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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  Chevy Cruze is bad - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By John Rochester - December 27 - 5:01 pm

  Do not buy a Chevy Cruze. It will always break down.

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  2011 disaster - 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Bill - November 19 - 7:27 pm

  Bought a 2011 5 years ago....had 70,000 miles. 3 years ago when I hit 118,000 miles, motor blew. Ingersoll chevy (local dealer/repair) told me "you must have put in the wrong oil at one time" which I never put any oil in it, as they had beenthe ones servicing the Trucks oil...? so.... after spending $7500.00 for a new motor, and then 1 week later $650.00 for an oil sender (which wasn't under the warranty from the motor replacement- Ha!) then 2 years later the tranny went and Ingersoll got another $5500.00 from me. 1 year ago the tranny cable broke -$700.00 (of course not under the new tranny warranty) . Now, 3.7 years later after the motor was replaced (7 months after the warranty passes), the motor just went again. Question is this, is it a lousy truck, rip-off dealership/repair shop, or is it me who keeps bringing this truck to a dealership/repair shop that has no regards for steady loyal customers hoping they will realize there is something not right with any of his.... Think about it.. if I get another motor I will have spent $22,350.00 in less then 4 years for this 2011 Black Nightmare.- that sadly looks like a great truck from the outside.... Ugghhh

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  2011 aveo ls sedan - 2011 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Tom prescott - June 15 - 7:57 am

  Great car

• Horrible vehicle - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Bob Thoms - June 10 - 11:46 pm

  Worst vehicle I have ever owned. Cheap finish, nothing works, electronics are horrible, etc. Would avoid at all costs-

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  Unsafe at any speed - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Dennis - June 1 - 11:12 pm

  Just purchased a used 06 HHR. It was inexpensive, available and I needed a vehicle fast. BIG MISTAKE!!! Ralph Nader would surely revise his opinion of the 62 Corvair if he were to drive one of these death traps. This is the first vehicle I've owned in 45 years that has deliberately tried to kill me! The electric power steering has effort but absolutely no feel and has a habit of not wanting to return to centre. The wheel is connected to the steering box with something akin to bamboo so as to eliminate any feel whatsoever, The throttle by wire takes 5 full seconds to close, forget compression braking or trying to match revs when shifting without the clutch. The electrical system was designed and built by Lucas of England and installed by ex British Leyland ultraunion employees. Nothing works reliably! The suspension is rock hard but given the turning radius of slightly more than a 40 mule team does nothing for handling except rattle your kidneys. I could go on with the HHR's glaring faults, but you get the picture. Would gladly trade this piece of junk for a 62 Corvair, a Vega or even a Chevette! That's how bad this thing is.

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  Chevrolet - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Denise White - May 31 - 10:11 am

  Bought it with over 100k miles . Only changed battery ,oil changes ,& tires Chevrolet cars are very dependable

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  I have had it for 5 years! - 2015 Chevrolet Spark
  By Jim - May 27 - 5:32 pm

  I thought I might give a more sensible review as I've now had the car 5 years. I bought a brand new 2015 LS. That's the basic model with a manual transmission. There were several reasons why. I had done a lot of reading and research at the time I was 68 years old. I'm not old old but I'm not young either. I also tend to keep my cars like10 years. So as I age more this car will keep me more mentally alert as I drive. That's an important factor for me. Also I knew what I was fine it's a small basic what I call City car or little work car commuter car. About 70% of the time it's just me in the car. The remaining time there are two adults. I would not recommend the car for a family perhaps if you have one child. At the time when I bought it I worked and I drove it back and forth to work which was only 15 miles each way. I live in South Florida traffic is very chaotic down here it's nice to be able to zip around traffic and find a great parking space because the Chevy spark is so small. I will have the car 6 years in October 2021. I only have 38,000 miles on it and that includes a 3,000 mile road trip. The only repairs I've done I bought a new battery at Walmart which I put in myself I think I paid $79 for that. I replace the tires after 4 years. The tires are not easy to find because they are small I ordered them online and had a local dealer put them in. Tires in South Florida are difficult anyway because of the heat. Other than that the car has been great! When I took it on the road trip on the highway I was kidding over 50 miles an hour I was not using the AC as it was the fall of the year. But great over the road mileage. The paint the hardware has held up pretty good no complaints from me I do keep it waxed because of the sun and the heat down here. I put air in the tires and I changed the oil as needed. If you want a small City car or a commuter car this is the one to get. Sure you could get a little Toyota I know that they're made better they perhaps they last longer they're also about 8,000 more dollars. I just don't think they're worth it I got this thing out the door tax everything for about 10,800. That was in 2015 they're only about a thousand more dollars now. You can't beat it for the value. I would buy again

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  Had Our Van for 3 years! - 2003 Chevrolet Astro
  By Bee - April 27 - 5:26 pm

  We purchased this van from our friends who thought to sell it to my family after our other van gave out. It lasted a long time! Wish I had kept it up. Runs smooth and tires last forever! The cons is during winter and having bad tires will have this car spinning in circles. Door is broken, window panel broken, trunk doesn’t open. Gets really hot!

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  I love my 2020 Chevrolet Spark - 2020 Chevrolet Spark
  By ed campini - April 21 - 5:10 pm

  I have the 2020 LS Manual model, have had it for more than a year, and I absolutely love it. It is fun to drive, gets great mileage, and has not caused me any problems at all. I also have a Town Car and and an F350, and believe it or not the Spark is the only vehicle I have that does not require me to have the seat all the way back like my Town Car and Truck. I pull the Spark 4 wheels down behind my motorhome, and I use it to drive around town. This car is an awesome value, I get 38 mpg driving around town, I rarely take it on the highway, but have done that a few times as well, no problems driving at 75 mph. It is a small car, if you want a large car don’t complain the car is small after having bought it. It is a much better value than anything from Toyota, Fiat, Mitsubishi, Honda, or any other small car.

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  best car ever made - 1995 Chevrolet Caprice Classic
  By Robert Joosten - April 1 - 5:13 am

  live in the Netherlands, imported the car from 2nd owner at 81.000 miles, 4,3L/V8 base version, everything works perfectly, no hybrid, no electronics, no self drive...my owner dead.., no nothing as wise guys would say :-) it is a joy to drive with a big smile on my face, laughing at all those who drive modern cars and face modern problems and pay tax too much; so much fun for a $ 3.000,- car! keep them rolling those land yachts!!