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:

• 

  2015 Chevrolet Trax Silver FWD LS - 2015 Chevrolet Trax
  By jesse_ortiz - February 8 - 3:02 pm

  I bought my 2015 Chevrolet Trax LS, FWD in silver on January 20th. So far I have to say IÂ’m very happy with my purchase, since I do have to admit that IÂ’ve been a fan of the pint-size SUV since 2012 when I admired it for the first time visiting Canadian websites online. [non-permissible content removed]

• 

  A HUGE improvement over our 2005 Equinox. - 2014 Chevrolet Equinox
  By frg5 - January 30 - 2:13 pm

  My wife and I purchased a 2014 1LT in candy apple red with the black/light titanium interior in September of 2014. The only option was the 8-way power drivers seat with the remote start package. Chevy improved this vehicle every way imaginable over our 2005 Equinox, which we LOVED. The ride, the handling, the quality of the seating, the quality of the interior, and all of the included electronic possibilities make this a truly fun vehicle for us to drive.

• 

  Finally, the perfect car for me! - 2015 Chevrolet Impala
  By patcic - January 29 - 10:01 pm

  Replaced a 2014 Lexus ES 350 with this Impala and I am shocked how superior this car is to the Lexus in seat comfort, ride isolation, hushed quietness, control design, navigation and many other areas. The Eco Tec 4 Cyl comes with active noise cancellation and it really works. I was talking on my phone doing 70mph in heavy freeway traffic tonight and after 10 minutes into the call, my friend was shocked to learn I was driving and not at home on my couch. He couldnt hear A THING! Great comfortable seats, easy controls, beautiful compliant absorbent suspension that soaks up the bumps and cracks (but not floaty) better than Lacrosse, XTS, 300C, MKS and many others.

• 

  1LE 2SS/RS Is a Civilized Beast Daily Driver - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By effirsay - January 24 - 10:46 am

  Purchased my 2014 1LE with the dual mode exhaust and Recaro seats, after looking at Mustang GTs, M3s, and 370Zs. Wanted a car that was fun to drive, comfortable, reliable, and good looking. This car was the best bang for the buck, for me, and a set of winter tires let me continue to enjoy it in the winter months. It is also one of the safest and most reliable performance cars out there. Finally, the 1LE package is fairly rare, and really improves the performance and stance of the car. Really stands out at work in a parking lot full of gray, boring Japanese and German sedans.

• 

  Great big family on the move vehicle - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By flfamonthegogo - January 23 - 12:08 pm

  We bought our 2001 suburban in 2003 with fairly low miles, after our 4th son was born and we realized that we were not van people. We have almost 300,000 miles on it!! We have had to get the transmission rebuilt twice, and the fuel pump replace. It leaks oil, and coolant. We live in Florida, so we just use water....nothing freezes here . :) I get regular maintenance on it, and keep the tires good. It does eat some gas, but truly it isnt as bad as it could be. We can go from Tampa-Daytona and back on a tank, with spare to run all over Daytona. And Tampa-Atlanta is just over a tank each way. It takes awhile to heat up now (on cold mornings) but its also old.

• 

  My first car - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By kenny61 - January 22 - 9:41 pm

  I cant praise this car enough. From the moment I got it, I was in love. It had such a great pick up, it was "peppy". There was enough space for a teen to live in it! It was my own. My car saved my life in an accident on the freeway. My car gave her life for me. The damage outside was unrepairable, while the damage inside was nonexistent. I owe my life to my Old Girl, and Ill never forget it. If youre a parent, this car will keep your safe young driver safe from unsafe drivers.

• 

  Extremely impressed - 2015 Chevrolet Traverse
  By vvk - January 21 - 6:35 pm

  I must say that I am extremely impressed with the 2015 Traverse LT we ended up leasing. It has a firm, well damped ride that we like, pretty good steering and drivetrain. The automatic transmission is fairly good at not driving us crazy -- all of our other cars have been manual transmission. The equipment we got was exactly what we wanted, including heated cloth seats. Interior is very well made and we love the color scheme. It is very roomy, even in the third row -- three adults across are an easy fit. The second row captains chairs allow us to have child seats and still have people get into the third row without hassle of removing child seats. Very good family car.

• 

  I love my Spark! - 2013 Chevrolet Spark
  By steveinsac - January 20 - 4:48 pm

  I bought my 2013 Chevy Spark in the summer of 2012. And from day 1 I have been in love with it! Its so much fun to drive! And parking it is awesome! I can park where most average size cars cant. I have over 32,000 miles on it. My only minor complaint is that it doesnt have the pick up and go. So, merging into traffic can sometimes be an adventure. But, everything else, the sweet stereo system, the a/c, the entire interior, the truck space....all are perfect.

• 

  Best Car Ive Ever Owned - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By mcgoody - January 7 - 12:41 pm

  Bought this car brand new on New Years Eve 2012. After 2 years of ownership I am nothing but impressed. Ive owned many different makes and models and this is by far the best vehicle Ive ever owned. Lifetime MPG is 228, with over 39K on the ODO (33K+ Elec. mi.). Service has been minimal oil changes and tire rotations. Im over 6 feet tall and have no issue in the drivers seat. Those behind me are snug, but its doable. Car is designed well, solid inside and out, and is extremely reliable. Being in the mtns I was concerned for weather. No problem. The centered weight of the car makes it phenomenal in snow and great on ice. I really dont work for GM, I promise. :)

• 

  Great SUV, few downsides - 2015 Chevrolet Traverse
  By arisaperstein - January 6 - 7:47 am

  We recently leased a 2015 Traverse AWD 2LT. The ride is probably the most comfortable I have ever experienced in an SUV, and I have had several from different manufacturers.