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:

• 

  Bought with 11k Now close to 100k no issues - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By michaelvanity - March 18 - 7:13 pm

  Only thing ive had to do to this car within the past 90k miles are oil changes every 6 months, I make sure to use the highest octane gas, And I only stick with one gas station, Shell being my choice. I have not had one probem thank God. And I plan on buying a new 2014 Impala, Love the new design. So heres how it add up. Me driving in San Francisco, I live here. Taking frequent trips to sacramento and reno. Lots of city driving. Things ive had done in terms of matience Oil Changes - Every 6 Months Reguardless of what meter says Best gas you can buy - IE most expensive tires changed twice. Brakes changed once. No Major Issues. Im going to stick with my Chevys.

• 

  Brake Noise - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By bryce001 - March 12 - 10:37 am

  We love our new 2014 Impala LT. So far it seems to be a very good car in every aspect except one...there is a distinct grinding/rubbing noise when the brakes are applied. The dealership has not been able to identify, solve the problem. GM is researching the issue. The dealership has examined all parts of the brakes and cant find any problems, yet the noise is there, it is audible and it is annoying (especially now the we are tuned in to it). I have not seen this problem identified in any of the many consumer reviews I have read?

• 

  Leased for 2 years. Loved every minute. - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By cargirl88 - March 12 - 8:31 am

  I jumped on a 24-month lease deal that my Chevy dealer was offering to promote this car. Im coming up on my 30k mi limit and will be turning the Volt in come May. I will miss it. At the end of those 30k, I will have averaged about 110mpg - saving me around $2500 in gas alone from my previous cars 28mpg average (VW Jetta). This was about 7 months worth of payments ) I dont know of any other car that can offer this kind of gas savings. I didnt buy because the concept is so new (and expensive), but for the 2 years I had it, it was a pleasure. In a few years, after consistent production and refining, I will most definitely consider buying.

• 

  1999 with 307K - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By starratlarry - March 11 - 1:47 pm

  Bought new in October 1998. I have been good with changing engine oil. When I floor it to get to hiway speed, no oil burning at all. That 5.7L engine just hums. In the time I have had this thing, I have replaced radiator, complete air conditioner system, various front end components as they wore out, catalytic converter, transfer case, battery twice, tires 4 times, 100K maintenance 3 times, an occasional electrical problem. still has original exhaust except for catalytic converter. 4 wheel drive LOW wont engage now. CD player has seen better days..radio and cassette OK, power windows, lights and power seats no problems ever. I would get another one. this baby is about done. Luv it

• 

  Vehicle Vibrates at highway speeds over 50 MPH - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By navyofficer211 - March 9 - 11:44 pm

  Overall, I was pleased with the 2011 Equinox LTZ in the winter conditions. I put more highway miles on it than in actual weather conditions. My odometer read 28,000 when I had the first incident of a vibration over 50 mph and the check engine light came on briefly and stayed on for an hour or so. I thought it was the tires, so I had them checked, I had new summer all season tires on, and the tires were fine, and so I had the vehicle checked for mechanical problems, no codes were discovered and the check engine light went off. A week ago my odometer reads 87000 and the same situation occurs with this vibration, the difference is that it occurs at all speeds now, not just highway speeds.

• 

  2006 Cobalt LT, A Very Nice Car. - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By isaiahtimothy - March 7 - 10:49 pm

  This car is my first, so its an excellent first car! I bought it off my grandma, so it had only 55,000 miles despite being seven years old. I really love this car, and I have little to complain about. The car overall is built really nicely, I love the looks of it, way better looking than the comparable Ford Focus, which is complete junk. The interior is very nicely designed, has nice finishes, although I dont very much like the cloth seats, although I dont like cloth in any car. The only other thing I have to complain about is a few rattles in the dash, and occasionally the sunroof. This car will be with me for many more miles, and ill keep it as a commuter.

• 

  Spark - 2014 Chevrolet Spark
  By msgt_sasse - March 4 - 1:23 pm

  Nice basic car no frills

• 

  Very sharp car. Compliments everywhere I go ! (: - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By jason151 - March 3 - 11:38 pm

  Im 42, married with two kids. I needed a midlife crisis fix. I test drove the 2014 Mustang GT 5.0 Challenger 5.7 Hemi and finally the Camaro 2SS 6.2 . Out of those three above mentioned choices, the Camaro impressed me by far. It doesnt have throttle lag like the Mustang. Handles surprisingly nicely around turns and doesnt float at high speeds like the Challenger. The only downfalls of my particular model is I hate the "skip shift" feature making you shift from 1st to 4th under light throttle. The owners manual stated this is designed to improve fuel economy. I have found that revving the engine above 2,000 rpms will allow you to shift normally. A true adrenaline rush, a blast to drive!

• 

  Accident - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By jordan2014 - March 2 - 5:32 pm

  I absolutely love this vehicle, its an amazing gas saver. I was so so about buying this car but my wife wanted it so we obviously got it. After 6 days today being the 6th me and my 19 month old were on my way to pick up my new born and wife from the hospital, and along the way we lost control and had flipped 4 or 5 times. The only damage was the roof. The above airbags deployed and saved my sons and I lives. I very strongly recommend this vehicle to anyone for the safety, all i can say now is thank you chevy.. thank you

• 

  I Really Do Like This Car - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By dhpnet - March 1 - 7:08 pm

  I am 6 3" tall and 240 lbs, and this car feels roomy and comfortable to me, but the seats are too hard! The beam suspension is not as nice as independent suspension, but it handles well for a compact. Everything feels very solid and much higher quality than other compacts I have owned. One big issue for me is that when the doors are unlocked then so is the trunk and anyone on the street, or the valet, can open the trunk by just pressing a button on the lid. Also, there is no lock or latch on the gas lid. The premium pioneer stereo isnt that great. All of the sound seems to come out of the center speaker in the dash. My Bose SoundLink sounds better. Overall, I really like this car so far.