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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  Fun little car but not good in snow - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By vernmuffin - July 17 - 10:17 am

  I had been researching the Sonic extensively since its release and, after hearing my husband complain a lot about the lack of fuel economy of his Silverado 1500 pick-up (and receiving a $1000 private offer from Chevy) we decided to buy a 2013 RS this past February. We were planning to use the car for business travels that didnt require the truck, and short, run-about trips that didnt require a ton of cargo room or space for our 3 dogs. We thought by purchasing this vehicle, we could save mileage on our aging mini-van, as well as my husbands work truck (Silverado).

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  my first car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By joco29 - July 14 - 6:17 pm

  I bought my cobalt new and i now have 145,783 miles on it and it has never once let me down and stranded on the road. Not even so much as a dead battery, and yeah the battery i have in it is the one from the factory! The only work ive had done to it is ive had the electric power steering replaced from the recall as it just randomly stopped working while i was driving. But besides regular oil changes and maintence such as alignments and such ive never had one thing wrong and would reccomend it to anyone! And Ive worked at various car lots so Ive driven just about every car and id still reccomend this car over any other comperable car foreign or domestic. This has made me a chevy guy for life!

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  no 40 mpg - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By mspeakman - July 10 - 10:17 pm

  I want to report on my trip to The national parks. I put 5400 miles on my cruz on this trip, and thought I would easily get 40 mpg on the interstates, but it never happened. The computer told me I was getting over 40 on many legs of the trip, but I kept actual numbers and gallons used and the best I ever got from fillup to fillup was 39.4. This was on virtually flat highway at speed of 65 mph. On a similar leg I got 39 even. Speeds above that gave results in the 34 to 35 mpg, which I thought was pretty good. My worst leg was when I got hung up in construction traffic for well over an hour, results there were 24.4. Worst leg without problems was 32.1 mpg while driving at 75 plus mph. Later.

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  Nice car but a pain in the neck - 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
  By cjq - July 8 - 1:52 pm

  I bought a new Traverse last month and I really like car, except for the headrest. The headrest sticks out so far, it gives me a pain the neck. There is no way to turn it around, or have it go far enough back to not cause the problem. So when you test the drive, be aware of this and make sure you fit into the seat as it is designed.

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  Murray - 1995 Chevrolet Corsica
  By mustang14gt - July 4 - 1:08 pm

  Love this car! my family got him a year ago and was passed on to me for a graduation present. never left us stranded. I have owned him two weeks, and in the first week alone i put 1,000 miles on him. biggest repair so far was a lower control arm ($220). he needs some work, tires catalyt converter(he is very loud). beware!! if the brights are on and the switch snaps the brights wont turn off. power lock and horn just went out.(fuse?) and the ABS in one wheel doesnt work right all the time, but when it does work the brakes are fantastic. he is white,with red interior and has around 86,666 miles, he also has the 4cly which with 120bhp and 130pft find it adequate. the acceleration is spirited.

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  Costs are skyrocketing! Not reliable. - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jbug5 - July 3 - 7:34 pm

  Got my 2010 equinox in Nov 2010, new. I didnt have the engine problems early. However in the last year, I have been back to the dealer a number of times. We live far from work, so it already has 110,000 miles, that means no more warranty and more out of pocket costs. The latest item to go is my stereo. The stereo includes the navigation, clock, radio, iPod hookup, Bluetooth, backup camera. Cost from the dealer to replace $1300! Dealer suggested I get an after market radio...but couldnt tell me if all the other stuff would work. Probably trade it in very soon. My last car, 1997 Audi a4, just kept on going...engine finally gave up at 225,000 and after 13 years. Now thats reliability.

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  Where do I start - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By stmyers - June 28 - 11:49 pm

  I have a 2012 LTZ equinox with 14k miles, I can not count the times I have had to take it in for problems. This past week, my check engine light came on. Dealer said it has to do with the air filter we put in (k&n) we replaced the filter back to the orig. one and the light came on again. Called a different dealer and they said they were too busy to get my car in for at least two days... Do I just drive the car around with the check engine light on? Then, Today, I went to use my remote start and the remote start is not working. For as much as they cost, you think GM would get it right the first or second time... Im very disappointed with GM and more so with the dealership I purchased the car

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  2012 Colorado Crew LT3 V-8 - 2012 Chevrolet Colorado
  By aloexroys - June 28 - 3:38 pm

  Have owned the Colorado V8 for around 18 months, and it has been a true joy to drive, 300 HP in this relatively light vehicle is amazing, and it is a real sleeper. The sports suspension and low profile tires make it corner flat in most all situations. This is a little like driving a vette in pickup clothing. On the downside, the interior is pretty spartan, and the ride can get a little rough at times. Gas mileage pretty much sucks. All in all, a fine vehicle that I would buy again.

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  A Compact Car That Wants To Be More - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By spud90 - June 28 - 11:20 am

  I wanted to downsize to a car that could let me cope with $4.00+ per gallon gas, yet could take me on extended trips in comfort. The Cruze has so far fit my requirements. I have been reading reviews from car magazines and web sites that complain of shift points on the automatic and the overall lack of power. I disagree. I find that the automatic shifts/downshifts as it should and am beginning to believe that the 1.4L turbo horsepower numbers are under-reported by GM. This engine loves to race to the redline, and I have never been concerned when merging into freeway trafic. The suspension is on the taught side, but handling is great.

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  Happy with my HHR - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By bones21 - June 24 - 1:04 pm

  Purchased a Chev. HHR from Hertrichs Capitol in Dover, DE. I am very pleased with my car. It took some time getting use to since I was use to a bigger windshield. The car gets good gas mileage. Hertrichs made me a good deal with the price too. I would recommend going to this dealer. They work hard in satisfying their customers. This is our third car that we have purchased from tem.