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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  Government Motors FAIL - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Bobo - November 27 - 8:59 pm

  Engine misfired at idle and occasionally stalled. Driver power window repeatedly failed despite being reprogrammed by dealer. Multiple cosmetic problems - gas door always slightly ajar, hood not even, etc. 4WD would "stick" and required turning car off and restarting to shift back to 2WD. Three recalls requiring service - seats not attached properly, hood fluttered at highway speed, and power steering required reprogramming. All of this occurred before 15,000 miles. Mediocre performance. I traded for a more reliable truck made by a company that did not accept government bail out money.

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  Love this car! - 2015 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Steve - November 27 - 7:34 pm

  Its easy to hook up all of you wife and blue tooth, making hands free a standard thing. Great on gas, love the interior, Had other Malibus in the past that lasted and lasted. I mean like 190,000 and still humming along! Dependable, safe and beats everyone on price except the inferior brands. Would let my daughters travel in it or recommend to someones mom. I love this car~!!!

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  Born in the USA - 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Jim - November 27 - 3:53 pm

  Traded a MBZ for a Chevy! If you are into status and frustrating electronics, dont buy a Tahoe. But if you want a great vehicle that is user friendly, then its the Tahoe. This is one BMW/MBZ/Jaguar owner who has just had enough of those brands. After spending $1800 replacing stupid Pirelli tires on my MBZ after three blowout/flats and having to sue MBZ for restitution because they blew me off, I decided to move on. Love my new Tahoe!

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  disappointed - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By pstrickland - November 27 - 10:20 am

  purchased used, after trading in what we thought was our excellent condition money pit trailblazer. not so sure we did the right thing here. sure I paid lots on some repairs to the trailblazer over the last 3 yrs but I know what was done and it was an amazing vehicle. wouldnt hesitate driving it out of state. this equinox on the other hand, Im not so sure Im willing to drive it across town! went to family dinner, came home and the entire car was shaking and sounded like my tires were about to fall off. Ive had it to the dealer more times than Ive had it in my driveway. purchased less than a month ago and its been there more than its been home with us. Im really upset and fear for our familys future on this - dealers screwing families daily has got to stop! if selling a car to make a buck is more important to you than the safety of another human being, then youre a worthless individual.

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  Love my Spark - 2015 Chevrolet Spark
  By Kim - November 25 - 11:20 am

  This was my first brand new car purchase. I didnt want a car payment, but was tired of having to out money into repairs. I figured if I bought a decent used car I would be paying around $6000 for a car with high mileage. So I started looking for an affordable new car. After a few weeks of research I found the Spark. Great little car. I do a lot of driving, gas mileage is amazing. I average 36-40 mpg. Ive put 11k miles on car in 7 months. No mechanical issues. I did receive a factory recal for the radio but didnt get around to get it done. Its not a race car but it does seem peppy for a little car. I dont romp on it so that probably helps mpg. Took it on 800 mile trip. It was decent ride, the seats are comfortable and the cab room is bigger than what it seems. The back seat is also roomy and comfy for short rides. I did miss cruise control. But I used less than $60 in gas. Bonus. I was concerned about the safety of this small car. But reading reviews it seemed it was good. Ten airbags. Im writing this review after being t-boned at 55mph. Im absolutely astonished how well the Spark held up. Although the car is totaled, its saftey features more than likely saved my life. I will definitely be getting another one.

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  HHR Hell - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Karen Chacon - November 24 - 9:57 am

  This is the worst car I have ever purchased. It is rickety, tinny, bumpy ANDDD part of an ignition recall. My daughter at college, Arizona freeway 75 mph, loses all power, no power steering. this happens 6 times! avoiding death or serious injury from vehicles on the freeway. Had it to 4 garages before we knew about recall and no one could diagnose the problem. Had ignition fixed, and now this morning, same. 75mph, Semi swerves to miss crushing her. I call GM, they say sorry, not enough people have called/complained or died to help us. Car dealerships wont take it as a trade in because of all the complaints. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR

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  The only car Ive ever been afraid of... - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Tim - November 23 - 8:37 pm

