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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  Great truck-built with low quality components - 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
  By jbaggins - July 22 - 11:23 am

  Granted I did buy this in 2010 with 200,000 miles on it. Interior door handles broke inside. cheap plastic parts throughout break way too easily. Great interior space. Have 4 kids so we all fit comfortably. Rear heat works great, tinted windows and lots of power. It was starting to nickel and dime. Rear end differential parts broke, transmission wouldnt stay in overdrive, lots of electric gremlins left interior lights on randomly due to shorts behind dash. Intake manifold gasket went ($600 repair). Horrible gas mileage. Rusting in bad spots due to poor rust proofing. Water leaks into blower, rusting it out insid. I liked driving it but it was going to bankrupt me keeping it up.

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  Good hauler but nickeled and dimed to death - 1995 Chevrolet Astro
  By jbaggins - July 22 - 11:06 am

  We bought the 95 in 2004 for $4000. It had A/C, AWD and seating for 8. We had just had our 4th child so needed something that could seat 6 so that threw out most of the cars from the equation. I loved this van but it started to cost money and working under the hood was a real pain due to the engine compartment being so small and the "dog house" in the interior having to be removed to work on anything. Mechanics automatically charge more to work on these types of vehicle since there is a lot of effort to gain access to the parts that need to be replaced. Luckily, I could do a lot of the work my self. For the 5 years we owned it, I put about $1000-1500 each year into it.

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  2012 Camaro 2LT - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
  By robertrcollins - July 20 - 8:08 pm

  I purchase a new 2012 Camaro 2LT Convertible. The car has the top problems, rub marks, and started cutting a hole in its top. GM has no fix for this. The car was very nice, but overpriced for what you get. I had the recall done, still had problems. I have since sold the car.

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  Worst Car Ever! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By arabella - July 20 - 7:42 pm

  This is the worst car that Ive ever had. My parents even agreed. It was my graduation present for high school. First thing that went wrong, while I was driving down to start my first year of college, the speaker on the drive side blew in and out, then finally out. I continuously kept trying to take it to the dealership but they REFUSED to talk to me because 1. Im a woman and 2. Im blonde so I cant know what Im talking about. My dad had to take it to a Chrysler dealership before anyone else would fix it. The ignition switch locked up on me twice. Then the front right tire blew out on me while I was driving. Last, but not least, there were TWO gas leaks in the car.

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  Glad I bought the Cruze instead of a Honda Civic - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By dmrock1 - July 19 - 6:41 pm

  After buying the Cruze Ls model and reading the reviews I thought I made a mistake by not upgrading to the Eco 1.4 turbo model.Some reviews said the Ls got nowhere near the expected mileage.I drive approx 70 mi (mainly highway) each day to work and so far I am VERY impressed with the mileage without air I am getting 38 mpg and with air a little over 35.Im 64" and alot more comfortable than if i would have bought a Civic.Understand I was driving a Dodge dakota truck everyday and spending $80 dollars a week on gas,so now you can understand my point of view.I bought the Silver met. Ice and had the windows tinted and it looks great!

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  Just plain awesome! - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By lipweb - July 19 - 5:16 pm

  I have a Subaru 2.5Premium which I bought for the awd, but the gas milage is horrible and it just doesnt have the power at low rpms. I also owned a Celica GTS that I traded for the 2012 Cruze Eco and not only is it zippy around town but I got 52 mpg on a, 1 & 1/2 trip - all highway - According to the computer. The ride is comfortable, Bluetooth technology is super easy to set-up & the seats are great on my back too. I do a lot of lifting all day and it feels just right to get in and out of this car. My wife loves it too. Infact so much so, that she took it over and Im back into my 2011 Subaru. Now if I can just convince her to let me trade for another Cruze Eco.

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  Wonderfully Perfect,Sporty,Luxury at an affordable price - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By jjj1989 - July 19 - 4:54 pm

  I bought My Cruze brand new In 2011, I drove off the lot with only 7 miles on the ODO. I now have 25750 miles on It. Happy to state that Ive never had any problems with my car. This is a wonderful car for a starter family, or for anyone who wants to own a new car at an affordable price. Its more value for the money than Toyota Corolla,Honda Civic, Its quieter, Much better then Any other car I test drove. For a first year vehicle reliability Has been above average for me. Plus It has a nice luxury look to the vehicle at a great price. Ignore the people that complain about it, their either the ones that drive like maniacs or the ones who do not keep up with the Maint.

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  Equinox LTZ - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By norwin - July 18 - 11:20 pm

  We bought the 4 cyl LTZ in May 2012 and we are happy with the performance and styling of the vehicle.I was a little leery of buying a 4 banger but after a 900 mile trip was pleasantly surprised with performance and gas mileage. The first tank (in ECO mode) got 31.4mpg at 65 to 75mph with ac on,2 people and luggage on board. Sure, its not going to perform like the big boys, but I feel comfortable with its power in traffic and never feel like I have to "get over get run over." Subsequent mileage checks for the type of driving we do are in 28-29mpg range.

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  Nice family van -- so issues - 2005 Chevrolet Venture
  By thecatman - July 18 - 1:13 pm

  Got my van in Dec. 2009. I travel 12 miles on mostly a hilly expressway and get between 25 -26.5 per trip. Problems Ive had are the horn stops working because of a fuse. I replace it and then 2 months later it blows again. Also I wanted to get bucket seats for the middle row but Chevy changed the seat design on the 2005. As a result you can only interchange these seats with another 2005 and they are IMPOSSIBLE to find. Ive been trying for over a year. I have a side and middle seat and they are not comfortable on long trip. But I am happy with the van, rights nice, rattles a little but no major problems after 143,000 miles. I would buy another Venture only with bucket seats.

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  High Quality Interior and Great Ride - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By roadwarrior26 - July 17 - 7:25 pm

  This is a great car. I have over 2000 miles on the car already and its averaging 33 mpg. Its a smooth car to drive and has more than adequate pick up speed when passing other cars on the road. The interior and exterior of the vehicle are very attractive and its a real pleasure to drive.