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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  Disappointing - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By warheart - January 25 - 3:02 pm

  I ordered a 2010 Camaro SS and kept it for just over 2 years. I had to convince myself that I liked the car, when I actually couldnt stand it. When people would ask me how I feel about it, Id mutter "eh its fun". But honestly, this thing drives like a clunker. Fast? Absolutely! But it handles like a bus with no visibility. Its advertised MPG is a longshot as well. Its really around 11-14. An additional sting came from the terrible internal options. Anyone that has driven a variety of sports cars can tell you the same thing, this isnt a real sports car. Ive since changed over to a much smaller, lighter, far superior (though slower) RWD vehicle that actually offers a driving experience.

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  Free Car - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By bluevolt - January 25 - 2:52 pm

  I just bought a volt and am actually being paid to drive it. I put zero down financed at 0%. My payments come to $5,800 a year for six years. I get paid a $9,000 tax credit (live in California). I save $2,000 a year on gas and $500 a year on tolls ($15,000 over six years). So, even if the car loses half of its value, at the end of six years I own a car worth $17,500 and my out-of-pocket expense came to only $11,000. In other words, I get to drive a car for six years and am essentially paid $6,500 to do so.

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  Best car Ive ever owned! - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
  By paigelarissa - January 25 - 2:11 pm

  I love my Camaro ! Seats are comfortable, smooth ride, quiet cabin, good radio, Gets up to speed as soon as you touch the gas! I have NO complaints what so ever about my car (:

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  BUY A 2001 THAOE!!!!!!!!!! BEST TRUCK EVER MADE!!!!!!!! - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By jbustelo - January 24 - 6:29 pm

  bought it with 175.000 miles and sold it with 245.000 miles, NEVER DO ANYTHING TO THAT TRUCK! AMAZING, ACTUALLY I DROVE IT FROM FLORIDA TO PA A BUNCH OF TIMES WITHOUT NO PROBLEM! this truck are amazing! with 245.000 miles on it, i would push the gas and that truck would still pull you into the seat! amazing, best product from chery so far! gas mileage in higway is actually really decent!

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  Love our 2013 Equinox! GREAT VALUE! - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By dnvrsdad1 - January 24 - 11:09 am

  I purchased this vehicle for my family as a family Christmas gift. We immediately have fallen in love with this vehicle. The bells and whistles it offers are hands down top of the line and other similar vehicles do not offer them as a standard feature. This car drives and feels very safe with all the safety features it has on it. Six air bags, all disc brakes, On Star, Rear backup camera. This is a very comfortable ride. The front seats fit like a glove and there is so much rear leg room and space for people to stretch on long road trips. My wife rides in the back often because she likes the overall comfort while my son and I ride up front. The My Link system is stae of the art as well. A+

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  Great Car But Has Rough Idle at Times - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By sos7 - January 23 - 5:06 pm

  I got my 2012 Chevy Equinox back in April of 2012. I love the car but at times the car has a rough idle, and is even worse with the "ECO" button on. It doesnt get the gas mileage that GM has promised.

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  Great Car - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By peen1 - January 23 - 11:21 am

  I have 111K on my 3.6L LTZ. I still like the quality interior and have been in few mid priced cars that can match the interior quality. It still runs and handles like new barring a minor squeek hear and there. The only thing that has gone wrong is that I had to replace one power door lock mechanism. Its slowly loosing oil and coolant after 111K miles, but I think I can get at least another couple years out of it before Id have to fix it. Also, the chevy key fobs are junk, and break but are pretty cheap to replace. I

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  I had hoped for more . . . - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By kebleil - January 22 - 11:57 pm

  We purchased this car - actually its the LT Turbo 6m - in July 2012. Right away we were disappointed with the mpg and the discrepancies with the digital read-out. On average, we probably get 2-3 mpg less than what the car says we do. It seems like the mpgs are all over the place as you read the reviews. Some getting fantastic - some getting terrible mileages. We are usually in the 30-32mpg range. What is confusing is that we got better mileage at first but it seems to be declining. We are nearly 7000 miles. The disappointment was accentuated when after 7 weeks of ownership we were pelted with extensive hail damage - not gms fault, of course, but it lowered our excitement.

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  Good car - Lousy people - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By woodybap - January 22 - 11:23 pm

  I am so [non-permissible content removed]! First the damn Volt is dead in my own driveway. Four months old and it goes feet up. No prob, I think, we have Onstar. Onstar tries about 3 times and then tells me that the car has apparently shut down due to some security glitch. The car needs to be towed to a dealership. Numerous calls between me and Roadside Assistance. They tell me that they can provide me with the number of their outfit that arranges loaner vehicles. Turns out that number is to a service that apparently does nothing more than provide the names of local rental car agencies. A glorified phone book, if you will. Heck, I could do better with Google. So the tow truck guy shows up. Has no clue

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  Good Value / Decent Mileage - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By csb4 - January 22 - 5:59 pm

  My 12 Cruze LS gets mileage as advertised. Mileage depends *heavily* on driving style. This weekend I drove the family to Disney and got 40 mpg round trip (EPA = 38 mpg highway). Driving more aggressively, Id get 34-36 mpg highway. Like any car, numerous factors are at play: More passengers / more gas in tank = lower mpg. Lower temperatures = lower mpg. Air conditioner = lower mpg. More uphill than downhill = lower mpg (I therefore rely more on round trip values). I have even noticed mpg variations depending on the quality of the road. Some of the comments Ive read probably dont account for these variables, and the many others, that do affect mpg.