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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  1st GM product in 6 years - 2015 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Michael Steahr - November 8 - 10:07 pm

  I traded a 2015 Kia Optima EX 26,000 mi Loaded on this Cruze. The only negative thing I can say so far is that I lost a little bit of giddy-up, but I absolutely expected that going from a 200 hp direct gas injected engine to a 151 hp diesel. However, after purchase, driving this car home 280 miles on interstate 80, I had absolutely no problems merging with traffic. I am unsure of the noise complaints that I hear about from everyone. This Cruze has less wind noise than the Optima and I was pushing a head wind most of the way home. My number one goal in deciding to trade was better fuel economy. GOAL REACHED!!! On the way to Chicago in the Optima average of 35 to 36 mpg at 70 mph which isnt bad, but on the way home in the Cruze 43 to 44 mpg at 70 mph with a head wind and keep in mind this engine is not broke in yet. The handling was fine and the ride was a little better than I expected. I dont want to over talk it because I have only owned the Cruze for three days, but I spend about 2 hrs and 20 min a day, 6 & 7 days a week driving to and from work. So my 3 hr and 25 min trip home from the dealership was pleasant and comfortable. Please note this car had a sticker price of just over $29,000 its pretty well loaded, but because I was able to get in on the deal Chevy is running right now at the date of this review, I only paid $20, 675!!!! ALMOST A THIRD OFF!!!!!

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  Nice SUV - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By J Leftault - November 8 - 6:26 pm

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  I love my car and you will too! - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By Jumpinghorse210 - November 8 - 2:06 pm

  Dont be fooled by all the negative reviews about the HHR, I would say this has a lot to do with voluntary response. A few people had such a terrible time with this car that they felt compelled to respond. This doesnt happen often when people have a positive reaction to something (go figure). My HHR was the first new-ish car I had ever purchased. I got an excellent deal at the dealership a silver 2010 Chevy HHR LT 2.4L with 35k miles for $11,500 in Dec of 2012. I got the 1 year 100k warranty along with it. After driving in a 1988 Chevy Celebrity for two years it was like a dream. During my first few months there was a recall for my power steering motor and I just took it over to the dealership and had it fixed in a couple hours. Easy-peasy. Ill talk about the negatives first to get them out of the way. Firstly, it does have very big blindspots. I did have to purchase those additional circular mirrors you put in the corner of your side-view mirrors for some additional help merging and parking. The view out of the front is very square and small, not like a normal 4-door sedan where the windshield is rather large. Something you have to get used to and is not for everyone. Again, Im very small so the small windshield doesnt bother me. The one feature I always wished it had was a USB for my IPhone. It would be cool to be able to charge my phone AND play my music simultaneously but honestly the auxiliary port has been a perfectly good substitute. I would say considering the kind of gas mileage most 4cyl are getting today (2012-2014 models) the HHR does leave something to be desired in MPG. Right now I get 22/30 and I think the new Chevy Cruise gets up to 36 freeway or something like that. In terms of engine performance it is only a 4cyl 2.4L so the acceleration leaves something to be desired. No wonder. Other than that it has been smooth sailing, my favorite part about this car is that it is easy to keep maintenance up at home like a lot of Chevys. I changed my own brake pads, changed my own oil (after the warranty expired) etc, during the summer and during the winter just took it in if necessary. I even put new rotors on at 50k and it was a snap. Being a very small lady this says something. Parts are very cheap for this guy. Also keep in mind Ive put A LOT of miles on this bad boy. Ive had it for three years and I just hit 85k (yikes) and it still runs like a dream. Otherwise I made many long trips with this car, even took it to Florida and back a couple times. Space-wise I LOVE it. I have been moving once a year for the past 5 years and with this car I could comfortably pack all of my furniture and make one MAYBE two trips, no UHaul needed. I was also always the one driving a group road trips because my car was the most comfortable for 4 or 5 people. Winter driving: I was basically Santa driving his flying sleigh through the snow. Enough said. I really cant think of anything I genuinely didnt like about this car. I feel like most of the people who complain about performance didnt properly maintain their car so boo-hoo on them. At 85k, with proper maintinence, I cant even tell if my car is on sometimes it runs so quietly. I havent even had to bother getting a tune-up because I have the 100k spark plugs etc. My brother owns a 2008 HHR and his still runs excellent at 130k. Of course he has had to replace his suspension which was expected but it was only 650 bucks. The only weird thing about the 08 is that the window buttons are on the center console. No idea why but mine is normal so who cares. Long story short, if you are trying to decide whether to get this or a normal sedan, get the HHR. It has so much utility and is just overall just a great little easy-keeper car. I have every intention of driving this car until it cant run anymore.

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  feelin it in my vette - 1994 Chevrolet Corvette
  By De B - November 7 - 8:39 pm

  I bought my 94 vette about a month ago. Always wanted one. Love the looks of the C4. Especially with the saw blade wheels! These cars are very reasonable on price! you can find a clean ones under 10k all day and in excellent shape. I am so happy I bought this!! drives awesome. it is the best bang for the buck and it turns heads. The only problem I had is if you buy a 6 speed manual see if it still has the original flywheel. They came with a dual mass flywheel and they go bad. GM does not make it anymore and no one makes the same one aftermarket. So you have to buy a special one aftermarket. You will get some light vibration under harder acceleration, not bad but not as smooth as it was factory. The Vette I just bought had an aftermarket aluminum flywheel in it and it has a lot more vibes when accelerating. So go with the heavier steel one and it will smooth out the drive. The car was totally stock accept for the flywheel the previous owner put in because the dual mass flywheel went bad. I just put in a new clutch and new 36lb flywheel and now its great.

