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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  Could not ask for better value - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
  By savantrep - March 10 - 11:58 am

  I recently purchased my first LTZ- a 2012 model after searching high and low for that perfect mix of performance, comfort and style. This car has it all. The 302hp engine is awesome as well as the ample room (Im a tall guy).

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  alternator - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By amanda52 - March 9 - 1:25 pm

  Has anyone ever had there alternator go at 20,000ks. I own a 2009 Impala the alternator went and it is not covered by the warranty.The GM service people told me that these things happen,WOW I wonder what is going to happen next, I am in disbelief I had A Buick for 11 years and never replaced an alternator.I am so unhappy with GM.

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  Terrible vehicle - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By reynolds4 - March 9 - 6:47 am

  I bought this car on 2/11/13 and as of 3/7/13(less than 30 days!) it is in the shop getting a new engine placed. Why? Unsure, the Chevy dealership could not figure out the problem so I get a new engine placed. Lucky me, I get to make my first car payment while it is on a lift in the Chevy dealership. Reliability is gone! I was a former Toyota owner and wish now that I had purchased another one (12 years of absolutely no problems!) I just hope that this car lasts as long as my payments do. Very disappointed with this product. I wish I could just get a refund and be done with this!

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  Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By timberly1987 - March 8 - 6:46 pm

  Where do I start, while I love the look of the car and the gas mileage.. thats all I got.. I have had nothing but problems with it, the e-break doesnt hold and Ive had to stop it from rolling down a hill,. The pins that hold the fuses in all broke and fuses fell out, making my dashboard and electronics not work, my trunk is always popping open randomly, so I cant store anything in it. my rear defrosters dont work, my window striping had to be replaced, the radio sounds horible. No cup holders in the back (MAJOR inconvience) The seat belt strap cannot be used in the lowest setting, it doesnt retract and cuts my neck

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  Extremely happy - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By njbettina - March 8 - 12:08 pm

  This is my second chevy that Ive owned. My first was totalled in a hail storm and then I chose a nissan which I hated, then a mazda, and now back to chevy with my first SUV. I have to say that I absolutely LOVE this car. There is alot to be said about an american made car vs. a foreign one. I was debating between the Huyandi Tucson and the Equinox. For me, the only thing Hyuandi has over Chevy is their long warranty, once I shut the door in the chevy, I was sold.

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  Shes a truck - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By blazercanuck - March 7 - 5:05 pm

  I bought my 2003 Blazer zr2 at 120,000 kms (about 72,000 miles)about 1 1/2 years ago but I got a killer deal on it Only $4,500 but this price reflected the work it needed. Needed new tires rear brakes were seized new calipers, rotors and pads and needed an o2 sensor. In the past year and a half I have changed the lower ball joints both rear drive shaft u-joints front drive shaft (it has a C.V. style joint thats $500 new, picked a used one up for $100) and the idler arm (keep in mind i do a fair amount of off-roading/light rock crawling) This truck is TOUGH! nose dived HARD into a ditch and still drives straight as an arrow no damag Tailgate squeak? oil hinges. spare rattles? adjust latch

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  Among the best - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By gina6629 - March 6 - 2:18 pm

  Stylish and comfortable with bells and whistles that I love such as the turn by turn navigation, the Eco button which saves on gas and the way gas prices are today, Im glad I have it and takes regular gas...which is a plus, it has the pioneer premium sound system....hands,-free calling, rear-view camera....[non-permissible content removed]

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  Best Car - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By chevygirl21 - March 6 - 12:04 am

  I absolutely love this car! Before this car I had a 2008 Dodge Caliber and I am so happy that i traded it. I recently got in an accident with it and it did not cost me more than 500 bucks to fix it myself! and it still runs awesome just like it did before! The manual transmission in it too makes it so much fun to drive and race others all the time cause im first off the line. Fuel economy is great my tank will last me two weeks and im driving everyday to school and work and its only 45 bucks to fill her up. Wouldnt trade her for anything

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  Great and sporty - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By titanicbuff - March 5 - 1:30 pm

  We own a 2001 Chevy S-10 Extended cab. Weve never had any major problems, although we did replace the radiator- but that was normal ware and tear. I do find I have to turn the key twice sometimes to start it and the rear door latch broke- The 4.3 liter V6 gets great gas mileage and the truck drives more like a small car. It tows great wit the built in bumper pull package. In the snow even without sandbags it does fairly well. Ive never really slid in it and eel safe. The drawbacks are the doors dont close all the way sometimes and The rear door handle is broken but I dont use the back door anyway. The truck gets to be a little noisy but thats just about right for any truck it seems.

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  2011 1LT Cruze is a GREAT Little Car - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By dwalsh2 - March 5 - 8:32 am

  I have now had this car for just over two years and almost 21K miles. I have never had a car that I enjoyed as much. When I first purchased it, there were lots of little "back to the dealer" fixes, but they were all corrected. I am pleased with the mpg, though I know foreign cars of similar size typically get better. I drive a combination of city and highway and typically get about 29 to 29 mpg. I do not feel like I am driving a small car. Recently, I had a rear-ender in which the other driver slammed into me at a pretty good clip. The trunk lid was damaged and the bumper was, but it wasnt very obvious. I was able to drive away, while the other driver was not.