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:

• 

  Great SUV - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Superwoody - December 19 - 10:00 am

  This a great SUV for the money. If you dont need the extra space of a Tahoe or Suburban, then this is a truck for you. It has a great stable ride with plenty of power for this size SUV. MPG is not great but is average. My complaint is the wind noise around the doors. This a very quiet SUV around town with little road noise but at highway speeds and on windy days, the wind coming in around the seals is irritating. Hopefully a fix is in the works for the 04s.

• 

  just got one for the wife - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By buddym1 - December 19 - 10:00 am

  buy one have some fun.

• 

  Pleasantly surprised! - 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Scott in Illinois - December 19 - 6:21 am

  I got my GM Certified Pre-Owned 2017 Cruze Premier with only 15k miles on it. I went with the intention of buying a Malibu, but after driving the Cruze I was so pleasantly surprised, I bought it instead of the Malibu. I have only put on a little over 1000 miles in the few weeks Ive owned it, but it has not disappointed. I drive 100+ miles round trip 2-3 days per week for work, through moderate rush hour traffic (so no using cruise control, and some slow downs and stop-and-go traffic), and the seat comfort and ride quality have been great. I wish in the Premier at least there was adjustable lumbar support, but the seats are plenty comfortable anyway, so no big deal. The Bluetooth, Android Auto, SiriusXM, voice recognition, etc, all work flawlessly without any hiccups. Climate controls are simple to use. Performance wise, Im not sure what the deal is with Edmunds review. Most other review sites put the 0-60 around 8.0 seconds, some even under 8.0 seconds. I would agree with those test results. The 1.4L turbo has plenty of pep. Merging and passing on the freeway is easy. Plenty of instant torque down low in the RPMs. I had driven a 2016 2.0L Mazda 3i before buying the Cruze, and in daily driving, the Cruze is way more peppy. The Mazda had to get the revs up before it had any power. Gas mileage for me has been a little over 33 combined, based on miles divided by gallons @ fill ups. The trip computer says about 35 combined, Ive had it read as high as 42 in highway driving. My driving is about 50/50 highway/city. But my highway driving often includes some rush-hour traffic, so it isnt pure highway cruising. I agree that the engine start-stop feature should have a turn-off. But if Im in traffic and I dont want it to stop, I simply shift down from D into L, which disables the auto-stop feature. Overall, Im very satisfied with the my purchase. Well see how long-term reliability is, but so far Im pleased with every other aspect of the car.

• 

  2 DR RS Coupe - 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Skyrider - December 19 - 2:00 am

  This car just like any other has parts that wear out, but thats just maintenace. Some people think they shouldnt even change their brake pads, spark plugs, cables & other miscellaneous things. But I do want to say something, Ive had other cars in the past and of all those only a Mercedes Benz that I had surpassed the comfort of driving and the momentum of this car. This car has a powerful 4 cil. engine and rides very smoothly as a bigger or more expensive car. If you buy a car like this that is not falling apart and give it regular maintenance, itll be hard for you to get rid of it, since youll love it.

• 

  what a piece of junk - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By tbirdfive0 - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I bought this truck in 2001. It had 80,000 miles on it when i bought it. I have hated it ever since. I have replaced: starter, fuel pump, and many gaskets. It had left me stranded multiple times and the locks ice up every time the temp drops below 20. The tranny grinds when put into 1st gear. This truck has been nothing but a headache.... and the clutch as a squeek that i cant find.

• 

  Last of the Red Hot SS Camaros - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Raidersfan - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I have been both very happy with my driving experience and happy with my dealers who have helped maintain this car. I live and work in San Francisco which is a very car unfriendly place to drive. My 99 six speed SS has handled the steep bumpy hilly terrain admirably. The car has been maintained at a local dealer and with 65,000 miles has not experienced any problems. We dont have any plans on selling this car. When the time comes we will retire it to part time duty. Our trouble will be replacing it with something as exciting as this SS.

• 

  Surprising little car! - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By adorable little car! - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I had my doubts when I first considered this little car, but it really is a surprise! Very roomy, comfortable and quiet. The drivers seat is very comfortable on your lower back. Love the sunglasses compartment on the drivers side, very convenient if you always wear them while driving. Great sound. The remote key alarm lock has a cute little chirp that seems to match this little puddle-jumper. VERY good price and quality, especially for the younger 1st time car buyer with a tight budget!

• 

  Malibu LS - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By malibudriver - December 19 - 2:00 am

  Nice looking car, comfortable interior but many mechanical problems. Brakes, engine hesitation at freeway speed, cruise control not functioning etc. I really like everything about the car except for the mechanical defects and my dealership does not offer good customer service when something goes wrong. Safety is a high priority for me and when my lease is up in May 2003 I will be happy to get into another car that I can feel safe driving. The brake problem is just a little too much and seems to be irreparable. The 2000 Malibu seems to be hit or miss and I missed on this one.

• 

  Great Truck - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By James Bond - December 19 - 2:00 am

  My Tahoe has a Monroe Sport Truck conversion package on it and I love it. The truck would be nice even if it didnt have the conversion package.

• 

  I love it! - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By goodguyzz - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I love my Tahoe. It is roomy, powerful, comfortable and Ive never owned a vehicle that had such a tight turn radius. I wish the back seats folded into the floor instead of having to remove them.