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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  Best small car yet - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By blomidon2013 - April 7 - 7:19 pm

  My wife and I have been driving cars for 45+ years. Until 2013, we had not bought a Chev for well over 25 years. Before buying a Cruze, we had an Elantra, a Focus, a Volks Golf, and a Dodge Caravan (to name the last 4). We test drove the Elantra, the Focus, Mazda and Toyota, and decided on the Cruze 6 speed standard. We have not been disappointed 10 months later, and have put approx. 20,000 miles on the car to date, with no problem to date.

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  Amazing value for the price paid - 2014 Chevrolet Sonic
  By kayemtee - April 6 - 8:54 pm

  Ive only had the car for a few days so my enthusiasm may be subject to change. We just took delivery of a LTZ sedan with the 1.4 turbo and a six-speed manual transmission. Im very impressed. Quite peppy in city driving. We just took a highway ride and ran at speeds up to 80 mph and averaged 39 mpg. Amazing! Very solid ride and quiet with little wind noise. Amazing amount of legroom and headroom for driver and front seat passenger. Im six-two and had to move the seat up and had tons of headroom. I liked the look of the hatchback better but lower price and huge trunk made me pick ther sedan. We paid less than 18K I cant think of any car out there to offer this value.

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  What a truck! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By al3310065 - April 1 - 9:44 am

  Shocked to find all these negative reviews! Bought my 2007 LTZ 4wd used 2 years ago, and it has been ROCK SOLID! It had 70K (or 50,000mi.) and Ive driven it 30K in 2 yrs (now has about 65,000mi.) Im hoping it continues strong as it continues to age. For now: looks like new and drives like new! Everybody thinks my truck is fresh off the assembly line. MOST of the mileage was done while pulling my 6000lbs camping trailer, so its not being babied. Only had to replace suspension compressor for air ride, and the rest has only been REGULAR maintenance.

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  2014 2LT - 2014 Chevrolet Malibu
  By petrack - March 28 - 10:30 pm

  My company allowed me to order a new company car about 7 weeks ago. I ordered a Malibu 2LT black/black over both the Fusion Hybrid and Camry Hybrid. It took five weeks to the day to get. I travel frequently and have rented all of them, but liked the way the Malibu drove the best. After a week and 1200 miles, Im still glad I chose it. Plenty of power (2.5), handles decent (I guess its received some suspension, steering and engine upgrades since the 2013). More than enough room for what a I need.

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  Bang for Buck - 2013 Chevrolet Impala
  By tnsailorguy - March 27 - 9:19 am

  Most professional reviewers do not live with the cars they review. It is all about style and handling. Yes a BMW drives great and is beautiful but who can afford to maintain one. This Impala provides a long list of features that make everyday driving much more enjoyable. The price of admission is very affordable and they cost practically nothing to maintain. I traded up from the 09 LT to the 13 LTZ. In 85,000 miles of driving my 09 cost $125 for non regular maintenance cost. The 13 LTZ is a bit firmer but the power from the 3.6 is amazing over the 3.9 of the 09. Unless you plan on using this car to carve mountain roads do not be put off by the reviews.

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  RELIABLE - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By ironclad - March 25 - 8:14 am

  Well, what can I say, LOL......I bought this truck back in 2002 as a puddle jumper for commuting back and forth to work. I considered this truck a cheap consumable. I figured that once it died I would buy another. The truck will not die. The truck now has 192000 miles on it and it rattles like a tin can. I havent treated this truck very well and have done nothing to it but oil changes, brakes when needed and a clutch job at 170000 miles. I dont think the power steering pump even works anymore, but hey it still steers down the road. The 2.2L engine is lacking in power but never fails to start, ever.....darn it, ever.....Ive tried to kill it, but it just wont die.....

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  Great Little Car - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By flrfselscrs - March 24 - 8:03 am

  I bought my Cruze new in August 2011 and have driven it 53,000 miles. So far there have been no maintenance issues. Ive only had to change the oil every 7000 miles or so, and replace the tires, which are inexpensive. In addition to costing me very little, the cars performance meets my needs. On the highway, I get 32-37 MPG, but my overall average is 27.5. It has performed admirably in all weather conditions (including heavy snow with a set of winter tires) and even on an autocross course. The cars tiny turbo is a must for me its not terrifying to accelerate onto the highway in a Cruze like it has been in other small cars Ive driven. Overall, I love this little car.

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  Blown Motor - 2014 Chevrolet Spark
  By got1onme - March 21 - 12:47 pm

  I test drove a 2014 Spark at my local dealership, I noticed the "check engine" light was on when the salesman and I returned to the dealership. I like the cars build so I purchased another Spark, one with more up grades on it, It had only 11 miles on it. I bought the car and after just 3 1/2 weeks, the "Check Engine" light came on in my new Spark while on my way home from work white smoke poured out from under the bottom of the car. I am very disappointed because I was so proud of my little car. I am in a rental waiting on GM to send a new motor

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  Large, powerful, heavy GT car - 2011 Chevrolet Corvette
  By smerdyakov - March 19 - 1:30 pm

  My car was a 3LT GS with automatic transmission and every option except navigation. It was a pleasant car to drive, but not very exciting. It was so powerful that its acceleration capability was essentially useless in an urban environment - it would have been better suited to a place with wide open roads. Although it was pleasant to drive, its bulk inhibited the fun factor. It well illustrated the maxim that a slow car driven at 9/10ths is more fun than a fast one driven at 6/10ths. More of a GT car than a sports car. As has been said in many places, the seats were quite poor. I had to have the lumbar bag replaced in the drivers seat. after which it was better, but still not good.

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  BUY AN LT IF POSSIBLE. - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By unicornrides - March 19 - 12:23 am

  This is a follow up to my last review (which I cannot edit) on this car.. This is a scatter-brained review from someone who was used to a V6 engine. **NOTE: I mod my cars. This car has no major mods, yet. I use my car for: work, travel, picking up dudes.** In 2012 I bought my 09 LS Coupe (base everything- even fake hubcaps!) mostly for the the price (22k miles and under $7.5k.) Second car. THIS CAR IS STRONG. I have put over 25k miles on it in under 3 years.. and have driven it off-road, over things I cant identify but sound like explosions, etc.. and it hasnt affected it at all.