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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  My first - 1996 Chevrolet Corsica
  By terri31 - June 20 - 4:29 pm

  I love my car very much. Every since I bought it I have been confident in my choice. The car is great I hope to have it a long time.

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  Please keep this Chevy secret & tell no one else!!! - 2015 Chevrolet SS
  By jonjgoldberg - June 10 - 9:49 pm

  ...& the only other reviewers car is white too - drives like a smaller sports car in the twistys & a larger luxury car over bumps - wont buy another car w/out magnetic ride & heads up display - this modern sleeper is a wonderful long trip highway car that devours fuel - the 392 Hemi cars are a tick quicker & a bit faster, yet the SS is way more nimble & refined - roomy well finished leather/suede interior w/fake buckle holes in the comfortable front seats & slow to respond touchscreen - fit & finish are good & the paint resists chips - I like that I havent seen another on the road - low production no bad boy understated sheet metal w/a bit much chrome - love the car, wonder about resale -

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  Love Electric Powered, BUT BEWARE! - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By ns2935 - June 4 - 12:59 pm

  The Volt I purchased was a left over 2012 model I purchased Aug 2013 with 600 miles on it. The cars exterior and motor was a mess. It took the dealership some six days to clean the vehicle to new looking. I drove the car for additional 18 months prior to trading it in for a Cadillac SRX. I had taken the car to various dealers of GM, Mitsubishi, Subaru. The dealers all expressed concern on taking the Volt in on trade and that concerned me even more and finalized my reasoning for getting rid of the Volt. Just too much unknown on this vehicle for us consumers. Cadillac dealer who took the Volt in trade doubts they will resale on their lot and will send to auto auction to get rid of it.

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  I really like it despite repairs. - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By davecowdenjr - June 1 - 10:34 pm

  Bought my LTZ for a great price 4 years ago. Since then Ive had to replace two rear end assemblies (one under Mechanical Breakdown Plan) and other was about 1500.00 all in. I did do a lot of towing but under 2000lbs. Had the battery problem early on dealer fixed somehow. Also had a minor engine rebuild at 165K and have had an intermittent oil usage problem. Used to be 1 to 2 quarts every 7500 miles or so seems more frequent now so Im keeping track starting at 177K. Despite this I love the thing. Put a cold-air intake on at 53k boosted mileage to 15.5/20.5 at reasonable highway speeds. Super comfortable and rides like a 747. Friends always want to take it anywhere we go.

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  A decent mid-size sedan - 2014 Chevrolet Malibu
  By ark15 - May 27 - 7:27 pm

  I had leased this back in 2013, and I have the LT1 trim level. So far it is a solid ride, as I commute to the next city on a weekly basis. It rides smoothly and the transmission is very smooth. I wanted a sun roof, but it was going to cost extra so went with remote start instead and it was a good trade off for the Ohio winters and gets through the snow easily.It has a very sharp exterior design but I noted that the rear door trim is coming apart, and the paint scratches very easily.Interior wise, things are laid out nicely and I love OnStar and MyLink but the chrome interior is annoying.

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  Blind spots and poorly designed console - 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By everclimber - May 26 - 1:33 pm

  Ive owned 5 different tahoe/suburbans over the last 30 years. Stay away from the 2015 model. This vehicle has gotten fatter and has new blind spots. You can no longer look left to see cars on the drivers side-you must use your mirrors to see cars near you. The rear wiper stops in your line of vision, before swiping again, instead of returning to its normal starting place. There is no GPS, only ONSTAR. I use my phone GPS, but it rarely connects with the sound system. It turns out, this is a known issue, and will only work properly if you do not have the radio on! The bluetooth rarely connects. Ive had the backup camera and console go completely blank numerous times-dangerous!

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  2006 Chevy HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By rodfreeman - May 25 - 12:11 am

  So far I love my HHR.

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  GM wants to nickle and dime monthly subscriptions - 2014 Chevrolet Malibu
  By zebu - May 22 - 12:13 am

  Pro: Great Car, CON: Pushy People Running GM. GM is very aggressive about putting nice features in their cars that you have to pay for with monthly subscriptions like On-Star and the new WiFi in the car. A Garmin NUVI that cost be $150 does a far better job at navigating than the OnStar service you have to call in and get your destination address understood. I want to see it on a map display. The WiFi in the car is expensive and unnecessary too, my Apple iPhone will make a hotspot if I need one. Just try to refuse or cancel either, OnStar will beat you up and make you feel stupid. Dealing with Comcast is more pleasant.

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  Solid build quality, safe and handles great. Great buy! - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By carchadnh - May 21 - 2:39 pm

  Purchased a 2014 Cruze LTZ about 7 months ago now. This is really an amazing car - much better than I would have expected from Chevy. I had one of these as a rental for about a week and was so impressed that I test drove a couple more and ended up buying one. The car has REALLY solid handling, its very quiet on the highway and knowing I have 10 airbags around my family is awesome. The technology works incredibly well - from the automatic climate control (which turns the fan down when you make/answer calls!) to the voice recognition for phone/radio commands ("Play song X"!)and the great OnStar app with remote start/unlocking/panic button from your phone.

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  2012 Chevy Sonic Hatchback - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By katiec3 - May 15 - 3:28 pm

  I just bought this car used a few days ago, and so far I really enjoy it. My last car was a Jeep Wrangler, and while nothing compares to that, I am pleasantly surprised at how much I like this car. It gets pretty decent gas mileage, the inside is surprisingly roomy and with the folding seats and extra space from the hatchback, Im excited to see what I can fit back there. I commute to two different jobs and to school 6 days a week, so having a fuel efficient and more reliable car was becoming a must have. I wanted something with a similar amount of room as my Jeep and in the hatchback style. I will be sure to post if my opinion changes, but so far I am very happy!