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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  Bad drivetrain in the 2011s - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By lsmithhart - May 15 - 7:44 am

  We initially loved our Equinox, until the breakdowns and dangerous acceleration problems. The engine repairs began at 4500 miles or so, the transmission was repaired at 15,000 miles or so. With 30,000 miles, my wife doesnt feel it is reliable, so she drives the 2007 Mazda. The GM approach to satisfaction? Sorry!

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  Nice car but sleepy - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By numberguy - May 15 - 3:41 am

  Ive had my Cruze for a year now and 11,000 miles. It has been trouble free. You do get a lot of car for the money. My advice is dont get the 1.4 turbo motor as the throttle response is terrible at highway speeds. The problem is that the better 1.8 motor is only available on the LS model. Ive driven both and the 1.8 is better and gets the same mileage. Sadly I plan on trade this car for one with better highway response. If you can afford it buy the Malibu as it drives MUCH better.

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  Great car! just needs a few minor tweaks. - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By 62235volt - May 14 - 2:16 pm

  1) Driving in D utilizes slightly more kW than when driving in L. [upshift into D and see the increase on the battery draw display then shift back to L]. Use D when you want to coast instead of regen braking. 2) Needs separate SPORT MODE button. 3) OnStar needs faster data acquisition and more data viewing options. 30/60/90 day & 6 month mileage display. Yes..many of the cons are relatively minor. Yet, overall, the car functions very well to what the MAIN purpose of the intent was…to be an efficient commuter car. ..a home run in that respect. But when you add in the cons and other notes against the price of the car, I give it a strong triple.

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  Moms little trustie! - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By tauscuppy - May 14 - 1:49 pm

  I love this car! we always have new trucks, or vans. when gas prices got so high, I went out and bought one of these (after muchresearch on other compacts) Now, this is the family car, its taken us everywhere, not a single worry, I drive on the feeway ALL the time, and cant believe how smooth it is, I have to chech the sppedometer all the time, cuz I am always speeding, but, it never feels like it. this car was 8 years old when I bought it, has just over 100.000 on it now. I will own this car for a long time <3

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  Cheaply assembled, Money Pit. - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By nathanrobert - May 14 - 8:45 am

  Bought in July of 2010. Were at 50K miles now. Problems weve had that arent normal wear-and-tear include: Interior and exterior parts snapping out of place too easily. "Service Stabilitrak" malfunction. Car stalls and reduces engine power unexpectly, Has happened numerous times even after being serviced. Very frustating issue. Cracked engine mount. Bearing failure with the steering column. AC non-funcitioning two springs in a row. Gas mileage has been unwhelming, thats was expected as we do mostly city driving. Car is decent when things are working, but overall, its just bee a money pit with too many headaches for what was a brand new car when we purchased.

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  Keeps going and going.... - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By upnorth5 - May 13 - 11:21 pm

  Purchased new in 03 Z71 4x4 with 5.3 flex fuel. Currently has 202,600 miles. This truck has been amazing, best truck we have owned. Sure there are some annoyances, steering half shafts do go out once and a while (weve replaced 2 of them) and our speedometer stuck too like some others but nothing major. We pull a 5,000 pound boat regularly and have throughout the trucks life with no problems. Weve only put brakes on it twice and were on our third set of Goodyear Wrangler ATS tires. Smooth, comfortable, and amazingly reliable, has never failed to start during a Minnesota winter. Hope our new Tahoe LTZ treats us as nice, we pick it up tomorrow.

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  5k review - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By electric77 - May 13 - 9:38 pm

  5000 miles, 5 months, and 11 gallons of fuel into owning the 2013 Volt, Im amazed at how impressed I am with this car. I nearly always make my 43 mile round trip commute without using a drop of gasoline and only about $1.40 worth of electricity. However, the best part about owning it is how well it is engineered and the smooth and silent surge of power from the electric drivetrain. Although the sticker price will scare a few people away the real price after rebates was just slightly less than a similarly equipped Honda Accord would have been. My electric range has been between 34 miles on a cold day in January and 50 mildly driven miles on a warm spring day.

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  Something Chevy Doesnt Tell You - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By oceanhhr - May 13 - 8:31 pm

  We have an HHR LT with the 2.4L Ecotec FlexFuel, automatic. Drives great. Plenty of pick-up. But no one mentioned the engine is NOT happy using the Ethanol gas we have to put in it!! To get decent gas mileage we have to put in an additive by Lucas every time we fill up! Thats a pain. I would think about it before buying. Another problem is that the interior has MANY blind spots. You have to be extra careful to look more than normal to make sure you see properly. (Esp. for someone short in height.) It sits comfortably and the power driver seat works well. The round air vents are nicer than the standard louver ones. There are ample cup holders compared to many more expensive cars.

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  Best car I have ever owned - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By joncab5 - May 13 - 2:00 pm

  I have had the car for 8 months and still have not yet visited a gas station. My commute is only 18 miles and I have charging abilities at work. My biggest surprise regarding this vehicle is the Chevy brand. I am not a snob, but my previous vehicles are Lexus, Porsche, BMW, MBZ and the more I read about the Volt the better it sounds. I then test drove one out of curiosity and was shocked at the build quality. It is outstanding. What most people dont understand is there is a timer on the internal charging system that allows it to start charging at midnight. In California EV owners get very, very cheap electricity starting at midnight. So I am paying very little for energy.

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  I cant believe its not an import! - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By kkear3 - May 12 - 8:39 pm

  This 2013 Malibu is all the reasons we used to buy import cars. Its quiet inside, good looking on the outside, has amazing tech, plenty of power, gets great gas mileage( 31 MPG rural driving), excellent paint work, all priced lower than most everything else. I dont know why GM couldnt or didnt build cars like this 30 years ago I am just glad they do now. I was going to lease a Camry SE to replace my aging Tundra which needed several VERY expensive repairs (!!!!) but the Malibu has more equipment and is 30% less in both down money and monthly payment. Best of all the 2013 Malibu is SO much better looking than the "dopey" looking 2013 Camry. Gotta love the cool blue interior illumination.