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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  Sweet little truck - 2004 Chevrolet S-10
  By bulldurham48 - December 11 - 8:22 pm

  Have had my ZR-5 for about 6 years now and can really find no faults with it. I use it mostly for hunting and pulling a large trailer with a BadBoy Buggy in it and have never had a problem with it. Uses a little more gas than I expected when pulling a big loaded trailer, but not bad really. Has preformed really well in the red clay and mud found here in central Virginia, and has never been stuck even though I have taken it places I should not have. As long as its well maintained, oil changes, lubed, anti-freeze changed, things like that it does great. Really happy with my little sweet heart.

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  2 years 44.5k mile review - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By natalie14 - December 3 - 7:22 am

  My vehicle is a black fully loaded ltz rs with nav. The paint has a bit of eggshell reflection so it is not the highest quality but it still looks nice and has minimal chips considering the ammount of highway driving that I do. My front seat used to make noise. Dealer tightened the bolts and replaced a clip. No squeaks or rattles after that. No mechanical problems in nearly 45k miles with only basic maintenance done on the vehicle. Ride quality is smooth and predictable. Acceleration is good enough to get on the highway with no problems and pass slow vehicles. When not stomping on the gas and driving normally the mpg is in the upper 30s to low 40s unless going up hill.

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  2014 chevy sonic LS auto - 2014 Chevrolet Sonic
  By steven39 - December 1 - 11:51 am

  For about the last amost 2 years I was driving a 2013 Hyundai elantra gls that I purchased in the summer of 2012.Recently my car was totaled in a accident and the insurance company didnt give me as much for the car as I had hoped so I searched for another car that would be cheap enough for me to purchase with the insurance funds without me having to put in to much of my own money which brought me to this 2014 chevy sonic.this base model sonic blows away my former elantra which was fully loaded.sonic is much better built,quieter,handles better,and is just simply a better built car and surprisingly has more interior room than elantra.All this for under 16 grand.excelent value...

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  Waited years for this car to come out!! - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By lee1979 - November 26 - 11:38 am

  I have been waiting years for for an American car company to make the cut, on a small diesel engine for a American can, Rumors have been permeating for the last 5 years in the diesel truck community for to be an American diesel powered car that we can afford to take to a shop if it needs repairs in the future because diesel engines last for a very long time and will out last the transmissions every 300k. You may not be a diesel fan like my self but even still there are many good reasons to go with this car. - Top of the line tech. - Great drivability and acceleration. - less harm to the environment than a gasser. - Seven hundred plus miles per tank. - Awesome (real) leather seats

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  2013 Volt is a Geek Dream - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By geekdream - November 23 - 10:40 am

  This car is a great car to drive. I have owned the car for 12 months and have used about 12 gallons of gas! I am currently getting about 550MPG. If you dive less than 35 miles per day on average then you can get significantly higher gas mileage than what is published. The car normally runs on electricity until the batteries run low and then automatically switches to a gas powered generator to power the electric motor. The battery will typically give you between 30-40 miles per charge depending on driving habits and outdoor temperature. My average commute per day is about 27 miles. My car is running on battery 95% of the time and uses gas 5% of the time. My favorite car that I have owned.

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  Everything I was looking for - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By voltz06 - November 17 - 6:11 am

  I picked my 2014 V6 LS manual Camaro in October. after a 5 month search of different vehicles I narrowed the field down to this car. I do a lot of driving for work and previous experiences have shown me that those estimated mpg stickers on cars usually lean on the generous side.I believe the sticker said 28 mpg highway. Now Granted most of my driving is highway Im averaging 25-26 mpg which Im very pleased with since i dont normally have the lightest foot out there. The best parts of my day is the drive to and from work! So fun to drive!!!

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  Loved this truck...sad to have lost it. - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By mchobbs - November 15 - 4:04 pm

  We had this truck for 11 years, bought it new, put over 150K miles on it. It was our most comfortable vehicle for long road trips, though fuel economy did sometimes cause us to drive the Camry. We lost this hard working truck to a head on collision with a drunk driver in a Dodge Ram and it kept my husband safe in that event (he walked away with bruises and a single broken bone in one hand). In all the time we had it we never had to do any major repairs, it still had original brakes, transmission, etc. From day one it vibrated when idling at 750rpm, never figured out why..but it was never a real problem.

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  One of the best cars i have owned - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By bowls - November 13 - 10:43 am

  I bought the car with 10k on it, and now have almost 60k, not one problem or complaint, it is very dependable, wonderful performance, the appearance is beautiful, Chevrolet has finally figured out how to build like the foreign cars, the mileage is as expected, and is acceptable in town if driven carefully, I have kept up the standard maintenance only, nothing other than that, so it has always had oil changes when needed (3k), I would recommend this car to anyone, and the folks that had all the problems should intact the lemon law, as it was probably built on a Friday or Monday.

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  Malibu Outshines the Others - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By karenandcarl - November 7 - 8:21 pm

  Edmunds was not all positive about the 2013 Malibu, but we looked at and drove all the other brands and Malibu comfort and quality outshine them all. The only other one close is Fusion. We love our car and hope anyone in the market takes a close look at this car that is an American car, and has a high [HTML removed] rating.

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  Very Fast Car - 2013 Chevrolet Camaro
  By jose_l - November 7 - 12:18 pm

  I use to own a 2011 Camaro SS before I bought my 2013 Camaro ZL1 earlier this year and man there is a huge difference in performance, power wise and handling. Every time I get in and drive this car I feel like Im like the king of the road because I can accelerate an pass the majority of cars or brake quickly to avoid accidents. The reviews say it is has a small trunk opening and small back seats and hard to see out of. I think its like everything you just have to get use to it, I took care of that when i drove my 2011 camaro SS. I give this car in a rating of 1 to 5. Let me see I would give it a 7+