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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  100 mpg +++++ - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By borchone1 - March 4 - 3:04 pm

  Over 5900 miles and used 21 gallons of gas and $135 elect. ZERO problems. Handles great in snow. Heater is great. Grandkids stay warm in back at 0 degrees. Yesterday drove 54 miles and total cost elect and gas was $2.33 and it was 34 degrees outside. 34 miles in elect and 20 miles on gas. Summer gives me 45-50 miles on elect. Cost me at most 69 cents to charge per night. Special time of day rates with elect. co. Great car and only stopped at for gas 3 times in 7 mos. Fast, fun and great car. One of best cars ived owned out of 41. Great car GM and thanks to Pres. George Bush for helpping get this started.

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  Don/t buy it. - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By ellenmd - March 4 - 11:59 am

  I bought this car 2 years ago and I have had to replace the power steering pump twice. Now my transmission is going because it makes a noise and it jerks when I change it from reverse to drive. It is not worth the time, money, or effort. The next vehicle I get I will buy a foreign one. Because for some reason we Americans cant build a good dependable car that is affordable. It is all junk. I had an 01 Mitzsubishi Montero Sport for 4 years and never had problems out of it. the only reason I got rid of it was because it was costing me in gas. I wished I would have just paid for the gas.

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  40,000 Miles and Not Happy! - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By steelfn - March 3 - 7:52 pm

  I purchased my 2010 Traverse LT2 with 9,000 miles and have not been happy with the vehicle since purchase. Build quality and reliabitlity have been huge concerns, with squeeks, rattles, poor dual-climate control, and now, at 40,000 miles, the front struts have to be replaced. Gas mileage is not anywhere near the EPA estimate of 23 mpg on the highway.....my Traverse has never exceeded 19 mpg on the highway. In doing some research recently, I see that other Traverse owners have had a lot of problems with the suspension, as well. Wish I would have known that before purchase.

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  Modern Muscle - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By stinger222 - March 3 - 10:11 am

  Ive had my Black 2SS for nearly 3 years now and still love driving it. I live in Western NY and must garage it during the winter, bummer! To own this car in my area you it must be as a summer car, no way I would drive it in the snow and salt. Pleanty of power when you want it, I recomend investing in a radar dector. The cool factor of driving this car makes the visibility issue dissapear after a couple short drives! Trunk space is OK, The back seat drops down and 2 sets of golf clubs fits easily. Ive owned several manuals and nearly stalled it at first but you get used it quickly. Gas mileage not bad when compared to older muscle cars.

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  Frequently in the shop - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By derek27 - March 2 - 2:50 pm

  -Engine shuts off while driving, says low oil pressure or service brakes. Both have been inspected, no problems. Looking at replacing the computer system again, since nobody can find the issue. -One headlight and taillight go out each year. -Cruise sensor has been replaced twice (still only works randomly) -Check engine light is always on. 4 different mechanics found nothing wrong, so they replaced the sensor, only for it to come back on a few months later. -4x4 has been serviced several times (four, I think) because it does not engage when placing into Auto 4x4 or 4 high/low. It is broken again and I am looking at a minimum of $600 to fix it again. -Gas tank spills out on every fill.

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  Bought New over 100K miles and Going Strong! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By boeknows - March 2 - 1:34 pm

  I have owned Mercedes, BMW, Jaguars, Land Rover... Bar-none this is the most reliable vehicle ive owned. I feel like im sitting in my family room leather couch. Im 63 250lbs. and fits like a charm. GM has out done itself on its SUVs

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  Stranded on I-20E in Carroll County, Ga ... - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By rod1969 - March 1 - 10:38 am

  Im starting to hate my 1999 Malibu. Ive had it for approx. 5 years now. It has run hot numerous times. Ive changed the head gaskets in it twice (along with getting re-worked heads installed [due to them cracking]). Cracked heads happened in 2011, and again this year (2013). Both times an old friend of mine helped me out by getting the heads "milled" for me (approx $500 total), and putting them back in. Saved me tons of money btw. Now Im having problems with it running hot again. The "check engine" light stays on. My error codes were PO401, P1404, & PO306 four days ago. It went off when I cleaned the EGR valve and removed the carbon that had accumulated in the hoses, but its back on now.

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  Awesome Car! - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By ekrupa - March 1 - 10:00 am

  Personally, this is probably my favorite car in its class....handsomely designed inside and out, a somewhat powerful 4cyl thats excellent on fuel and of course MyLink standard on most models. Ive gotten comments from people i didnt even know how much they like the car and what it even is in the first place cause they arent common around here. Overall its great, id highly recommend it to anybody looking for a mid-size sedan. Dont listen to the media on this one..its not a toyota camry so of course theyre going to give it a bad review.

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  I never set out to buy a Chevrolet Cruze - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By southlandhb - March 1 - 4:47 am

  I did not have the intention to buy this car. However, I did have the intention of test driving and exploring a broad mix of vehicles across many makes and vehicle classes. So I drove a lot of cars from Audi to Volkswagen, because like excellent Italian food- you cant know how close or how far you are until youve tasted the good stuff! That said, the Cruze unexpectedly met my expectations offering what I felt was an excellent balance of features, driving dynamics all at a very fair price.

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  A great SUV, perfect for a large family or lots of cargo - 2013 Chevrolet Suburban
  By alpha1984 - February 28 - 9:56 pm

  I should preface my review by first stating that this truck was only a short term rental, however it was certainly long enough to get an idea for this truck. The space in side is gigantic. Im 6ft. 3 and had plenty of room. Of course its what you expect from such a large vehicle. It had excellent road manners considering its huge size, and road manners have been vastly improved over the old Suburbans. The V8 with active fuel management was seamless in shutting off cylinders, however I feel slightly more power would have helped move this behemoth. It was adequate around down, but if I had to tow anything I would opt for the bigger engine.