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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  Chevy work truck - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Ken - June 26 - 4:03 pm

  The Rebate back in 2008 was the main selling point. I have been very satisfied with the performance and reliability of the Chevy. The only setback so far was that the battery died on me after about a year of service. I would not recommend the Ext cab with small rear doors, when parking in a lot, next to other cars, the doors extend to far out and you cannot open them, and if they dont open all the way to 180 degrees they will close by themselves, usually pinching your legs if your leaning in the back. I have the 6 cylinder and wish the MPG were better. The rear suspension holds the bed very high & makes it difficult to reach in. If rear seat could be removed it would be a nice feature

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  Great buy, no regrets, go for it! BEST small SUV - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By purdue_flunkie - June 25 - 9:54 pm

  Amazing car, handles much better than CRV, especially on a highway. Very quite and smooth, comfortable ride. Gas mileage is also great, as advertised. Electronics and dash board instrumentation is light years ahead of any other compact SUV. Interior is well designed and does not feel cheap unlike Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester which both. Options packages are well thought of and not a rip off like with Hondas etc. GM included all the basic convenience into basic models and did not make 1 or 2 desperately wanted option available on premium trim levels only. I got exactly what I need without paying for extra stuff which I dont. Dont think any further, Equinox is not perfect but the best!

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  Better than expected. - 2015 Chevrolet Sonic
  By Theburgh - June 25 - 5:27 am

  I was looking for something affordable, well optioned, reasonably quick, spacious, and that can competently handle the rough and meandering mountain roads of southwestern Pennsylvania - all in a compact footprint. The Sonic delivers in spades! After seriously contemplating a Ford Fiesta, I did some research, and tried the Sonic. It was not only more spacious than the Fiesta, but the interior space even beats the Focus, which competes in the next class up! As for MPGs? I average 29 MPG combined. 22-24 in the city, with my daily commute including many steep inclines and heavy stop-and-go city traffic - and over 40 on more flat, highway oriented terrain. Any vehicle that can deliver over 20 mpg on my commute impresses me. (My last car, a 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T, averaged a poor 16-18mpg for the same trip.) The cons to the vehicle include: Harder than usual plastics (they do fit well and look nice). No full armrest (seriously, Chevy? Not even on the LTZ model?) Hushed, but still louder than preferred road noise. No padding where your elbows rest (again, Chevy, seriously? The car was $23,000 new...you can pad the door panel where elbows rest!!!) Base engine: awful! Sounds like a lawnmower. Buy the 1.4 Turbo! It beats the 1.8 engine in every way. Overall, if you want something easy to park, that is fun to drive, delivers excellent MPG, and has lots of room for the size, you wont be disappointed with the Sonic! **Update: Im still quite happy with the car. MPG is holding at 27.9 combined since purchase. Replaced junk OEM tires with premium Continentals which quieted the car down significantly.**

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  I love my HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Sarah - June 23 - 9:33 pm

  Such a comfortable drive, Ive only had it a few weeks and Ive got no real complaints. The seats are quite comfy, although the headrest adjuster button is difficult to easily get at. I wish the panel between the front seats was higher, it is low for reaching down. The gas guage dial - my other GM cars read from empty (left) to full (right), this car is the opposite, its not a big deal once you know it, it just surprised me a few km into picking it up from the dealer the gas warning light went on and I thought the tank was full, thank goodness I was in the city.

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  my 2002 trailblazer - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By tb103180 - June 23 - 10:00 am

  Love it! Love it!Love it! Great appeal to the eye to look at, bouhgt brand new, have had mine for almost 2 years now, with absolutely no problems. I just love the power, and UMF!! it has to get up and go. Plenty of storage room in cargo area, cound use more console,and front storage... but other than that minor detail... this vehicle is great! Plus the awesome sound system in this baby rocks!! Ill definitly be keeping mine.

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  great deal - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By cracky - June 23 - 10:00 am

  Impala has been a great car! Good looking car with smooth ride, powertrain and functional interior, front end beats out round look of ford (my opinion), with rebate and invoice you just cant beat price

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  2014 Silverado Liz 4x4 - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Sal Gomez - June 23 - 5:26 am

  I I bought this truck last year and Ive been having a lot of problems with the transmission and the dealer is saying that it is normal because they already worked on it twice and it only has 1600 miles. well thats only one of the problems the other problem is the paint. when I bought it I noticed that fender had a weird mark so I took it to a body shop and they told me the fender was painted, and yes, it was new from moss bross in Moreno Valley ca when I bought. The dealer is blaming some other dealer for the problem they are willing to paint it but I bought it new, so I expect new. The other problem is the driver seat is loose and was will move when I break, The dealer fixed it, and all the recalls were checked. By the way I contacted GM and it looks like they work for the dealer because they dont even wants to look at paint problem. Dosent GM have to backup their product?

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  Great Car This HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Mel - June 22 - 11:10 am

  We find this car to be great. Handles great, tight steering around curves, holds well around curves, little blind spot/s, leather interior, heated seats, great sound sysytem, plenty storage, luggage rack, 2 batteries, easy access to spare tire and just easy to drive. So far the gas mileage is good and so far fun to drive.

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  2008 Cobalt LT - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Mike Nug - June 21 - 1:30 am

  I bought this over the Corrola and Civic. My last tank of gas averaged 34.2mpg. The dash layout at great and the storage bins are layed out well. This is not a speed demon but can handle highway merges fine.

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  Good Little Car - Real Cheap - 2017 Chevrolet Spark
  By Johnny - June 20 - 12:15 am

  Given the immense supply in North American dealerships these cars should be a steal. After one year of ownership Ive had zero problems reliability-wise. The front seats are good and can fit two big dudes no problem provided you stagger the seatbacks a little. Android Auto is fantastic. The CVT isnt. If you can drive manual or want to learn this would be a great car to do so, especially with the hill holder feature - the CVT is angry, doesnt like to rev, and will leave you motionless from a stop on steep hills unless you throw it into L. Dont be afraid to use the L mode on hills, up or down. Otherwise this car is very easy to park, good on gas, and painless to drive in traffic. Its actually kind of fun to throw into curves too. Just know that if you have tall people in the front seats no one is going to be sitting behind them. Also: the stock Kumho tires my car arrived with were bad in the snow, definitely get snow tires if youll be dealing with serious winters.