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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  Hands down-- Great car - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By njadz - May 3 - 4:40 pm

  Over the past 10 years have driven the Mazda 3, and some assorted european models overseas. Test drove the Focus and the Cruze this go-round and like the Handling is superb, shifting (manual) is a breeze -- lots of getup and go with the turbo.... great gas mileage. Recommend getting some blind spot sticker mirrors for your side mirrors if you do a lot of city driving... they only cost 99 cents and help out a lot as the side mirrors arent as big as the focus. Pros: No road noise even at highway speeds. 5 star safety (10 airbags). Comfortable, smooth ride all around (if you dont believe it read kelly blue book review). CONS: Brakes are not as tight as Ford. immediately.

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  Still like it - 2014 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jonesy85 - May 1 - 1:50 pm

  I have had this car for over 6 months and 12, miles, and have not had a single problem with it. It handled this past NJ winter snow/cold without a whimper. Didnt need AWD in the snow. I have gotten 32 MPG straight highway and 27 MPG mixed. Could I think of things to add to the car to make it better? Who couldnt. But I am happy with this car and the price I paid for it. It is a very comfortable car with a great engine and great milage.

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  Perfect carr for both Electric and Hybrid driving... - 2014 Chevrolet Volt
  By itsjoeybear - April 29 - 5:36 pm

  I absolutely love my Volt…I was looking for a car that could get me to work and back on all electric power, but still have the ability to do road trips without relying on the battery. The Volt is perfect for my daily 40 mile round trip commute to work. I charge the car at home and have plenty of power to drive to work and back. The Volt is fun to drive and has plenty of power to maneuver the LA freeways. In full Hybrid mode, Im averaging about 38 to 40 actual miles per gallon, which is good for a lead foot like me. I rarely use gas though, but if I do its on the weekend or trips out of town. The car keeps track of your gas and EV mileage separate, so its easy to calculate.

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  1998 Chevrolet Z28 Camaro - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By z28you - April 27 - 11:53 pm

  I bought my 1998 Z28 in 2012, it had 120,000 miles on the clock, first impression was "I like the power!" Had to replace warped rotors/new pads/front wheel bearings/steering knuckle/tie-rods. The prior owner had taken relativity good care of her, average wear and tear for a 15 year old car @ the time. Leather seats are comfortable, even on trips/daily driver. Gas MPG very good for 2014 (considering its a V8) even 20+ hwy- 17+ city driving. One of the best Camaro Z28s GM Chevrolet has ever produced! IMO. My old Z28 was a -1986 Z28 IROC-Z- 305 T.P.I., this 1998 Z28 350 M.P.F.I would suck the windshield out of my old IROC-Z...very e-Zilly =) Find a maintained one, youll thank me.

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  No complaints - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By chevyok - April 23 - 7:49 pm

  Going on 11th year since new. Fairly reliable car given normal maintenance. Beside the normal problems others have reported, such as sticky flasher, stuck A/C button, wrapped rotor, etc, I really cannot complaint too much. I did replace the water pump and thermostat, shocks all around 100K miles, the ABS sensors at 115K. Other than that, everything still works approaching 136K. My goal with this car is 250K miles, but will see when and if it can get there.

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  Huge leaps forward... - 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By big_g - April 15 - 5:36 pm

  Had a 12, now have the 15. The difference is a great surprise between the two. Its quieter, handles better and is more comfortable then the previous one. This time I have the 4x4 and Im still getting better gas mileage than I was on the 12 4x2. 600 miles so far and averaging 19, and I live up a steep incline. Nav system is WAY better than previous. Mine is sliver with gray leather, 22" wheels with the luxury package

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  Great all-around car - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By nathanto - April 10 - 12:19 pm

  our organisation purchased 5 Chevy cruzes at the beginning of 2013. I personally drove 3 of them for extended periods of time. In the first year of owning these cars, we put roughly 30,000 miles on them. We never had any serious problems with the vehicles. There was only one time that a light came on in one of the turbo diesel cruzes and it was just the self-clean feature for the engine. If that ever happens, just let the car run for about 30 minutes at 2000 RPMs.

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  Indestructible - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By jaspell - April 3 - 8:00 pm

  We are now at 290,000 on Old Bessie and she is still going strong. We change the oil every 4000 miles and its still going strong. The only repairs we have had are the power steering pump, the belt tensioner, and an intake plenum. I think we may have put it one starter but Im not sure. Basically this car is start and drive. Its old, its dented and it leaks oil a bit (leaks, not burns) but I would still drive this thing through hell. Awesome comfortable car.

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  Great car - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jilikins - April 1 - 9:33 am

  We had a 2002 Malibu that we originally bought in 2007. Never had any major issues with it and because of high mileage hubby put on it driving 90 miles back and forth to work, we decided to look for another car. We found a 2002 Malibu (this one is loaded) with 80,000 miles on it and promptly bought it. My husband is a back yard mechanic of sorts (built a 66 Chevy II from the ground up into a pro-street car) and so he does regular maintenance on it and changes the oil religiously and tune ups and such. Sure, weve had to change the brakes on both our vehicles, but that is the norm. Great, great car.

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  I Love My 2013 Equinox!! - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By andrea2u - March 30 - 12:13 pm

  6 months and 4,000 miles later I have absolutely no regrets! Comfy and fun to drive. No problem passing or merging. Pleasantly surprised at the power it has when you need it. Filling up was difficult but after a couple times you get used to it and now its no problem. Its soo quiet , roomy and the ride is great. My top 3 were the Mazda CX5, Nissan Rogue, and Equinox. After test drives I knew it was the Chevy. I dont have any blind spots. It has a sturdy & safe feel. My mpg is as advertised but its all in how you drive. A quick 500 mile trip gave me 31.8mpg. I found a great dealer and got a great price! One problem is my daughter borrowed it and didnt want to give it back!