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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  Very Dissapointed - 2011 Chevrolet Colorado
  By nickb85 - January 17 - 2:37 pm

  After having 2 friends buying colorados and the good review i went and bought a new one in august 2011. I just bought the lt1 2wd with auto trans. For first month everything was great. Then when starting truck it would spit and sputter until it made this weird vacuum noise. took to dealer and they put new parts on and still didnt help. Then my turn signal switch started messing up. Last but not least when starting it makes a bad chain dragging noise that we have yet to figure out. this happened with less then 4k miles and i keep extra good care of my vehicles. Looking to trade in for a import truck. my 95z28 with 130k miles has no problems. but a new truck has a lot. I wouldnt buy again.

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  Bought for a spare, cant stop driving and love fixing it up - 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By davolas46 - January 17 - 1:14 am

  I bought my 95 Chevy Tahoe being the umpteenth owner of it, I had been dumped at our shops lot sitting for a few years with over 350000 miles on it. The Tahoe had seen alot of battle, rot spots places, front end worn out, rear end hummed. I bought it off my shop for $1500 to replace my Chevy S-10, the first few weeks of having it I fell in love with it even with 350000 on the odometer on it. I learned it was a throttle body injection system and being an auto technician for 7 years I knew it was a very easy model to service. I have put 20000 miles on it, I still own it and love taking care of it.

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  Over all Its been a good car. - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By bedog - January 16 - 9:03 pm

  I bought this car with 40,000 miles on it. Around 70,000 miles I had to replace my intake manifold gasket. I took it to a mechanic, not the dealership. He installed a quality after market gasket. I had brake rotor issues with this car until I did the brakes myself. I replaced the rotors with quality after market. The wheel lugs need to be torqued to proper specs, this will prolong rotor life. You need to flush and fill the radiator every 1 or 2 years despite dexcool specs. I keep it very clean. This car requires regular oil changes and cooling flushes. Synthetic oil and regular cooling flushes will keep it going. By using synthetic oil you dont need to change every 3K. Let the sensor work.

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  NO SPARE TIRE! - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By stone7946 - January 15 - 7:41 pm

  Having my 2013 Malibu for 3 months now, my only problem is that the car comes with NO SPARE / SPACE SAVER TIRE. No where in the the brochure or window sticker did it say you get an air pump. Nor did the sales rep say anything. When I realized there was nothing in the pit I went back to the dealer and was told that I could by a space saver, jack and tools for $500-. GM Customer Support say sorry: all you get is an air pump and Roadside Assistance. If youve ever had a blow out or a tire damaged by road debris, a pump is useless and no, I dont care to wait hours for roadside. GM needs to wise up and and give the customer the option!

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  Great Little Car! - 2013 Chevrolet Spark
  By golfgti4789 - January 14 - 5:44 pm

  Comming from a Dodge Ram, I bought this vehicle due to a new job with a long commute. I bought the manual so I can suck out all the power I could. Thinking I would regret going down to a car that is 4 inches shorter than a mini, the car is a little gem! It easily beats the mpg estimate of 32/38, Im getting 40 mpg per tank without really trying! Easy to park, comfortable enough, fits 4 adults in a pinch. Not terribly fast but gets the job done. "Sparks" a lot of interest of people asking what it is. MyLink with bluetooth integration works amazing! Overall a great car, and much better then expected.

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  Update on my 2012 2LT RS Manual - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By bytes220 - January 14 - 11:14 am

  After 13 months of ownership and 17,000 miles I am still thrilled with this car. It is definitely a kick to drive and the gas mileage while somewhat exaggerated by chevy and the bogus trip computer that always estimates mileage 3-5 mpg higher than actual, is still quite good at 30 city, 38 highway. BTW, in all fairness, those numbers are still higher than the EPA sticker. My car is a 2LT, not an ECO. I love the car. Get one for yourself.

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  Awesome Car for a Great Price - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By danmessina - January 13 - 8:57 pm

  I researched the Cruze for several months before purchasing a used 2012 ECO and couldnt be more pleased with my decision. The engine, though small, provides snappy acceleration while delivering 37 mpg in the city and 45 mpg highway in a sporty package. A word of caution for tall folks...if the driver is over 510" forget about legroom for passenger behind driver.

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  Its the best car Ive owned so far - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By riker93 - January 13 - 1:42 pm

  I bought my 2005 Cobalt 2 door in March 2011. It had 54,000 miles on it, and it ran like a brand new car. It has all the options, except a sunroof. My son drove it for his summer job, and the engine did fail, but it was fixed through the extended service contract I purchased. Only paid the $100 deductable, and a new engine was installed. Now it runs even better than before! It still looks like a new car, not one spot of rust at 8 years old. Im now driving the car, and I have a 2010 model, cause I really like this style of car. They both run beautiful, and I have all the maintainence done as the manufacturer recommends.

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  Great crossover - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By flyboy48 - January 13 - 9:42 am

  Things I love about our 2012 4 cly.Chevy AWD Equinox 2LT,Seating,backup camera,inside space, Leg room, Heated seats, Nav. and XM radio, with a Very nice Powerful sound system, goes Great in the deep snow, surprised me. Gas mileage is good for AWD, but wish I would have got the 6 Cyl. Its Not that much diff. in mileage and the Extra 100 HP would be nice at times, like getting on the interstate and you need to get up to 70 MPH fast to get With the flow, but oh well, Next time I will buy bigger Engine, unless they Turbo charge the 4 Cyl. Ride is very smooth and handles Great.

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  Worst car I have owned. - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jay3239 - January 12 - 5:26 pm

  This is by far the worst car that I have ever owned. I have had issue after issue with it. Everytime I fix one thing, 2 more things go wrong!