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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  Ford man to Chevy man - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By oreduks - September 17 - 12:45 am

  was shopping for one of the big three modern hot rod. picked mustang 1a camaro 2a and challenger 3. after 2 mustangs fell thru (not my fault) i went to the 14 camaro rs. boy am i happy. have 600 miles and still 1/2 tank on my 2nd fill up. i live in oregon bought it in washington. drove 300 miles avg 70 mph and got 30 mpg. nice. tinted the windows the second day and now im going to have it two-toned paint. ill still have my 60s ford but for new im very happy to have this camaro.

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  best car Ive ever owned - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By lovethiscar2 - September 16 - 7:24 pm

  I have had many brand new cars but this is the best. in the last five years I have driven my 2009 Malibu 138000 miles and not one problem. Not one. I replaced my tires and brakes at 75000 miles and the rear brakes still had 1/2 their life left. Everyday I thank my lucky stars for buying the Malibu and would buy another in a heartbeat.

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  Great truck - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By fleder - September 13 - 10:25 pm

  I was a little skeptical about buying it,i got a LT with only 60k i went to the dealer to get a 40k SUV with 40k miles but i decided to wait,i saw this 07 with 60k one owner all records clean title etc etc,i got it for a very low price,very good deal! i had it for few months now and it feels great....drives perfect and its very roomy,feels like i am driving a pantoon boat with a lazy boy chair,handles very good in the city,and great,comfortable on road,great on gas too,if you buy a large SUV like this one you really dont care about that!,as soon i bought it i do all maintenance on it,so i expect to get at least 100k more,i dont regret it and very happy with,not problems yet

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  1995 caprice wagon 5.7 lt1 4l60e - 1995 Chevrolet Caprice
  By jdiesel86 - September 13 - 8:51 pm

  I have literally owned this car for about 6 hours and there is nothing more that I would like to do than drop a 6 speed and a twin turbo set up on it. This car is a beast. Very comfortable. The power goes to the correct wheels. Its got brakes. Its brilliant. I love it.

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  Love the Volt! - 2014 Chevrolet Volt
  By mannix6 - September 13 - 6:25 am

  Just added our second new Volt (2014) after enjoying our 2013 for one year. We were skeptical on buying the 2013 at first, having previously owned 6 Prius models (including the Plug-In). Many of the reviews claim the car is no better than a Prius, but this is ridiculous. The Volt is more comfortable, faster and has amazing technological features that still arent available on the Prius. The dealer service network is also better. We drive on electric all week and use the car for 250+ mile trips on weekends with an overall average of 194 mpg, consistently. No Prius could come close to this. (Exact same use with the Prius Plug-In netted a consistent 63 mpg.)

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  276,000 miles and still runs like a top! - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dansker1 - September 11 - 12:54 pm

  We purchased our Malibu in 2006 from a leasing agency............to say the way this car has lasted is amazing...........just took it in for one of three recalls, and the mechanics were amazed at the milage (276,016) and runs smooth. I burn about a cup of oil every two thousand miles, and just put it on high mileage oil for the first time. Just a couple of items of note, gas gauge no longer works, but use the mileage ap to figure fill up to fill up. Averages 36 on the highway, and 32 in city, and the automatic locking system is finished, but can be opened manually. Everything else works fine............I give it five stars out of five.:+)}}} and I would purchase another one in a heart beat.

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  Reliable. Period - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By loveblues234 - September 8 - 8:17 am

  I bought this car in 2011 as a 2009 model. Had higher miles in it for the year but that seldomly bothers me considering my driving needs. Terrific car! Have had to fix one thing since 2011 and that was a minor repair. (Actuator ... Controls hot and cold air) Havent had to jump it, tow it, fix it, absolutely nothing! No joke either! Ridiculously happy with this car! When I need my next, Ill buy another one, wouldnt think twice about it.

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  So far so good - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By adev2 - September 2 - 8:36 pm

  I have a 2012 LTZ AWD Traverse with 28,000 miles and so far I have not been back to the dealer with a single problem. So, I am very happy with the reliability and performance. The only complaint I have is that the gas mileage is somewhat lower than I expected. Its rated at 16 - 23 and I average somewhere between 16.5 - 17.5 depending on the season and how much I use the AC. This is mostly mixed city/highway driving where my average speed is 31 MPH. I drive easily so I was hoping for 19-20 based on the rating. As long as the reliability holds up I will consider buying another GM in the future.

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  2014 Equinox - 2014 Chevrolet Equinox
  By pegram - August 27 - 4:21 pm

  My 2014 Equinox is a fun vehicle to drive and has a good engine and gets good gas millage. I have only had mine for a couple of months, but so far I have no complaints. I recommend test driving this vehicle to see how well handling it is. James Corlew Dealership in Clarksville, TN was very professional and the salesman Jarren Miller was the best and very helpful in helping us with this purchase.

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  Wonderful Car - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By maikell77 - August 18 - 4:54 pm

  I drive on average 44,000 miles a year. I am reimbursed by the mi, so low cost of ownership is big. So far I have put 29,000 miles on the car. My lifetime average is 40.4 mpg. Thats city highway and high speed. I should say the trunk is good size and I typically have 200-300 pounds in the back. I have had averages as high as 55 mpg and never had a tank below 34 mpg. The tan interior is the color to get. The dash is covered in vinyl versus the course cloth on the black interior. The light and dark contrast looks GREAT. DEF usage is minimal 5 gallon per 10,000mi. Buying in the 2.5 gallon containers keeps cost down. Oil changes are a little pricey, $65.