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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  Friggin LOVE this thing! - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Amy Andrews - November 21 - 6:36 pm

  I totaled my Pontiac in January of 2014, and was carless for 8 months. I suddenly got a teaching job an hour away, and bought a complete POS Saturn to get me through til I could get something decent. In January 2015, I got my Tracker - DURING a Wisconsin snowstorm. I just love this thing. Reliable, decent on gas, optional 4WD is terrific (which is why I totaled my Grand Am), lots of room, and great for my 61" 16 y/o stepson to get to and from work and school when I dont need it. My stepson drove it for the first time in snow today in 4WD, and he just loved it. It buys me SO much piece of mind at night, knowing I have a good winter car in Wisconsin (I adored and still miss my old Grand Am, but would never buy one again!).

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  Uber driver gives thumbs up - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By James Keen - November 21 - 11:37 am

  All though built for a 19 year old college girl, my 240 lb 510" frame rides well in it. I purchased the car in January of 2013. As of November 21, 2015 I have logged over 63,000 miles. This car is the 1.8 liter mated to the 6-speed manual tranny. I log every fuel up utilizing the gas tracker app available on iTunes. Average is 30.5 MPG and I am not the most conservative driver. Only mechanical issue I have encountered was a broken thermostat housing and thermostat. The issue was covered under warranty. Car rides well and handles very well. It is under powered but expected with only 138 horsepower. I recently began driving for Uber. I have received a ton of compliments on the car. The 6-speed manual tranny is a real conversation starter. This is the base model and does not have blue tooth or cruise control. The stereo is somewhat inadequate. It is difficult to hear stereo with the windows down and only having 6 pre-set stations really blows. The car is silver ice and the windows are tinted as dark as the law will allow. It looks brand new. Something very remarkable is that I still have the original tires. Firestone FR710. Over 63K miles and still a good ways away from the tread ware indicator. I would recommend this car to anyone.....Most notable downside is resale value

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  Lime Green Scream Machine! - 2015 Chevrolet Spark
  By Kathy Cowan - November 20 - 8:48 pm

  I have owned so many cars, I have lost count. For my money, this one tops the list. Drove like a Ferrari on a long road trip, great gas mileage, and 5 speed is just fun! I have had more people ask me about this car than any other. Very pleased!

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  First American car I bought in 18 yrs - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By providan - November 20 - 6:58 pm

  This is a fun to drive car with plenty of power and excellent handling. Feels solid and safe. Mine is red hot red-a beautiful car! Mine will not be used for grocery shopping or winter or bad weather driving and Moms better choose something else because its going to be hard to get a car seat in the back and yes the visibility isnt so great-you have to be careful.

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  Best car I have ever owned. - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By Kevin - November 18 - 9:25 pm

  I LOVE THIS CAR!!!! I have had this car for 3 years and 63,000 miles and I still look forward to driving it every day. The EV experience is amazing. Reliability of this very complex vehicle has been perfect. I have not had any items fail. I will be keeping this car for a very long time.

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  You Should have a V6 AWD - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Karl jensen - November 18 - 7:38 pm

  There was no option to select the V6 for review. It seems there is a big performance differences between 4 cylinder and the AWD V6. First off is the power, Shocking! Plant your foot and go to warp. Passing is a pleasure, not "I think I can, I think I can". With the V6 and AWD combination you get an upgraded suspension that gives you precise handling and very little body roll without being too stiff. Stuff not easy to find in the specs. The major complaint is the transmission. It not always as intuitive as it could be and for gods sake DO NOT use the manual shift buttons. They lag in command and once badly downshifted so let the computer do it. The so-called premium sound system is only fair. Would I buy it again? Yes, cant beat the bang for the buck.

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  One sweet vehicle - 2015 Chevrolet Volt
  By Mike - November 18 - 7:05 pm

  Have owned my volt for only 7 months now. Just took a trip from Michigan to Florida and back. Volt ran 70 mph all day and had absolutely no problems. I averaged 40.2 mpg going to Florida and 38.4 mpg on the way back to Michigan. I have driven Traverses and GMC Arcadia for the last 6 years, so getting used to a smaller vehicle took some time. I still want to grab my car keys when I get out of the car. At home in Michigan, I have only filled the gas tank 2 times. I have been getting anywhere from 39 to 43 miles on a full electric charge. I dont know why it may charge to 39 miles one time and 43 miles the next though. Car has a great ride for a small vehicle and the seating in the front is comfortable. I cant say anything about the back seat, because no one has sat there yet. Breaking is excellent and the radio is very good. One big thing to watch is when you are changing the drive mode from normal to anything else, you better be very careful, because you can easily hit the blue power on/off button. Did that once and there is not a thing you can do, except to pull over and restart the vehicle. I talked to my dealer about this and he agreed with me and said there is chatter on the chevy site about this, but no solutions yet. The combined millage includes my 2600 miles going to Florida and back.

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  05 chevy cobalt base model - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Cody chevy everyday - November 18 - 12:37 pm

  I bought this car off craigslist for 3,000$ from a mechanic and its been really reliable faster than an 09 Honda civic and the overall quality is great I have a sound system in mine with 10"inch kicker subs and thats all I hear I never hear the outside I bought it with 151,000 miles on it and it now has 166,000 miles on it and Im a teen so those I would consider hard miles it has exceptional quality and great acceleration for a 4 cylinder I love it and I definitely recommend this car the safety features are good too the guy who sold it originally crashed it once and usually when you crash cars that becomes history for them but the cobalt was still great I hit a lady with it at 20 mph because she slammed her brakes and I didnt get 1 scratch and with my driving I get 23-24 mpg great car chevy did great thank you and I recommend it

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  Love it! - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By me - November 17 - 8:32 pm

  Although I am no expert, I have owned several different cars, so I can speak from experience if you will.. The Equinox is a smooth ride, safe, sturdy, and sexy in my opinion :-) I had a Mazda cx5 temporarily, and if felt like I was in a tin can compared to the Equinox, and it was the same price, if not more...I have gone over most of the reviews, and it sounds like most of the negative comments are from people that are never satisfied, its pretty obvious..My parents are on their second Equinox, they love it!

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  Transmission - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
  By Aneca - November 17 - 7:42 pm

  I purchased my car in July 2011. Six months after I had to get evaporated canister repaired. June 2013 car stopped in traffic, it wouldnt accelerate. Had it towed to dealer they said transmission needed to be repaired. GM covered the cost of repair. April 2014, car stopped again in traffic. I had it towed back to dealer. They said transmission problem again. This time warranty was expired. I called GM and they assisted with half the cost. November 2015 car stopped in traffic again. I had car towed to dealer. Transmission again and this time they say it needs to be replaced. As of right now Im battling with dealer and GM.