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  Seeking new car ... definitely not another Equinox - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Dee - November 7 - 10:42 am

  Nothing but repair issues from about 50,000 miles forward. Thank god I had purchased an extended warranty. Had a/c compressor and condensers replaced multiple times. Oil burning issues resulted in complete overhaul of engine. Now having catalytic converter issues .. presumably due to the oil that had been burning for 5,000 miles while engine consumption tests were being run. I would be broke if it werent for the extended warranty. Trying to limp to the end of my extended warranty but the engine light is back on again. On a first-name basis with everyone in service at the dealer. On the bright side, the interior was comfortable on all those trips to the dealer. Ive hauled a lot in the past 4 years and the interior has withstood. Mileage has always been disappointing. Unless I was coasting on a downhill, I never approached anywhere near 30 mpg. Acceleration sluggish. Huge blindspot due to pillars and side mirrors. Intermittent remote issues.

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  dont but this car, good gift for a young driver - 2013 Chevrolet Spark
  By chris - November 6 - 7:56 pm

  very small gas tank, not a lot of room behind a tall driver, hard to drive when windy out, poor acceleration but once up to speed goes good, going up hills is tough on the car, had to have a new engine at 21000 miles on it, but very easy to drive in citiy type settings, easy to park, definetly made for city driving avoid the freeway if possible, i usually take the backroads when i can, oh yeah no trunk space and if you want to fold the back seats down you better be a short person cause if you are not you wont be able to put the seat down behind the driverseat, wish i thought about it before i bought it, stay clear of this car if possible

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  Never shouldnt have gotten a government bailout - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Eric - November 6 - 4:11 am

  Let me start off by saying I had a 2013 Chevy spark after seven times to fix the air condition they bought it back under lemon law under the condition that they ask me to buy another chevy which I did I got A 2015 work truck Chevy Colorado well this is definitely POS I had to go to the dealership several times the transmission ships very awkwardly on the highway Ive already problems with the speed sensor and traction control which has shorted out due to the rain which makes no sense.. it was also missing annoyed silent boot on a the engine which made it sound I like the engine was in the truck with me while I was driving.. and also the hood shakes and moves a lot on the highway looks like it wants to come off shame on you general motor.. if I wanted junk I would have gone to the junkyard

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  Initially good, eventually very bad - must read! - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Chris Warren - November 6 - 1:33 am

  I had my Malibu 2LT w/ a V6 engine for 9 months. I had it in the shop FIVE times in that period. Once for a piston replacement, once for replacing spark plugs/cylinder coils, once for replacing wiring to cylinders, once for replacing water hose... the list of problems with this car are incredible! On one hand, the V6 has a nice smooth get-up-and-go feel to it. The engine sounds great but never forces the car to lose its composure on the road. The look of the Malibu is sharp - nothing over the top, but enough smooth but pronounced edges to make you have a quick glance. I couldnt believe this was a Chevy at first. But then I spent a lot of time in the car and realized that the seats arent comfortable (they squeeze and push my arms forward a bit), lumbar support sucks (optional lumbar control is mostly for show and ends up being very bad for your back according to my friend whos a practicing chiropractic). The door materials are cheap and plastic-y, theres a lot of stuff you can tell will break easily. The glove box had numerous scratches from a small handful of passengers getting in/out of the vehicle. Chevy basically did a nice job updating the Malibu but failed to give it real quality interior. The 4-cyl engine MAY be decent - fewer moving parts = fewer things to go wrong. But I ended up with TWO V-6 engines because Jiffy Lube left my oil filter off and my engine seized a couple days later. They paid for the replacement engine, but funny-enough the second V6 has a couple of the same issues within weeks of it being installed! Fortunately they repairs were covered, but I lost two weeks of work over 2 months because of my car problems. Do not buy the V6 engine, as having 2 bad engines (one of which was "re-certified") means this is not a good car to buy to last you several years. Look toward 2013 and newer where the Malibu is getting much better initial quality scores and offers much better interior options.

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  All time favorite - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Ronnie - November 5 - 11:45 am

  I have owned Camaros before and loved them. I bought a 2002 SS new thinking it was last year for Camaros, and later sold it because that wasnt the case. The whole time I owned it, my daughter had a 2000 V6 Camaro that I, quite frankly, enjoyed driving more than the SS. When she traded it for an Equinox, I kicked myself for years for not buying it from her before she traded it. Fast forward 5 years. I had been looking for years for another V6 Camaro just to have fun with. I found one on the internet with only 5,000 miles on it and purchased it because of my previous experience with Camaros. This one will always be with me as a summer time weekend driver

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  Junk - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Jcommons - November 5 - 1:06 am

  Save yourself a Head ache!!!! I had my cruze 6 months. Bought it at 60,000 ran hot 2nd week air compressor was fried and Im starting to have issues with my transmission pulling. First chance i get it has to go!!!!