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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  Still Love It! - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By kakki007 - November 4 - 8:45 pm

  Purchased in late 2002 as used vehicle with low miles. Now have 111,600 miles, and no major problems other than fan clutch which was covered by warranty. Just replaced compressor at $1040 after it froze up. Replaced battery twice, tires once, and tail light twice. Use the 4WD when it rains, and feel much more secure. Really love the smooth ride, radio and power. Only complaint is mileage 12.5 city/20 mpg highway which is good for vehicle this size/about 18 mpg when using 4WD on highway. Would recommend to anyone.

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  So Far...So Good - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By damytquinn - November 4 - 8:40 pm

  Have owned this car for 20 months and wanted to wait until this point to write a review on this Malibu. This has been the most reliable car I have ever owned(and I have owned over a dozen new cars in 33years of driving). It has never been to the shop for any unscheduled service. I was not planning to trade when I did, but an unexpected windfall convinced me to trade and was glad I did! This car now has almost 25,000miles and still is as tight and quiet as the day I drove it from the dealership. Every thing works the way it is supposed to. I am averaging 26mpg in 70%/30%hwy-city driving which is NOT what I was hoping for when I bought this car, but its not terrible.

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  MPG ratings not accurate - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By gk125963 - November 2 - 3:02 pm

  I am finding the MPG ratings to be way off. I have never even come close to the 33 MPG highway, and am averaging 21 MPG in combined city/highway driving. My driving habits are such that I try to conserve gas, but it does not seem to make a difference.

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  First 1,000 miles in a 13 Volt - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By sirboz - October 31 - 8:59 am

  I picked up the Volt as a daily commuter car. Work is 15 miles from the house, and hilly. During the round trip, I normally use about 2/3 of the battery power. Everything people are posting about how fun the car is to drive is accurate. The thing I didnt know about it, even after the test drive, was how much information is presented to you on the center stack display and the driver information center. I would recommend doing some research before buying the car. You can search for, and download, the two main owners manuals the basic one and the one for the infotainment system. The other place to look is www.myvolt.com where you can find excellent short videos of usage and systems.

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  Fantastic Buy For $1000 - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By jamescl - October 31 - 12:23 am

  An amazing purchase, got the car not too long ago and ever since has been driving down the road perfectly. Very smooth riding, gear changing and steady braking and acceleration. Everything on the car works except for AC/cool air but since its soon to be winter, shouldnt be too much of a problem at all for some time. The interior I have seen much better on cars but for what it is, its not bad at all. Exterior design I just love. The overall build quality seems to be pretty solid beside a few things I can name like seatbelt buckles can be pretty difficult at times but still usable, just fiddle with them for a few seconds and theyre good to go. Overall a very good car, recommend!

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  Great car for Much Less than Competitors - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
  By jimmyjames76 - October 30 - 12:52 pm

  We bought a 2012 Impala LT as a certified preowned car with 11k miles, so my review perspective is a little different than someone buying new. We looked at a lot of cars: Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Chevy Malibu, Chrysler 200, etc. We liked this car the best. It rode and handled better, had more power, a larger interior and trunk, remote start, and by far the best pricing. So far its been an amazing car. Its a great blend of comfort, size, performance, and economy. The cars Edmunds recommends instead of this car are MUCH more expensive for the same miles/year. Like $8-10k more. So yes, you could get a better car, but I dont believe you can for the money. This is an excellent car.

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  Im Going Back to Toyotas - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dlb9 - October 29 - 6:10 pm

  My Malibu is comfortable, it drives well, but the fuel sensor broke at around 60,000 miles, and now it is clunking when I turn. I inherited this car -- its only the second Chevy Ive owned, and when I buy a new car, Im going back to Toyotas. I could put 200,000 miles on those cars before having the issues Im having with this Malibu.

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  3rd update. - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By roy71 - October 29 - 4:17 pm

  We have had our 2005 Uplander for a year and a half now. Its been an ok van, but a couple problems have shown up..some small, others large. We had a problem with the transmission last year banging into gear when leaving a stop, we took it to the mechanic and they fixed a sensor that seemed to be the problem. The banging went away for a year then recently came back, so back to the mechanic we went, they cleaned out the sensor again and the problem went away...but this time for only a week, then back to slamming into gear. we took it to a transmission shop this time and they found metal flakes all through the trans, so its shot. we are having to get it rebuilt...review continues.....

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  Love the car and the MPG - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By midnightcruise - October 28 - 11:42 pm

  This car is built very well and has a long list of features. Chevy has done a great job of creating a diverse lineup for the Cruze. The MyLink features link Pandora, navigation, XM, etc... are easy to use and the screen position, size, and clarity are excellent! Driving the Cruze is fun and for a change, I am looking forward to my next road trip. The trunk is huge for a small car, but the back seat room is a bit tight for 6 adults. If you are 510" or shorter it would be fine!

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  Good SUV - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By bear63 - October 27 - 1:48 pm

  I just bought this a few months ago, 03 Z71, 138k miles. I love the vehicle but not impressed with mpg. Getting around 14-15 highway. I find it hard to believe people are getting 17-20 mpg. I would be ecstatic if I could get that. Just found out this morning have to have the wheel bearing replaced on the front passenger wheel. Also the heated seat (driver) is coming on by itself. Not sure whats up with that. Other than that, very comfortable, good ride, good handling, nice turn radius. It is a used vehicle so I dont expect it to be perfect.