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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  Mostly good - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jzr1sy40 - February 21 - 6:43 am

  The Pros - Good ride, Comfortable, Nice design, roomy interior, Far stronger that other vehicles in his class, Very comfortable highway ride. The Cons - Lousy millage, in the city Im lucky when I get 16 mpg, I just took my first road trip, I have 5900 miles in my Equinox, (I have owned it for 14 months, mostly city driving), after an average of 54.8 mph I got an average of 23.6 mpg. Very disappointing.

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  Love this truck! - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By tahoemama - February 20 - 8:02 pm

  Fun to drive, and tows like a dream. Its great!

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  06 Impala SS - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By eeterson - February 19 - 11:49 am

  Bought this car used with 60,000 miles. I ignored the fact I test drove it with check engine light and warning lights. Wanted this great looking big engine fueled car. Used car dealer turned the car over with all issues "fixed." Light came back on, transmission needed to be rebuilt. Dealer fixed that, had to fix trunk release issue. Power door locks stopped working. Sensors were going through the six months I had this car. Lots of little annoying things. Unreliable car but FUN TO DRIVE. Loved the power. And for all its flaws it was safe. I ended up rolling this thing pretty badly, totaled the car. Walked away uninjured.

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  No. 2392, 9 months, 26000 miles, OK - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By talbottsolar - February 18 - 11:19 pm

  The Volt is eerily quiet. I drove for weeks with the windows down just to understand what it was doing. It accelerates like an elevator, just tire noise and a stiff push from the seat. My wife was driving us up to Lassen Lodge, nice wide winding mountain roads not much traffic, listening to "Il Volo" on the Bose sound system, and chatting away at more than a mile a minute as it turned out! She was driving in her comfort zone, and was substantially over the speed limit! Its a really nice car. Ive been in for the free oil change at Maita Chevy, and to repair a flat tire. Mileage is 55 MPG. Fuel savings is $1K. With the tax credit. and fuel savings it has cost me zero to own this Volt.

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  Only 250 mpg - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By liftaddict - February 18 - 9:25 pm

  Traded in a 2010 german turbo diesel which only got 40mg for this. Electric motor with generator is way faster and more economical. My wifes commute is just over 40 mi round trip and the elevation gain is about 750 ft. She ends up using gas the last few miles. But the performance is better than most cars we have owned. Fit and finish are excellent . The electric motor responds intantly not like the other hybrids. This is a real car with the advantage of being able to take advantage of our solar panels.

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  I love this car! - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By dr_jim1 - February 17 - 4:41 pm

  My previous car is a Volvo C70. The Eco had a lot to live up to. I have 16,000 miles with a lifetime average of 44 mpg. I commute 250 miles (RT) over mostly two lane highways in the frozen North. The acceleration makes passing easy, the car is beautiful and comfortable. I went to the test drive expecting to be under awed, but I had to get better gas mileage. A hybrid was not going to do it with my driving conditions. The car impressed me at every turn. It still does.

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  Punchy acceleration and rides as smooth as butter - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By spazmataz - February 17 - 12:55 am

  This car is fantastic! -- Its as roomy as an entry level Mercedes Benz, zips around city streets like a sports car, handles like a BMW and is quieter than a Rolls Royce. When I first saw a Volt in person, I found it much larger than I thought. Dont let certain pundits fool you. In truth, the Chevy Volt is roughly the same size as a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 Luxury Sedan, both inside and out (compare specs). The Volt only seats 4, but in my case thats fine. The interior is sleek and comfortable, the exterior far nicer looking than other plug-ins in the same price range, and the 17" aluminum rims look great. According to my odometer, so far Ive driven 1325 miles on 0.2 gallons of gas.

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  Mixed feelings... - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By 823freckles - February 17 - 12:34 am

  I got my cobalt in 2009 with 17000 miles on it. I was constantly having problems with it-interior quality is awkward and shoddy, I failed an emissions test shortly after buying it, and some other problems I honestly cant remember, except they were costly. I also hated that it seemed to turn way too widely, at least for me-handling was awkward. I would have rated it lower, but as I just totaled it and walked away sans injuries, Im giving it a slightly higher rating. But I think there are cars just as safe, but more enjoyable to drive out there.

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  Love it! - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By gobigredaz - February 15 - 7:12 pm

  We love our new car. It is sporty and fun to drive. I like having the back up camera so I can see what is going on behind me and thankfully I had it the other day or I would have ran over a dog that was behind me.

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  Beats the imports - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By regular_renter - February 14 - 7:40 pm

  I travel on business frequently and rent lots of cars in this category. The Chevy Cruze beats the pants off the Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra in EVERY area. It looks and handles great. It has excellent pickup. The interior seems much nicer than its class and way more comfortable too. I wish the rental company would dump the imports and only carry this car. I choose it over the Malibu too. Way to go Chevy.