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:

• 

  Averaging 30 mpg - I Like the technology. - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By skycop21 - April 30 - 2:18 am

  I sold my 2008 Vette, and traded in my 05 Hummer H2 for a new Cruze. I test drove the Ford Fushion, Hyndai Elantra (twice), Honda Insight, and yes...even a Prius. I really liked the Elantras sharp look and was enticed by the 40 mpg. I was about to pull the trigger until I drove the Cruze. It was so much quietier than the Elantra. My drive in to work is about 25 miles one way and is all highway. I needed a new hooptie that got better gas mileage than the 12.5 like my H2. In the first 800 miles, the car computer says that Im averaging 30.5 mpg. I did the old fashioned calculator way and came up with 29.57 mpg. Not bad with the cruise set to 75. This isnt a Vette or BMW, but nice.

• 

  Clanking Noise Everytime it drives - 2009 Chevrolet Suburban
  By imlily - April 28 - 2:40 pm

  I have a 2009 Suburban that has been in the dealership 3 times for the same thing. Everytime the car is driven cold there is a clanking noise somewhere. The dealership could not find out what it was so they started to say that at first it was a broken weld, then they said the chassis had some bolts tightened, then they tightened up bolts in the transmission. I dont feel like it is a safe drive at all and am very concerned that the dealership is with holding information from me. Oh and when I asked them for my paper work the 2nd visit they didnt want to give it to me. I had to argue with them to release the paperwork to me. Very concerned and the car was not cheap.

• 

  Not quite there yet, but close - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By bricknord - April 27 - 11:36 am

  Thought it was time to buy my first domestic since mid-90s. Got a Cruze Eco. Great firm seats and suspension, plenty of power. Super quiet. 37MPG average. Unfortunately, just what I was afraid of and what kept me buying asian--lots of paint defects, A/C inoperative, gauge needles randomly peg full right and back. Thankfully, I had a wonderfully gracious dealer sales manager who let me take my bulletproof Mazda back, since I (and they) were so disappointed in the car. Sad, because I really liked it, but the attention to detail and quality control are still not quite up to the level of the Japanese. Ill give GM another try in 10 more years.

• 

  I miss my Chevy Tracker - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By climberkev - April 27 - 12:56 am

  I would recommend this mini SUV to anyone with a the need to economize, yet looking for fun reliable transportation. I drove the heck out of this car and over rough terrain even with out the 4x4 feature. Im one of those guys who packs so many essentials in my cars that I could live in them. I recommend the automatic transmission, changing the clutch is such a bother.

• 

  IMPALA THE UNSAFE VEHICLE - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By randykn - April 26 - 8:51 pm

  These cars are JUNK 34,000 miles equal 3 sets of tires, brakes 3 times. Rotors last a month at best. Can not be aligned properly, (recalled for goverment vehicles but not the public. DO NOT BUY A IMPALA you will be disapointed. Dealer suggestion to solve the brake problems is to NOT drive on any hills, quoate "these cars were not made for driving in the mountians" for 40 years i have driven GM cars but NO MORE. My 97 Taurus with 320,000 miles does not have the problems that my 2008 Impala has. Thouhjt i would buy my wife a safe car, boy was i wrong. NO MORE GM PRODUCTS FOR ME

• 

  Impressed me! - 2000 Chevrolet Tracker
  By stuckinsopa - April 26 - 8:29 pm

  Weve had our Tracker since Sept 99. No expensive issues not covered under warranty.On our third exhaust system from converter back. To be fair though, snapped off the first two (dont ask!) Really aggressive tires are a must if you plan to off road. Wind roar is bad, but thats after 4 deer in 5 years. Body panels dont allign quite as good as when new.Wind WILL shift lanes for you.

• 

  Very, very poor gas mileage. - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By disatisifiedd - April 26 - 2:10 pm

  I bought this car because of the gas mileage.and that it was the best value around. I have never got over 21 miles per gallon, and have also only gone only 255 miles on a full tank of gas. Very disappointing with the price of gas today. I also know that driving differs with each person, but at least 1/2 of my driving is on the highway (60 mph), and that I recently gave my old Elantra to my son (at 100,000 miles still gets about 30+ miles per gallon. The car is also sluggish, does not drive like a new car.

• 

  36.4 mpg - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By cruzeecoowner - April 23 - 6:26 pm

  Ive got an eco 6 speed. About 3 months in and 3500 miles Im averaging over 36 mpg with daily town commute part of the equation. More importantly I love driving the car. Its like rolling a 7 every time I roll the dice.

• 

  My Grandma gifted me her 98 Prizm - 1998 Chevrolet Prizm
  By smac3 - April 23 - 1:50 am

  And its easily the best car Ive ever owned. It has just under 60,000 miles on it, and based on most of these reviews on here, Ive a long way to go before I experience any of the more serious (but routine) issues. Im looking forward to owning this car a very long time. And the gas mileage, MY GOD! Its phenomenal!

• 

  Good for about 55K - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By gotribe2 - April 22 - 9:40 pm

  Bought in 2003 from dirtbag Bob Serpentinis now defunct Aurora dealership. The rust on the passenger side rear wheelwell is epic. The windshield wiper motor and wiper transmission have a mind of their own since 45K, 2 replacements at $300 a piece. Now the windshield has a leak somewhere too. Once this thing was out of warranty it started crapping out. NO GM HERE EVER AGAIN.