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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  2008 Impala LS - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Dederic Crisp - September 9 - 2:07 am

  I bought this car used abt 3.5 years ago. lock actuators had to be replaced. I know have 200000 miles on it and its been a pretty reliable vehicle. I only wish GM wouldve gotten the kinks out of the motor and transmission.

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  Town or Country - 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Steve Fuller - September 8 - 8:50 pm

  We love our new Tahoe 4x4 LTZ! Weve had it for 3 months and taken it on long trips and towed our 7,000 lb boat 6 hours to the beach and back. It truly excels at every task. My wife calls it the perfect truck for town and country. We love the 3rd row folding seats, the entertainment system, the towing and braking capabilities, comfort, and look of the Tahoe. Its just been a great vehicle for us and we wanted to share our opinion. Although I read lots of reviews, Ive never written one before. I was happy to take a few moments to tell you why we love our truck and recommend it to you if youre considering it versus any other large SUV.

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  If you like rust you will love this car! - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Chevy hater - September 8 - 6:46 pm

  All 4 doors are rusting already, Gm says this is a known issue, but will not fix it because it just passed its 3 year corrosion warranty. Have the 4 cylinder engine and it uses a quart of oil every thousand miles. It only has 30k on it right now.

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  Impressed at First. - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By BLH - September 8 - 4:42 pm

  Did a lot of research on the 2014 turbo diesel. Purchased the car in May. With less than 4000 miles on it, the check engine light comes on. To the dealer we go and 6 hrs later, they cant figure out the problem. The mechanics couldnt figure out the error code. Supposedly they had to call tech support and reset the electronics on the car. Now, the gas info doesnt read correctly. And its still not fixed. A full tank read out tells me I can get 400 miles to a tank of diesel. I have managed to get over 50 miles to a gallon and its a 15.6 gallon tank. The seats are low to the floor. The driver seat is power and will rise up but no lumbar support. Long drives get uncomfortable. We bought this vehicle because of the MPG and we travel often. The trunk space is so-so. It will hold 2 large suitcases and some smaller bags. The interior could be better. The sunvisors do not go far enough over to the middle to block out the sun. It does have rattles that you can hear and cant find. The stereo system sucks. It has a very "tinny" sound. I have tried adjusting it manually and per music style and it still sounds bad. The back up camera is handy. It beeps while backing up and if anything is coming from either side of the vehicle. The outside mirrors have a car icon that flashes to let you know there is a vehicle in your blind spot. It does have road noise and the car sits low to the ground. Hitting bumps and dodging potholes can be rough.

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  t - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By Travis Frankhouser - September 8 - 1:59 pm

  I currently have an 02 v6 s10 with 173k miles on all stock drivetrain. I used this truck for work and towing and beat the living piss out of it. Changed the oil once a year. Never changed the tranny fluid, antifreeze, rear end oil, or greased anything. just ran the hell out of it. Nothing major broke but the fuel pump and the distributor broke 3 times. But still one tough truck

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  Not worth buying - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Julia - September 8 - 12:20 pm

  This car is a piece of junk! Definitely not worth the money! We have had our Cruze in the shop numerous times with coolant system problems!!! Really Chevy!! How many bad reviews from unhappy customers are you going to get on this car? This is ridiculous!! We certainly wont be buying another Chevy!!

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  buyer beware - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By brenda duran - September 7 - 1:59 pm

  low miles and multiple times in shop. Headlights go out frequently- bulb cost a few bucks but must have mechanic replace. Door locks dont work. Catalytic converter bad- shocks bad- overall value HORIBLE!!

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  Buyer beware!!!! - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Alps_112 - September 7 - 1:14 pm

  Ive had my 2011 traverse for 3 years. Once the vehicle hit 50k miles it was downhill from there. I hadto invest in a $1400 powering steering rack. I took the vehicle In for what I thought was a minor leak and $1400 later the car still doesnt handle/drive well. I am now starting to have suspension problems. I do not understand how GM can get away with having these vehicles on The road with known problems. Ive read hundreds of reviews with people experiencing the same type of issues. Do not waste your money on GM vehicles. What I thought to be a good crossover for my family of 6 turned out to be a nightmare.

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  Our new little one. - 2015 Chevrolet Trax
  By Lou Caldwell - September 7 - 12:09 pm

  Traded in Chevy Equinox 2LT but wanted smaller suv, now, no kids, etc. This does the job. Surprised with responsiveness of small engine but turbo does the job very well. Passing a car or interstate entrance much better that the 4 cyl Equinox. Good mileage but not much better than Equinox on highway. But much better in-town. Disappointed with one sun visors. They dont extend to cover the whole window when positioned on either driver or passenger side windows. Only covers half. Miss the power lift gate. Not an option on Trax.

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  passenger side glove box - 2015 Chevrolet Trax
  By Doris - September 6 - 8:59 pm

  They need to put a hole in the glove box door that hides the usb port and axl for the ipod hook up (in front of the passenger seat) When using an ipod you have to leave the door open its kind of distracting when driving. There needs to be a hole big enough for the cables to go through when using electronics so you can shut that door. Plus if theres a passenger onboard that could be dangerous for the passenger.