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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  Stay Away From This Car! - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By maria1101 - April 24 - 10:31 pm

  Where do I begin...I bought this car used four years ago with 77k, it was my first car so you cant really be picky. After three months the problems began, head gasket, bad electrical wiring, brakes needed replaced every 6 months, rotors needed replaced once a year, the fuel pump needed replaced, also replaced the ignition and the body control module due to the fact they told me it would solve my problem of my car not starting while sitting in the sun...no mechanic could ever figure out what the problem was! Signals occasionally didnt work, sun visor fell off, seat recliner handle fell off. I took good care of this car, always kept it well maintained but this car did not take care of me!

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  15 mpg - GM told me thats not bad for this car - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By ddufort13 - April 24 - 9:15 pm

  The Traverse has a good interior design, great handling and power, but I average 15 mpg vs the sticker that indicates an average on 19 mpg. I registered a complaint with GM, my service guy at Chevy indicated he only got 13 mpg. GM told me, and I quote, "The car is performing as per specifications. I see youre getting 15 mpg, and thats not bad for this car!!!" I told them they should advertise that. 15 mpg isnt that bad, even though they advertise 16-23 mpg. If you want performance with poor MPG, this is the SUV for you. If youre looking for performance and fuel economy stay away.

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  Great Car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By blizbiggy - April 24 - 9:06 pm

  Bought my car early spring of 2011 with 101K miles on it. So far I have replaced the front brakes and rotors and the business I bought it off of put a bran new clutch in it. I have put 20K on it myself this past year. Reliability is great and mileage is great with a nice get-up-and-go. Currently in colder weather at 32.5MPG and got 35.5MPG during this past summer. The only issues with the car so far being the sunroof track broke and that the stereo display is dying (got a kenwood double-din to pop in it). The buttons for the display also are kinda cheap and you have to press it just right to make it change.

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  After 5yrs/135K miles and going strong - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By jmeeep - April 24 - 3:16 pm

  I purchased this car for its unique look, decent mileage and ability to carry lots of things. It has been a very reliable car. No problems what so ever. The car does get regular maintance but believe me.. Im not perfect at it. I recommend this car to anyone just dont mind the car being called PT Cruiser or the white bus. My Fiance hated this car in the beginning and hes a car enthusiast. If you asked him now, he would be hard pressed not to recommend it either. It has been more reliable than his car and he takes care of his own car like a baby!

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  Chevrolet sucks - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By mrswinnie - April 24 - 9:00 am

  My Tahoe started to do some weird things. It would cut off and lock me in the truck. Then after a few minutes, it would start again like nothing was wrong. The radio has completely gone out and the lights flicker. Took it to Chevrolet and they did an electrical test, claimed nothing was wrong. I just needed a battery. Got the battery worked fine for 2 days and went back to doing the same thing. Here it is a year later, it never got fixed and I just went to start it and it wont come start. Chevrolet is the worst at customer service as well as building vehicles. I will never buy another one as long as I live!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Chevy Corsica - 1994 Chevrolet Corsica
  By subaru_sonnie - April 23 - 9:52 am

  Okay so my mom had her 1994 corsica. She had planned on handing it down to me which she did about 5 years ago. I had made a field car out of her. She became known with the name Betsy. Betsy was sitting behind a 3.1 liter v6 with 80,000 miles on it, she had 180,000 on her body (was replaced with bertetta motor at 100,000)still was the beast of my homeade track. With the pedal to the floor i roasted the spare donut tire right off of its rim (E-Brake held high, pedal held low)

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  Bestest vehicle I ever owned - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By persianguy40 - April 22 - 11:40 pm

  OK. I owned a 1987 VW Golf in the 90s. 1995 BMW 325is in late 90s. Ford sport trac 2001. Toyota Tercel 1993. Toyota Corolla 2005. Any finally my beloved 2005 4 door colorado 2-wheel drive. This is a perfect vehicle. Not too small, not too big. Looks good and aggressive. Engine sounds good, sporty, reliable. 5 cylinder engine sounds weird but it works great. Compared to my friends who have 6 or 8 cylinder trucks this truck is very easy on gasoline. I get 27 miles/gallon on freeway, and 22 on streets. Dont forget this is a truck, and you can do all things a truck can do with this awsome truck. I bouight the truck in 2007. It had 50,000 milies on it. Now it has 99,500.

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  bad bluetooth on the Chevy Cruze - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By liz49 - April 22 - 10:24 am

  I have a smart phone from Verizon. The bluetooth says paired, but not connected. It might work for a few seconds, but then it drops. I have contacted GM, and they say it is a "known issue." Not just my type of phone. Many brands. The bluetooth was a big selling point for me, and now I cant use it. They did not sound encouraging. When I asked how long they have been working on it, they replied "a long time." I think they should offer to supply us with a phone that is compatible with their very poor bluetooth. Very disappointed. Dont buy it if you are hoping to use hands free cell phone.

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  EV1 Owner Waited 10 Years for the Volt - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By ev1_2_volt - April 20 - 10:38 am

  My wife and I had the privilege of having a 1999 GM EV1 when it was a prototype all electric cal with a range of 90-110 miles. Only 500 1999 EV1s were produced. We loved that car! When the EV1 was taken back by GM as part of the agreed up prototye lease agreement we kept waiting and looking for an alternative fuel replacement. I do not care for the Prius, although I appreciate the technology advancements and fuel economy - - To me it is still a 100% all gasoline car. I was waiting for a plug in electric like the EV1. I was hoping for a small SUV like the early edition all electric prototype Toyota Rav. Overall, I am very pleased with the Volt. It meets all my driving needs.

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  Great little car - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By conanmacmorna - April 18 - 3:58 pm

  Ive had my new Cruze LS for two weeks and 500 miles, and so far I absolutely love it. Coming from a long history of full-size sedans and pickups, I was expecting to be underwhelmed by the Cruze (I test-drove the Eco and LS), but it has plenty of go and the ride and handling are wonderful. Twice the fuel economy of my previous rides is a great bonus. I dont know how big the Edmunds reviewer is, but my wide self has no problem with the seats. Chevy, youve knocked it right out of the park with this model.