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:

• 

  Sitting at dealer ship again - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Michelle - December 26 - 10:17 am

  Our cruze is only 2011 and I know I have brought our car to dealer 5 times this makes six times in 3 year...IAM SO PISSED ALL I CAN SAY RIGHT NOW IS WOW...Every time its something close to the engine but not close enough the pawertrai kicks in...[non-permissible content removed]

• 

  Dont buy this car - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Steven smith - December 25 - 11:26 pm

  I have a 2008 Chevy hhr 2lt with the 2.4 engine. For two years I have been deal with a major brake problem the master cylinder and power brake booster has been replaced and to this day the break paddle goes to the floor. Its has been to the dealer and to brake max and they cant even fix the problem all they do is bleed the system. And you can forget it out. dont even think about doing emergency stop because the brake pedal just goes to the floor its kind of scary when youre doing 65 miles an hour down the freeway.

• 

  How do you spell Fun? CORVETTE - 2015 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Gary Graham - December 25 - 9:15 pm

  Mine is an 8 speed automatic (no choice to select). I had a 2001 Corvette C5 convertible for years. Fantastic car. Then I drove a 2015 C7 Z51 wih magnetic ride (shocks), NPP (exhaust), PDR (Performance Data Review) video, etc, etc options. As a retired 68 year old driver of 50+ cars (many of those sports cars), I fell in love with this car immediately. This is no "garage queen". I drive my Corvette. I had taken a sports car driving course in Florida several years ago, so I can and do drive spiritedly. I can appreciate what the C7 can do. I am taking another course soon at the Ron Fellows Corvette Stingray Owners course to learn even more about this beauty. The service support is wonderful. Get to know your Service Advisor. He will become your friend because most of them are true specialists and appreciate the Corvettes uniqueness. I get 21 mpg around town and 29+ mpg on the road. The MIchelin "summer only" high performance tires track beautifully, but lose some of that "stickiness" in cold weather (<32 degrees F).

• 

  Excellent Vehicle - 2015 Chevrolet SS
  By Charles Jackson - December 25 - 8:42 pm

  Car is beautiful the only minor setback is gas mileage but if thats of concern then you shouldnt even consider buying this car. I Love Mine !!! Charles In Honolulu Hawaii

• 

  Inexpensive pony car - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By eric andersen - December 25 - 2:15 pm

  Great looking and fast ! Interior is great looking as well but horrific for comfort or view.I am 63 when I put seat all the way back and all the way down I was still looking through the sun screen at top of windshield.Interior is cramped and the back seat is only for five year olds.I wanted to buy one but after driving this car five times it was just too cramped to drive . If you are 510 or under the car may work out for you but this car is not for taller people.When convertible top is up view is awful.It is priced right and offers performance but not good as a daily driver.This is a poor mans Corvette.Car is awful in snow and rain,rear wheels spin on a tear drop.

• 

  Our baby saved our lives! - 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Mary Walker - December 23 - 3:59 pm

  This vehicle is comfortable to drive and ride in. Location of accessories and controls makes sense and are easily accessible. We were in a nasty collision in a freak ice storm a few days ago. This vehicle cushioned all of us and kept us safe. I am currently looking for another Suburban as I have owned many cars and trucks over the years and am extremely impressed with this vehicle. Kudos to the designers.

• 

  2013 Impala LTZ made a frugal man happy. - 2013 Chevrolet Impala
  By Steve - December 23 - 10:38 am

  Well, Im on the cusp of my 31st birthday and I have decided to finance my first vehicle. I love cars. I played racing games growing up, I watch Top Gear, Im in the loop. Speed, Power, and Style are all highly appealing to me. But, with that said, I live in the city. I commute to work everyday. I hope to travel. And, Im not rich. I needed a car that fit my profile and the deal needed to be right. The Impala was the perfect selection. I dont give a care about its dime a dozen style, or its plastic interior, its a great car. These new V-6s crank out power with zero effort. I absolutely love when it comes time to pass or merge, it just tickles me pink. Luckily, I wont be cruising any mountain ranges any time soon like your latest Acura commercial, so I dont need sports care steering. Honestly, the steering isnt great. The steering wheel is tight and it doesnt attack corners, but it doesnt matter. I dont need that when I pull into Walgreens. The cabin has all the space you need, and plenty of road presence. Everything everybody likes about the cars in these reviews are true. In short, I just wanted to drop in and advise not to split hairs over professional reviews. They are after innovation, design, and refinement. The Impala lacks primarily in innovation. However, this will save you thousands. When I was looking at a $13,000 Impala thats fully loaded at 55k miles and its right next to a Honda Accord with the same mileage but at $17,000, the decision was clear to me. Its all about the driver.

• 

  Major Mechanical Issues - Thats Life! - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Anthony - December 21 - 4:29 pm

  I, unfortunately, own a 2010 2LT that currently has about 70,000 miles. I have had multiple major mechanical components of the vehicle fail prematurely. Specifically, one of the catalytic converters failed at about 60,000, the throttle body and related wiring failed at about 45,000, the timing chains stretched at about 35,000 and most recently have just stretched again at about 70,000. GM assumes no responsibility for the issues and when questioned for assistance with the second timing chain failure has relayed the message that they believe that this is normal wear and that the 35,000 mile interval is acceptable. Terrible product. I do not recommend if you purchase one if you like your hard earned money. Other than the major mechanical issues the car looks fantastic. I guess I always really did need a $35,000 lawn decoration.

• 

  Get ready to spend money on a lemon - 2014 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Jimmybe - December 20 - 5:48 pm

  Car historically has issues with stability controls and will shut off without warning. Problems started within first 25000 miles . Spend day shutting off car to have computer reset and drive until It happens again. I have been told by service thats pretty standard for those cars . Not covered under gm settlement this is a separate issue that is in early stages of litigation.

• 

  Solid Engine, Good value vehicle - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Brad M. - December 20 - 10:09 am

  My parents bought a 2006 4WD LS Trailblazer from a used car lot in 2007/2008 with about 20K-30K miles on it. We have since owned the vehicle since 2010. This SUV was the first one Ive ever owned. It took a little getting used to the low gas mileage, but living in Pennsylvania with sometimes heavy snow and icy conditions, it was great having a vehicle with 4WD and good ground clearance. This vehicle will hit 200,000 miles within the next month and I hope to keep the vehicle for at least another 20K miles (unless some costly major repair is needed). The vehicle is on its 3rd or 4th set of tires, I replaced the engine belt at 187K miles, Ive replaced the front struts, all 4 rotors recently, and the belt tensioner twice ($15 part). The O2 sensor has been replaced once and I am online now ordering a thermostat for the engine (and a rear tail-light, my wife backed into a car yesterday while out shopping). The Inline 6 engine is highly rated and Ive never had any issue with it. The rear struts need to be replaced, but it still passes state inspection and each time the mechanics mention how great of condition this vehicle is in. My only complaints with this vehicle are that the interior is cheap looking on our LS model. The dash is cheap feeling hard plastic and the rear speakers have been out for over a year. Overall I love this vehicle and would consider buying another even though they are pretty old. There is a fantastic website forum called TrailVoy.com with tons of discussions for any problem you could have with this vehicle and helpful tips on DIY fixes, or advice on paying for repairs.