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:

• 

  Great car - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By mopardave - December 23 - 8:29 pm

  I have 260 000 km on the car. The car still runs great. The low oil pressure warning came on, mine was easy fix, changed the switch ($37) and thermostat (run hot, ac off warning) replaced. I hope to get to 400000km. Everything still works well and it drives like the day I bought it.

• 

  Reluctant Cruze owner - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By oldtimer59 - December 23 - 3:45 am

  I must confess that the Cruze was not my first choice. I came to the Chevy dealership looking at the malibu, but things quickly begin to fall apart on the deal. So I had to regroup and the salesman introduce the cruze as an possibility. First, the deal was right, secondly, after the test drive I was surprised at how it performed and how it looked to the eye. Needles to say I am a cruze owner and looking for this car and driver relationship to last.

• 

  Good truck, Fun to drive, Terrible GPS - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
  By kens888 - December 21 - 10:56 pm

  Good basic 4 wheel drive truck, but not really small or mid size darn close to our Sierra. Love the rear view camera. I only have 1,500 miles on it, but the gas mileage is only 17 around town and 24 highway. The 4 wheel drive has to be switched on manually and doesnt engage automatically when conditions require it. The lack of a CD player is compensated for by the 4 USB ports, although 2 are accessible from in the back seat. The seat heat seems to be a warmer at best, no real heat in the cold weather. Remote starting is a great feature, although we have only had the opportunity to warm the truck and not cool it. The GPS system is a wast of money, its like a 1990s Garmin. Adequately powered

• 

  Nice mid-size SUV a few disappointing surprises - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ellery_davies - December 15 - 11:41 am

  I have owned a long list of small and mid-size SUVs, both foreign and domestic. Until now, I have always purchased the high-end luxury trim, typically "Ltd" or a name-branded premium package, such as "Eddie Bauer"). This time I chose the plain base model with AWD as the only addition. The 2015 Equinox LS is anything but plain! Perhaps it is a sign of the times, but this baby feels quiet & luxurious. It includes everything you would expect on a higher end package, except sunroof. With Onstar for 6 months, it even sports turn-by-turn navigation. The ride is comfortable, suspension seems tight and tires are terrific. But there were some disappointing surprises. Read on...

• 

  1.4 turbo LT auto sedan a good buy, a few niggles - 2014 Chevrolet Sonic
  By shorebreeze - December 10 - 7:38 pm

  This review is for the 1.4 turbo LT sedan, which isnt offered as an option by Edmunds so I have flagged this in the title. Fun to drive generally excellent design, one of the few really good touchscreen entertainment systems, excellent on safety, peppy if you get the turbo, a lot of space for the money, larger (but fortunately for parking no longer) than a standard subcompact and the sedan is actually well into the EPA compact category by volume, unusually quiet and smooth for the class. But a number of niggles front seat comfort issues, awkward stock tuning of engine and transmission, unrefined rear suspension, and appalling stock tires except on the Dusk Edition.

• 

  Love my Impala! - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
  By retire2018 - December 6 - 11:42 pm

  Not sure what the complaints are about. This car is a pleasure to drive. I drive a combination of driving and get 24 mpg. The 300hp is amazing! Smooth acceleration and great braking. I dont know about others but I have no problems with parking, good turning radius. The car rides and handles well. As for pricing, I bought the car with 21.4k miles and paid $11900. It is a LT model and was a rental out of Montana. It has tinted windows and a sunroof. As far as handling, I find it to handle quite well for the size of car that it is. My personal opinion is that its a great car and a great value.

• 

  Quirky, but loveable - 2014 Chevrolet Spark
  By tishpit1 - December 6 - 8:15 am

  Have a 2014 Spark LT1 with nearly 18,000 miles on her (I drive a lot). This car has it +s and -s, thats for sure. PROS: The driving position is comfortable for me and I have a horrible back, so its hard finding a car that doesnt cause me pain. This one is kinda fun to drive and handles very well for an econo-car. Roomy cargo area with nearly-flat folding rear seat. Dash is nice and touch-screen radio also works well. MPG is avg. 38+ in mixed driving in Florida (level, but lots of a/c). Recommend dealer installed fog lights for night/bad weather driving. CONS: had bad hesitation problem and lurching at very slow speeds but "cured" by using 89 octane gas. A/c is poor - weak fan.

• 

  275,000 miles and still running strong. - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By hyonlyph - November 18 - 12:57 pm

  Ive had my Blazer since it was new in 1996. First, the standard mileage charts are way low. In my experience, my car got 25 mpg highway from the first day. And it still gets that same mpg. With the exception of repairing the AC at about 125K and the stereo at 200K, all Ive ever done to this car is change the oil and do basic maintenance. Obviously eventually you have to do a little front end work. Parts wear out. It can still pull a UHaul trailer full of stuff. Its not pretty, Ive never been able to garage the car. Paint fine, Interior still looks great with no holes etc. At this point, the dash is cracking a bit. But overall, its the most dependable car Ive ever owned.

• 

  Exactly What I Expected - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By fastcolin - November 12 - 8:29 pm

  I want to start this review by saying I absolutely love my Cobalt. Starting with the good, the car is quick for a 4 cylinder, rides smooth, has a great stock stereo system, easy and cheap to maintain, comfortable, and very reliable. It has never left me stranded. With all of that being said, I absolutely hate how cheaply everything was built. Everything that shouldnt move moves. The dome light lens rattles, the window cranks rattle with the radio on, the dash pieces move, and worst of all is the steering column. Everyone Ive talked to has the same issue. It rattles between 55 and 75 mph and over bumps at low speeds you replace the steering column, and itll wear out again.

• 

  cheapest decent truck - 2012 Chevrolet Colorado
  By 12rado4life - November 8 - 8:39 pm

  I bought a 2012 colorado crew cab used w/ 21,400 miles with the 5 cyl. 3.7L engine. The 4 cyl. engine was too weak, and fuel efficiency difference was only 1 mpg. Alone with luggage I get 24.5 mpg at 66 mph. With more ppl and luggage its more like 22 mpg. In houstons mix of highway and city I tend to get 19-20 mpg. It now has 60,000 miles and have had a $400 sensor go out. Ride and road noise are not the best, but livable. Turning radius better than full size, but not great. I find fuel mileage is significantly better than full size trucks, and I have had no issues with the drivetrain. This truck has no frills, but its reliable. This is the midsize truck to buy if you want value.