  ...is this 2014 Chevy Camaro ZL1 convertible with the 6 speed manual transmission. Ive owned 2 other Camaros (1990, 2010), 2 Mustangs and even a Corvette (2000), but nothing had the performance to make me fear for my life like this ZL1. It accelerates like a rocket, handles like its on rails and stops on a dime so theres no real need to review the performance of the 6.2L supercharged engine. I mean, 580 hp and 556 lb/ft of torque speak for themselves. Were I so inclined I could cut the tires loose in almost any gear despite the traction control, however I dont make enough money to keep replacing them. Instead, Im going to focus on the technology and aesthetic aspects of the car. First, the styling is gorgeous. Heads turn wherever we go, and once folks see the ZL1 script on the hood fingers begin pointing. Yes, its difficult to see out of it when the top is up but I knew that going in. Besides, the top is rarely up. Its a summer time car and I use it as such. It gets appalling gas mileage yes I said appalling. Roughly 12-14 mpg. But I wasnt buying a Prius, nor is this my daily driver so Im ok with it. The infotainment system is decent and relatively easy to use once youve read the manual and played with it awhile, but the Boston Acoustics stereo is bad. Coming from a THX II Surround system in my Lincoln I am severely disappointed. I expected so much more. Sigh... The alcantara/leather seats and alcantara on the steering wheel/shift knob/dash are nice touches and make the interior stand out. There is plenty of room up front (65" driver here), but none in the back. None. Nada. All in all, I am thus far eminently satisfied with this car. Ive put a little over 3k summer time miles on it and Ive smiled during all of them. I wanted a sexy, fun, ridiculously fast and completely unnecessary indulgence and thats exactly what I got!

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  Beats the VW Jetta diesel with ease. - 2015 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Alan Curtis Wilson. - November 22 - 3:05 pm

  Look around for a good deal on this car. We did and purchased it well under sticker. We also bought several aftermarket options including a second set of wheels and tires for our Minnesota winters. The diesel engine and low rolling resistance tires help the car get great mileage in the summer with our best being 60 mpg on a 500 mile trip. Around the city we get 33 to 42 mpg. Worst mileage it has returned in stop and go city driving is the EPA rated city 27 mpg. That makes this cars MPG better than any other I have bought since EPA started giving out MPG ratings. Frankly I didnt expect that with my heavy foot driving but this car has the power and does not guzzle fuel if you drive it hard. The handling is much better than I expected. The brakes are really great, so good I have trouble keeping from getting too much braking when I drive this as compared to my diesel truck or the old every day car, a Hyundai Elantra. The comparison between the two compact cars leaves the Elantra with one star and the Cruze 5 star. I am a big and tall man and I am comortable driving the car and the Big, big plus is I am comfortable on the passenger side. No other vehicle in the last 25 years have I been comfortable in the front passenger seat including my my diesel pickup. I really like the Pioneer sound system plus the in dash electronics and the way they work with my tablet and phone. Reliable seamless and easy to setup. The light colored leather interior is wonderful to ride in and helps the car be cooler to get in and drive in the summer. I have carried 10 foot long lengths of pipe, metals, and other items which fit from the trunk to the front of the car. Big surprise to me! Plus I can load all my camera and lens cases into the car with room for 2 passengers. The car is fun to drive, my wife loves it and actually likes the electronics especially the LCD between the speedo and tach that helps her and I monitor our mileage. Oh, one more thing, the diesel means that driving harder for more acceleration does not equal lower the fuel mileage greatly. I love the power of driving turbo diesel in all of them I have driven. I wish to see one in a mid or large SUV.

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  Best Car I Ever Owned - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Me - November 22 - 10:05 am

  This is the best car Ive ever owned so far and I have had many. I wont bash other brands so Ill leave that out. I bought the car pre-owned with less than 10k on it and now have 85k. I am very pleased with how dependable this car is. The only thing Ive had done "major" is new tires and brakes. Again its at 85k miles... The interior is beautiful (have the 2 tone brown and cream color leather). I am 511 and my son is 61 and we fit comfortably in the front and back seat. I know how difficult it can be to find a car that "fits". Other features I enjoy is the sound system (I have a long daily commute to work), smooth ride, heated seats and remote start. The exterior appearance is classy. Things that could be better is the trunk opening and gas mileage for me is only averaging 22, for a 4 cylinder I was hoping for better, however I do drive aggressively. I rely heavily on other reviews when making purchases and am very thankful that people write them..this is my first and I hope this review helps. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  Manual is the way to go - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Rob - November 21 - 10:50 pm

  I have had my chevy cobalt for 5 years now. It is a 2 door coupe manual transmission. I have 145000 miles on it and the only thing that u have replaced on it is the suspension. Replaced it with Monroe shocks and struts because the stock is [non-permissible content removed]. It may not be quick but the best car I have ever owned