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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  This car got old in a hurry. - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By gbreadman - April 29 - 10:05 am

  I bought this car new in January 2007. I liked it a lot, especially when gas was $5 a gallon in 2008 and within a week all the dealer lots were full of huge SUVs and no compacts were to be seen. Now it has 63000 miles on it and its needed some work, especially the front-end (most of which is discussed in the "improvements" section). It was a very sensible car, and still is...but if youre not a DIYing shade-tree mechanic youll be very disappointed with the early repair costs.

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  Soild car - 2013 Chevrolet Impala
  By ktm300xc - April 23 - 11:01 pm

  I have had my car for a year, so far, no problems. Yes, Edmunds thinks the car is to plain, no flash or modern styling. But I personally dont need that. I just want a solid, large comfortable car for a reasonable price that is reliable. Thats all. It gets about 20 mpg around town and 30+ mpg on the freeway. Plenty of power to pass on the freeway. The car has a speed limiter on the car, its set at a maximum of 112 mph. So if you want to go faster, you will have to rechip the computer. I can carry six people, but its more comfortable with a max of four. I bought the base LS model, has every option I need. And it has more options than the base 2014 Impala for a cheaper price!

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  Good Compact SUV - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By carguy07054 - April 23 - 2:23 pm

  I have 13K miles. Good fuel economy. Best so far was 30.8MPG on a 600 mile trip driving @ 65-70MPH. Average 25.5MPG in mixed driving. Lots of room inside. Comfortable seats with good support. Good ride and suspension is well tuned.

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  not bad chevy, not bad! - 2014 Chevrolet Malibu
  By mattyvp - April 18 - 1:03 pm

  i enjoy the zippy buzzy 2.5 4-cylinder, it pretty sufficient of moving the car swiftly. very nice ride for what it is, but can be floaty and too bouncy, while road noise is well controlled, rear seat space is smaller than id like but its not that big of a car. the biggest complain is the rear seats though. they are very hard and literally hurt me and my passengers, but no complaints with the front ones, theyre rather comfy. the dash and leather are nice soft materials, but some dash parts seem just glued on and put on in a rush almost. the media system is also rather hard to comprehend and can be very confusing at first but becomes easier over time also the stereo is pretty lack luster.

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  Update from 2005 - 2001 Chevrolet Lumina
  By kolocar - April 18 - 10:34 am

  After putting about 130K miles on it and reaching over 180,000 on the odometer, I sold the vehicle to my brother in Aug. 2011. Its still running strong (April 2014), with over 200K miles and counting. The Lumina was a reliable daily driver, and not a bad long distance trip vehicle either. Never less than 20MPG on a tank even in the deepest cold Chicago winters typically low 30s pure highway driving. Stovebolt reliable and cheap to fix wear-out parts. Oil usage excellent at about 6K miles per quart. Tough as a tank. Was rear-ended once by a Mustang. Major frontend damage to the Mustang. Replaced the exhaust, bumper cover and shocks on the Lumina. Best Chevy I ever owned.

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  3 weeks in - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By lansingdriver - April 17 - 9:03 pm

  Was very hesitant to buy the camaro as the last two gm cars i had were duds (fiero and corsica). Liked the styling and price and the test drive sold me on buying it. Very fun to drive. Definitely agree it has some kick. Exhaust sounds nice, but not as deep of purr as the 2005 mustang i owned had. Like the seat. Im 64" and i have plenty of head room. Getting 1 or 2 mpg over the stated range. I drive mix of city and highway. Diffent getting used to seeing out the rear/sides, but im adjusting. Its true there a big blind spot on either side. like console, but plastic marrs easily. less cheap and rattly plastic than my 05 stang had. Summary - happy owner so far.

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  mirror trim keeps falling off - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By browzer - April 13 - 8:24 am

  Ok - this is admittedly a weird problem. The exterior forward facing chrome-colored plastic mirror trim has disappeared twice from the passenger side of my 2014 Impala. There is absolutely no damage to the remaining mirror so Im pretty sure nothing hit it. I think it just fell off by itself. anyone else experience this?

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  1001.1 - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By dwilcox - April 8 - 10:34 pm

  i wrote a reveiw back in 2010,the car had 93,000 miles, it now has 194,000 miles,still runs good,uses a little oil,havent changed the brakes or the spark plugs yet. did have to replace the passenger side wheel bearing hub assy. and the water pump and the tie rod ends . i did all of this myself. i need the driver door window regulator replaced.once i awhile the low oil pressure light comes on at start up,i just shut off the motor and re-start and it doesnt come back on. the a/c vent door clicks too but goes away.otherwise it runs good and i average 25 miles to the gallon. and i own it now . feels good.

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  It is what it is - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By rob5001 - April 8 - 6:34 pm

  It is a terrible car, Contantly overheats, Even in freezing weather. Radio is nice, But doors dont work at all. I do not recommend this car.

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  Boring, But Very Reliable - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By _only - April 8 - 1:11 pm

  (not a manual, BTW) Ive had my 2005 Cavalier for almost 10 years and 130k miles now. I bought it used from the dealer with 30k miles in 2006, and its been extremely reliable and dependable ever since. Besides normal obligatory replacement parts like tires and brake pads, the only things Ive had to fix/replace were the instrument cluster gauges at 110k miles, and the fuel pump at 125k or so. My struts also are very weak now at over 130k miles and need replacing. Long story short, this car shouldnt give you any issues well over 100k miles, even if you have been bad at oil change maintenance, etc. The engine will be the last of your issues with this car, which is the most important note.