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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  My first Vette, bought one year older than average! - 2011 Chevrolet Corvette
  By gladiator55 - April 3 - 11:30 pm

  Wanted an LT3, but got an LT1 with A/T, performance exhaust (noisy just when pushed) and chrome wheels (less demanding than the alloys on my 2002 BMW 530) and saved $7000. Missed some extras, but I think can live without them.

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  great value - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By mudshark78s - April 3 - 11:18 pm

  just purchased this car in february for $7000.00, with 85,000 miles,owned the 3.8 SC in a 96 riviera and new the lighter Impala would fly and have not been dissapointed. came with a few mods,3.4 pulley ,cooler plugs and 180 degree thermostat. did have rusted out oil pan, jb welded it , new one came with purchase ,warmer weather job.definitely arent many of these available and would recommend one .

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  Exceeds Expectations - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By olathehunter - April 2 - 10:38 pm

  The Cruze absolutely exceeds my expectations. The engine, while only a 1.8L, has more than enough power for me (and I have owned 2 Camaros and a 300ZX Turbo). I got the LS 6 speed manual transmission. Not because Im cheap, but I simply dont see the value in most extras. Im only 2 weeks into owning this car but so far, it was a great decision. PS - Do NOT let them talk you into the GM warranty. You have up to 12 mo/12K to buy it, and it doesnt do anything until year 4 anyway. There is a GM dealer in the SW that will write it up on line for under $1500, not the $2500-3500 the dealer finance scum will try to talk you into.

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  Already want to trade in after only 3 months. - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By bkm89 - April 2 - 6:12 pm

  Three months ago I traded in my truck to find a car with better gas mileage. We found an aveo. My parents really liked it, and the dealer(my fathers cousin) also told us it was a very good car. Not the case. I have no good things to say. The gas mileage is nowhere near the expected I get no better than 25, and all my driving is highway or back roads. Not good in the snow even with studded directionals. The heater makes a ticking noise, very loud especially on highway. Radio cuts out when you turn on the rear window defrost. Whistling noise if you hit 60mph sometimes lower than that. Looks and feels cheaply made inside. Doesnt meet my expectations worst car Ive owned.

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  2500 miles in - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By cruzeecoowner - April 2 - 5:00 pm

  This car is great. So glad I bought it. I have averaged 37 mpg in first 2,000 miles and had a good time doing it. I got the black one. Love it.

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  Nice vehicle--phoney gas mileage ratings - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cmomm - April 1 - 12:20 am

  Only have 400 mi on Nox but drives well, good enough speed for a 4 cyl AWD SUV (no racecar)---nice seats, interior in general but poor rear visibility-must use mirrors and carefully watch the lane changes and backups-have a 2000 LeSabre Limited with 86K that gets good mph in town 20-21 and better over the road 28-31-maybe Nox will do better after 3-5K miles on it-bunch of hype to put the 4cyl in and give a phony mileage rating to sell cars but everbody lies today---however, I need the AWD for the winters in PA and rear space is handy to carry things - bought it since I am an old WW2 vet and have a 56" replica of my ship to take to reunions, etc. which would not fit in car-price fair overal

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  Transmission issues on 2007 Impala SS - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By ronnies - March 31 - 11:20 am

  I have never owned anything outside of Chevrolet for over 30 years. Although I am 56, I still enjoy the performance aspects of a vehicle, but love the room of a sedan. I thought the 2007 Impala SS would be perfect. Although I loved the car when operating correctly, it left me dissapointed more than it should. The first issue was getting locked in park (this happened twice) because of a wire breaking in the console. Secondly, the steering shaft had to be replaced because of a "clunk" when stopping and starting. The straw that broke the camels back for me with this car, was an issue I had with the trasmission. You could take off, and it felt like a manual with the clutch slipping.

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  A good buy! - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By grammajamma - March 27 - 9:04 pm

  I started researching crossover SUVs in Aug.2010 and immediately liked what I learned about the Equinox. Out of 7 vehicles I drove the Nox was #6 and I was in love. Initially, I wanted a FWD, for the mileage, bought decided on AWD. Since the purchase we have experienced a freak snow/ice storm took it on a 3200 mile trip and got caught in another snow storm on Mt. Shasta. In both instances the car handled beautifully. Im glad I settled on AWD. On our trip we averaged 25.1, getting 26.5 highway. City driving is different I get about 18.5. I knew Id lose mpg with AWD. The car is sturdy, quiet, and fun. Love it!

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  Glad it was a rental-poor! - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By rman961 - March 27 - 3:05 pm

  We rented this car to go on a 700 mile trip. The car is beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, it is made with mostly plastic. The seats could be more comfortable, and the cloth has no good quality whatsoever. Leg room is poor in the rear. The trunk is extremely small and you can barely fit a mid sized cooler in it! Im so glad we didnt buy this car. Go with the Fusion!

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  great car - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By vtfarmboy - March 26 - 10:57 pm

  I purchased this car used with about 20,000+ miles four years ago. I have been driving it daily ever since and other than a new set of tires had no problems what so ever. well almost. The gas tank sending unit was not working when i bought it. The dealer told me to set up a apointment to get it fixed i just never did it. That is not the cars fault. It drives nice and is comfortable for my commute. I live 45 miles from my work and it is quite good on gas. I average anywhere between 28 and 34 mpg with a V6 not bad if you ask me. It aint pretty, it isnt Hot but if you are looking for good dependable every day transportation that wont bleed you dry its just what you need!