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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  Im a Metro Maniac and proud of it! - 1998 Chevrolet Metro
  By tishpit1 - January 22 - 3:32 pm

  LOVE this little bugger! It is an automatic and has enough pep to move out when needed, though no pocket rocket. Mileage averages in the mid-30 MPG range... on par with many new small cars. Could use an overdrive gear, but hey, for $3500 with 50,000 original well-cared-for miles... Im thrilled! No car payments... easy to work on... fun to drive... great fuel economy... and lots of room. Wish they still made these! Wouldnt trade it for a new Fiesta, Mazda 2, Smart, IQ, or Spark or anything else I can think of. Cmon GM... bring back the METRO!!!!

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  LTZ Turbo review - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By jchagtdi - January 22 - 12:14 pm

  I own a 2013 Sonic LTZ turbo with manual transmission. This is the quietest, most solid feeling, most fun to drive, and best equipped car you can buy at this price point. Turbo motor provides great acceleration with excellent fuel economy. Cabin is extremely comfortable and spacious for a subcompact, even with the sunroof, and cabin materials look richer than they actually are. MyLInk stereo offers a LOT, but there are no knobs, You must take your eyes off the road to adjust volume or FM tuner.

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  2012 LT Auto - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By efunk1 - January 21 - 2:51 pm

  I have the 1.4 turbo with 20,000 milesw bought brand new. Fuel mileage is 35.2 on 16,000 miles and avg 38 on hwy under 70 mph. One problem that has come up is when driving down hwy the car drifts a little to the left and when I try to steer back the steering has a catch, (kink) in it. It happens atleast 8 times in a 50 mile drive. Talked to dealer and they said they havnt heard of that happing. I googled steering problem and seen many others with same problem which they all state dealer ran codes and found no problem other than 1 guy had said the dealer was replacing entire front end. I think GM has a big problem and their not letting the cat out of the bag!

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  Its been a great car! - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By silveeto - January 21 - 2:32 pm

  Ive had my Cobalt for 3 years. Bought with 80,000km and now have 155,000km on it. Aside from oil changes and regular maintenance I havent had to do a thing to this car. Its fun, zippy, good on gas, and being fully loaded with leather and heated seats I really cant complain about much. The only problem is one that many 2005 gm cars had - intermediate steering shaft gets sloppy. Kind of annoying, but have never felt unsafe... just a 1/4" of play in the steering wheel. My mechanic said it was safe to drive as is or I could spend a small fortune replacing it, so obviously I went the free route, lol. Other than that its been a fantastic car!

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  Rims - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By stacy1966 - January 20 - 2:40 pm

  I agree with the rims issue.Mine have made noise from the beginning so we had to take one off already and it was bent but still making a noise. am also very disappointed on the gas mileage.I cant seem to keep gas in it and I only drive around 10 miles daily. anyone else with this problem.

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  P.O.S.!! WORST CAR EVER!!! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By sean_1976 - January 19 - 11:57 pm

  Ive owned many cars over the years and can honestly say this is by far the worst one ive ever had. Bought it at 80K.. 92K it all started: - warped front rotors constantly - road noise is horrible - terrible desgn with blind spots - replaced the engine at 135K - wind shield wipers hitting each other - -0- power - replaced 2K worth of sensors and moduals - seats stained SOOO Easlily - if the battery goes dead, you cant open the rear gate to get to the battery.. JESUS, i absolutely HATE this damned car. Does actually get good mileage.. (when its actually on the road and not in the shop) DO NOT BUY ONE!! Id buy an ugly 1991 ford escort 4 door hatck back with 350K miles first

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  uncomfortable drivers seat - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By al1234 - January 19 - 1:54 pm

  I have the LT model with the "upgraded interior", bought in mid-Dec 2012. I find that I am absolutely unable to get the power drivers seat into a comfortable back position, no matter how I adjust the many electric controls. The lumbar adjustment is completely crazy. It sticks out WAY too much, even on the most "reduced" setting. Otherwise, I have had only 2 issues: 1) Brake lights would not go out after releasing brake pedal because pedal was not coming back up on its own (needed a new pedal assembly) 2) Steering wheel not centered wheel was positioned slightly to the right as car was driven straight (needed alignment)

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  mine is a 6 speed manual - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By finallygotone - January 18 - 11:49 pm

  I bought this car three months ago used of course with a ghost in the system that effected not only the turn signals but the heater-air as well. It turned out to be a the hazard switch and cost about $466 for the local dealer to install and flush the cooling system, so not to bad. I put Michlines on it and behold the beast has come to life. It is the base convertable with 6 speed manual and its Katey bar the door when I step on it. Only 350-350 but feels like more to me. the body and paint are GREAT except for the lower air dam in front as expected has found a curb but not too bad. So far I cant say enough about this car, it is the most fun I can have with my cloths on.

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  This car is a [non-permissible content removed] - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By pag_089 - January 18 - 11:26 pm

  I bought my Malibu in September 2010, and immediately the problems started. I cant even begin to think of the number of times this car has been in the shop. So far, Ive spent over $5,000 on it out of pocket, and thats not counting the work that was performed under the dealers warranty. This car is nothing but a money pit. Im telling everybody I know to avoid this car, and to avoid Chevrolet in general like the plague. They produce poor quality vehichles and dont stand by their work.

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  Volt rocks! - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By tdj1 - January 18 - 7:53 pm

  I have driven my Chevy Volt about 2000 miles so far. Ive used about 2 gallons of gas. The car handles well and has very good acceleration. This is my first American car. Previously Honda/Acura guy. I can honestly say that Im very happy with the car.