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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  Best Ive Ever Had! - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By cjanenem - August 12 - 1:48 pm

  I love my car! It has great mileage, comfy and plus plenty of room in the trunk.

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  Maybe Im jinxed? Oh wait.. its not me its the Chevy - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By j_123 - August 12 - 11:53 am

  I have a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt LT Std. Its very shiny and pretty, comfortable to drive, good on gas, handles well... it just has a FEW issues. Im trying so hard to give it the benefit of the doubt: "poor little car! Im sure now that its been fixed AGAIN it will run fine... itll be ok this time". But no, time and time again it breaks down with the same issues. Eek. Please see the following issues, which are not listed in chronological order so please dont "diagnose" the issue based on the following order. I have taken the car to 4 different shops: 2 different GM dealerships and 2 privately owned shops. Still, no luck solving the issues. Tons of money spent fixing the car! Money pit.

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  Brand New 2013 - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By chicagofan00 - August 11 - 2:39 am

  Just picked up my 2013 Equinox LTZ and so far am loving it. Ive had many different cars from Chevy to BMW to Nissan to Audi and the features for the price this one definitely provides that bang for the buck. The only additional option I got on the LTZ was new 3.6L V6 engine and it provides enough get up and go for a vehicle of this size. Too new to really gauge gas mileage but that isnt one of my main concerns really. The fit and finish of the interior is great for its class. I opted for the two-tone Light Titanium/Black interior and it goes really well. Love the touch screen radio. Got mine for under invoice and it definitely cant be beat in this segment for that price!

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  Cmon Chevy get it right!! - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By indianaman - August 10 - 11:49 am

  Purchased the 2012 Equinox LT 3 months ago and am 100% dissatisfied with the performance. You should NOT feel the car downshift everytime you hit 30-34mph. The car jerks you forward during the downshift!! This doesnt happen to the 6cyl and wish i had known that before dropping $23k on a new car. I have contacted my dealer and they feel it to and drove another new one that did the same. Said they have had numerous complaints about this. I spoke with the Disctrict MGR for Chevy and he said its the way its made and cant help me!! Chevy even has the "guranteed customer satisfaction promotion" going on and I didnt buy it during the promotion so they cant help. Ill be trading for a CRV this wknd!!

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  2012 Traverse LTZ AWD - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By jimmymacd29 - August 8 - 11:46 pm

  I have not owned this car a long time, but the time I have had with has been a very enjoyable experience. I also own a 2011 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab 1500 LTZ and swap off between the two. The Traverse model I have is loaded, so that also adds to the enjoyment. This is not a brag but a reason why I might enjoy it more than a base stock model. It came with 20 inch wheels, so it may also ride different than one with smaller tires.

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  Chevy Curse - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By speedemonjoker - August 8 - 6:13 pm

  Recalls!!! The Steering is numb with little feedback, the Brakes are soggy, and the trany shifts awkwardly. Worst is the throttle response which is unpredictable and Dangerous at times, such as when you’re crossing a busy street. The interior is nice to sit in and use, but is ugly to look at. Featuring chrome, matte, glossy, brushed and textured surface and so many different color lights and displays this interior is schizo and totally uncoordinated.

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  Great value, fun to drive - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By davejet - August 7 - 3:05 pm

  My primary criteria for a new car were that it be small and four-wheel down towable behind my motor home. I narrowed my choice to the Honda Fit and Chevrolet Sonic. It looked at and drove both cars in the top trim levels. I purchased the Sonic because I got much more car for less money. I couldn’t be happier with my decision. The Sonic is fun to drive, has plenty of power and has all the bells and whistles including Bluetooth for the phone, automatic headlights, cruise control, etc. There is no wind noise on the freeway and the ride is extremely smooth. I don’t realize I’m doing 75 until I look at the digital speedometer. After several weeks with most new cars, I usually have a list of fixit items for the dealer. There is no list for the Sonic. I paid 18, 372 for the car.

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  Great car with great MPG but if you have manual watch out for cultch problems - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By smbaylor - August 7 - 11:33 am

  My husband and I bought this car on May 31st 2012. We love this car it gets great gas mileage which was perfect for us with my husband being in the National Guard and has to drive over an hour for every drill weekend and with both of us being full time college students. Saving this much money is gas every month if great. The one problem we did have with the car is that when I drove the car to Peoria which is an hour and a half from our home it broke down about 10 miles from where I was going. I had the car set on cruse on the highway and all of a sudden the RPMs shot up and the speed started going down quickly. Mind you both my husband and I learned to drive with a manual transmission so

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  Good for the first 30K - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By billyblurst - August 7 - 6:25 am

  Bought this car because it was the right price. 6 months after the purchase date, the gearbox had to be taken-apart. Within a year and a half from the purchase date, a control arm bushing, wheel bearing, and the catalytic converter had to be replaced. Yesterday, the check engine light came on. Again. Do yourself a favour and spend a little extra coin from the get-go, because if you buy a Cobalt itll cost you the same as a Charger or a Crown Vic in the long-run, but all youll have in the end is a Cobalt.

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  Dont fall for the lies! - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By jimmymoon - August 6 - 12:33 am

  Chevrolet loves to boast the claim that their little bucket of plastic known as the Chevy Sonic LT will blast the streets gnabbing a low mileage of 25mpg City, but let me tell you now, thats a straight of fallacy. Ive owned one of these P.O.S. since decemeber, when they were 17,000. This craptacular ride gets maybe a whopping 19 miles per every gallon, and all chevy claims is that there is nothing wrong! Mind you Ive taken every avenue theyve suggested, tried using fuel from their suggested stations, and even went so far as to try a few cleaners. Not a thing has brought me over that 19mpg threshhold. If youre thinking about buying this car, DONT Chevy will not stand behind it.