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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  Great design BUT poor implementation by GM - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By ronmaf - March 23 - 10:56 pm

  I purchased two Volts, One for my wife and one for myself in July 2012. We drove them all over. One went to Baltimore the other to Tampa. The car averaged 130 MPG. at the 7th month of ownership I started hearing this loud sound like an electric Drill every time I coated to a stop of hit the brakes. I gave the car to the dealer, it took them a week to fix. 10 days and 300 or so miles later the car has the same obnoxious sound. I went back to the dealer. This time they called in a GM Engineer to take a look. They have had it for a week already with no fix in sight. I really loved the technology of the car, but GM cannot get the quality right. there is the GM-Volt forum with more info.

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  Chevy Hit It Out of the Ball Park - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By hbbob - March 21 - 11:16 am

  Incredibly electronically sophisticated vehicle. Light years ahead of any other hybrid or electrical car on the road today. I installed a 240 volt charge station to speed up the recharging process, plus it reduces the cost of each full charge from 13kw used to 10kw. For me in Calif., it costs $1.70 for each full charge. I normally get 43 miles on each charge and on gas anywhere from 45-60 mpg (light foot on the throttle). Assuming 10k miles/yr and 10% of the miles on gas, the total cost would be about $460/yr or a $2,000/yr savings over our other gas costs for 10k miles/yr. The volt cost $32k after all rebates. Do the math...this car is a no brainer!

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  Liked it for 1st year - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By mnflyer - March 19 - 3:42 pm

  I enjoyed my Cruze for the 1st year and a half, even though it had its fair share of issues covered by warranty. It handled well enough and I felt it was a good value. In 2 years I put on 43K miles mostly commuting on the highway. During the warranty period, I had 2 cases of "check engine" light on which were caused by faulty sensors. Also I had a steering issue whereby the steering would slightly stick at highway speeds. It often had a strange groaning sound from the engine. Biggest problem. "AC off due to engine overheat" It took 5 trips to the dealer to fix it. I wanted a car I could drive trouble free for many years and realized this wasnt it. I traded it in for a Hyundai.

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  My favorite car ever! - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By nesreena - March 19 - 6:14 am

  I just completed 40 thousand km in 13 months and i had zero issues with this car, it is a very responsive car with amazing features for its price and range, this is my first car to drive and I never drove before that yet it made me love driving and cruzing with it....

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  Fun and noticeable car - 2012 Chevrolet Corvette
  By rob_martin214 - March 15 - 12:19 am

  I love this car. Who wouldnt but living in Toronto Canada I overpaid somewhat.2012 Inferno Orange 3LT auto coupe stickers at $72,000 ! here. I got a brand new dealer left over in January 2013 for $58,000. a good deal here but not when u consider the canadian dollar at near parity with US and the same car is stickered at $53,000 ! in Buffalo N.Y. only 140 KM from me. That being said I have only put 3000 KM in 3 months and the car is flawless and turns heads at many intersections even though the design is almost 7 years old. Solid starting , handling and very controlled. views and seating much improved since mid 90s.

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  Yet another Problem - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By chevystinks - March 14 - 3:04 pm

  The Equinox I bought brand new in 9/10 has now had 4 major repairs needed. While all covered underwarranty still not what I expected or paid for! Owned 4 GM vehicles before this but will never buy GM again! THeir response...3 free oil changes. Oil changes doesnt fix the inconvienence, danger to my son with car dying while i was driving, or my lack of confidence in a car I paid 20K for. Unaccactablw when you can find these are common issue with this year make and model.

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  I love it - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By hellokiti - March 14 - 11:57 am

  Ive seen many bad reviews on the car but I have yet to have a problem that isnt my fault. Im a hot head and am often known to put my foot to the petal really fast...And yet my car has not had ONE problem with it thus far. My problems have always been dents and dings I get from not paying attention. Im on 130,000 miles and had it for 2 years. Im a SUV lover and though I have ramed into people in the past my car still runs strong. Its my baby.

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  If You Like Spending Money This Is The SUV For You!!!! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By marthe_rn23 - March 14 - 1:03 am

  I Purchased My 05 Equinox In May of 2012 With 90k "Fathers Day Gift" To Self, Some Gift!!! Since Ive Had It Nothing But Trouble, A Week After Purchase I Had Engine Misfire (Tune Up) Which Had Just Been Done At Purchase, Got It Repaired, The Dealer Said The Spark Plugs Had Melted HOW???? Since Ive Had To Replace Water Pump, Belt And Pully, Thermostat, Air Bag Sensor, CD Player, Both Front Entire Strut Sets, Muffler And Now At 105k The HEAD GASKETS, Not Just The Gaskets Tho, Both Entire Heads As Well Along With New Plugs And Wires And All New Filters... This Thing Is A Money Pit And Its Driving Me Right Into The Poor House... Its A Beautiful Car For Sure BUT STAY AWAY I Call Her EVE!!!

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  Excellant - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By c4ddym4n - March 12 - 4:18 pm

  Love this Malibu. I traded my 2010 2LT with 59k miles for this ECO 2SA with leather. I travel city/hwy and was getting 24MPG now I am getting 29 MPG City/Hwy. Less engine noise and more power. Shuts engine off at stop lights, restarts when I remove my foot from the brake, seamless.

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  2013 Chevrolet Equinox - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By johnnie14 - March 11 - 11:58 am

  I have had this 2013 Equinox for about one month and I am very happy with it. It has a nice quiet ride, I love the stereo system, love the sunroof. In fact I love everything about it. We are taking it on a 300 mile road trip this next weekend and I am confident of a good ride and great performance. If there is one thing I would have any negative comment about, it would be the gas cap to fill it up with gas is on the passenger side! Other than that, I am very pleased with my new car. We are recently retired and this will probably be our last new car.