart low.