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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  Windy Wendy is a blast! - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By gdemarco - April 27 - 9:16 am

  Bought my 2001 hatchback in April of 2013. Very low miles and looks showroom good. I have wanted a corvette for years but children and a military career precluded adding one to the family. Now with just my wife and boxer dod the time seemed right. A long time dream come true and boy, do I feel blessed. Great car, great price, great dog, great wife! Could it get any better?

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  06 Trailblazer - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By scribe77 - April 26 - 8:30 pm

  This is my second Trailblazer. First one was 2003. Kept the 2003 for about 4 years and 90,000+ miles. I bought the 2006 in 2009 with about 30,000 miles on it. It now has 115,000 miles. Love its power and appearance. Gas mileage is acceptable with about 15-17 city and 20 -22 on the highway. Only problems with it other than maintenance was the fuel sensor, which I had to replace and belt tensioner ($20.00). I have replaced the brakes twice. Tires replaced once. Used it to pull 4,000 lb trailer for a while. It did it, but it wasnt happy. With a 3,000 lb trailer it drives much better, but hwy mileage sank to about 13-14 mpg. When this one wears out I will look for another one.

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  Enjoying the first 1000 miles - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By gwtx - April 26 - 4:08 pm

  Ive had the car for a month and put on about 1,000 miles. Ive yet to put gas in the car, so from the EV perspective it works exactly as advertised. I bought it with all the bells and whistles. The interior isnt bad. Its a bit cramped and there isnt a lot of space in the back seat. The lack of electric seat adjustments is a major negative. My wife literally has to get out of the car to adjust the seat. We trade back and forth driving the car, so were constantly pumping the lever to raise or lower the seat. Its very inconvenient. The other complaint is that the voice recognition and navigation system is a complete train wreck. Simple instructions like "Drive Home" or "Destination Home" are impossible. If you dont know the exact… command name in the list, the voice recognition is completely useless. I dont understand why I can tell my phone to "drive to bass hall" and it gives me directions to the door, but the Chevy nav system completely freaks out. Then, when it tries to send you to something ridiculous, like Baskeall, TX, (I dont think such a place exists), canceling the instructions takes several minutes. You have to wait for it to calculate the results and then talk your way through several menus before you can tell it delete the waypoint. Then it asks you which waypoint to delete (of the one available). Chevy could fix this with a software download. Lets hope they do. On the plus side, the car drives very well. It doesnt have power in the traditional sense, but it really takes off. Its very smooth, nimble handling, and--of course--extremely quiet. Im glad I bought the car and will consider the ELR when it comes out. In the meantime, though, Chevy needs to do some work on the voice commands and nav system.

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  Most reliable car Ive ever had - 2005 Chevrolet Classic
  By guitfiddle07 - April 25 - 8:44 am

  I believe most of these cars were either rentals or government fleet vehicles. I believe mine was a rental. At any rate, I have 165,000 miles on it and I put about 40,000 a year on it. I put new brakes on once, wiper motor and new tires. Replaced the serpentine belt as preventative maintenance and thats about it. They are not very fun to drive and handle like a boat after the suspension ages (not something I care about), but it is a great dependable car that is cheap to maintain. I will buy one for each of my kids when they are old enough.

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  A Very Good Buy - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By bedshki - April 24 - 3:22 pm

  The redesigned 2013 Malibu looks and drives nothing like the 2012 model. This car is an extremely comfortable drive and the seats hug you. It features a quiet interior which you will really notice on those drives on the interstate. In addition to the redesigned interior, Chevy redesigned the gearing to get a car with a total average of about 30mpg city/highway. In short, if you are looking for a reliable car with a sleek look this is the car to have.

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  Chevy Malibu 2013 - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By stromit - April 23 - 9:46 pm

  Have had the Chevy 1LT Malibu for about a month now. Traded in a 2006 Honda Pilot with almost 100K. Hard to trade in but it eats gas like nothing. Really like the better gas mileage. Not fantastic but a big step up. We also have a 2012 Honda Accord. The Accord gets better gas mileage and is zippier and shifts gears smoother. But, the Malibu feels like a really nice luxury car. I really like it better. In fact, my 18 year old likes it much better than the Accord. More bells & whistles. Will be interesting to see the reliability in the future for both. But, I have more faith in GM now than in the past. As far as OnStar navigation which is free for 6 months, not impressed.

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  My Cruze experience - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By ctryan1 - April 22 - 6:55 pm

  I recently purchased a used Chevy Cruze. A friend had purchased one brand new a few weeks earlier and he said he loved it. Well I am feeling the same way about ours. We purchased a used 2011 2LT with leather and it is great. Rides nice, feels solid and gets great gas mileage.

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  Fantastic refined midsize sedan - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By curved - April 22 - 4:46 pm

  I bought a 13 Malibu ECO last week and have been loving it. Compared to other mid size cars Ive driven, this new Malibu is something special. It offers a rewarding, precise drive, highly refined drivetrain, top-of-the-class interior, and great seats for tall people. Its compromises are an only moderately impressive fuel economy figure and moderate size interior. I have owned some very fast cars, and the suspension on this car is one of the most impressive I have driven. It manages to have luxury-level refinement while being very precise and settled during high speed cornering. If youre looking for a mid size car with very high refinement, this is it.

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  Love this thing! - 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By majorv - April 21 - 6:18 pm

  Ive never spent more than $18k for a new car so this was a real splurge for me, but I am totally in love this my 2012 Avalanche! We raise and show rabbits and I got it to take our rabbits and equipment to the shows. It has not disappointed me. Its easy to drop the back seat and midgate and I have LOTS of room to put rabbit cages, grooming table, etc..., and the best part is that I can keep the rabbits cool or warm, as needed, because the bed cover keeps the elements out. The ride is very nice, not at all like a truck. The only thing Im on the fence about is the AFM (active fuel management) system. If I have to press on the gas there tends to be a slight lag before it accelerates.

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  No armrest padding - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By pocprotec - April 21 - 3:13 pm

  My 2009 Chevrolet Malibu hybrid has no armrest padding from the manufacturer. As a result, I have bursitis on one elbow. It also has Onstar but there is no compass in the car.