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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  Good Overall Value and Style - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By wavesherwood - June 23 - 1:24 pm

  Great versatility. Beautiful vehicle in and out. Only problem we have had so far is the rough engine idle which dealer says is unduplicatable but they did update computer program. that helped some, but we are still experiencing some intermittent rough engine idle especially when sitting at stoplights. Blind spots and camera depth perception makes backing up tricky.

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  A Good Little Car - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By mbee19 - June 21 - 12:34 pm

  Ive had my 2010 Chevy Aveo for 3 years now (I bought it new) and I love it. Yeah, its not powerful and its not the most beautiful thing on the road but I dont think its any uglier than the rest of these new, weird looking vehicles. I like the interior, its plenty roomy enough, Ive done a couple cross country moves with me, my husband and three dogs (and all our stuff). Its super efficient, which is the most important to me. I cant afford $80 - $100 + a week to get around. I can fill up for about $40 and that gets me almost 300 miles. Its never ever given me any problems, except the drivers seat fabric has a rip from wear and tear, I guess. Make sure to change the oil, itll last.

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  Best car! - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By kad44664127 - June 17 - 2:07 pm

  I bought this car in 2012 for $1500 with 83000 miles on it and crank windows. started every single day without a problem. during a snowstorm i slid on some ice and hit another vehicle. got it fixed with parts from the junkyard and worked like new again. then i got bundle with an acura mdx hit a telephone pole and it got totalled. when i saw it for the first time after i expected it to look worse by the size of the car that hit me but it didnt look as bad as i would expect it to. was great on gas and cheap to fix. i loved that car as my first car and never really had to do any major mechanical work other than the accident. had 97000 miles when it did. i would buy it again no question.

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  best vehicle ive ever owned - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
  By andrew97 - June 13 - 10:38 pm

  Test drove it 2 plus years ago loved it then and as it sits in my driveway now I still love it. I purchased a 10 Impala LT only 1 yr old with 15,000 miles. It now has well over 43,000 and the only thing its needed was a battery and the air recirculation valve for emissions. (both replaced under war) It rides great, for an American V6 the mpg is not bad at all I get 25 plus on the highway and right around 19 in town. interior is comfy any problems are my fault. only issue Im having right now is the pass front window motor is slow. with proper maintenance and driving less like and idiot and more like a responsible driver and these cars should last a very long time.

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  I call mine "Old Reliable" - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By johnnyt3 - June 12 - 11:53 am

  My father got this car when it was about a year old. Its the LS model, so its got pretty much all the options. Dad was a careful driver, so after more than a decade when he gave it to me, it had about 137K miles, but had been maintained meticulously. In the two years that I have have it, the only issues I have had were typical Blazer issues of the wiper circuit board, the recline handles breaking off, and the bushings on the door hinges wearing out. The only other "serious" issue was the alternator dying at about 140K miles. The replacement was easy, as I did it myself at a cost of $90 and less than an hour of labor.

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  My 1991 Camaro RS new toy - 1991 Chevrolet Camaro
  By frank1957 - June 11 - 6:33 pm

  I just broke into the Camaro family with the purchase of a 1991 RS this past weekend. So far so good and the original owner, a retired police chief took very good care of it. I am impressed with how solid it feels. I have loved the styling of this generation of Camaro for years and always described it as just "damn tough"! After many completely pleasurable hours of detailing and cleaning it from top to bottom, I have to admit it is looking hot. My day was made today when stopped at a traffic light and a pedestrian looked at it, gave me and the car a hearty thumbs up and said "Great car! I have one too!" With the T-tops out there is just nothing better than a Camaro. I am in love!

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  Very good small car - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By brian228 - June 11 - 10:00 am

  We have had our Sonic LTZ with 1.4L and automatic for just over 3 months now and have close to 8000 miles on it. So far no problems whatsoever. We are a retired couple (67 years old) and feel comfortable in this car. Gas mileage has been very good with 38.7 mpg reading on the car display and we also check it the old fashioned way and get similar results. It is a fairly quiet car depending on the road surfaces- some coarse pavement causing noticeable road noise but wind noise is low even on the interstate highway. Handling is good but as one or two reviewers mentioned potholes or certain road irregularities can cause some darting.

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  it keeps going - 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By gonzothegreat - June 10 - 11:20 pm

  i bought this car new in 1993. the odometer is showing 293,000 miles. thats right 293,000 miles. it has the original engine and transmission. the clutch assembly is factory. it has achieved 40 mpg on the highway. i have changed the oil at regular times and it has only left me stranded once(fuel pump went out). aside from tires, belts, hoses, shocks, brakes, shifter cable, and alternators, being replaced, it has never had the valves adjusted. i dont know if it has a timing chain, if it does i have never had to replace it. my goal is to replace it at 300k, but i dont think i will. it gets 30mpg in the city if driven the speed limit. the insurance is $240 a year, best car ive ever owned.

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  Happy except for reliability - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cycledan - June 4 - 1:57 pm

  Have 40,000 miles on the Equinox now. I have no complaints about the gas mileage and dont really care. Blue tooth, radio controls seats are all fine. It is an SUV, not a sports car but given that, I am happy with the ride. However (you knew that was coming) it is now at the dealer for the 3rd time to fix a major transmission problem. It is still under the drive train warranty luckily and we get a free rental. Service department is nice enough. But it is awful to have the car break down in the middle of rush hour traffic in the left lane of the highway. Dont know how common transmission problems are in this car but we got a lemon. I am going to insist they replace the whole transmission.

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  Was excited at first, not so much now - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By jkrug26 - June 2 - 2:58 pm

  This vehicle was my first new car. Being a single mom and having to drive two young children around I wanted something reliable. I didnt try and have my children attempt to get into the vehicle before purchasing but the rear door handles are up too far for my kids to reach. Secondly, and more concerning there is an issue with the ignition. My keys dont seem to want to go into the ignition. And IF they manage to make it in they get stuck in the ignition. I was stuck at the grocery store for ten minutes while I tried to get the car started because it seemed the tumbler was not engaging correctly with the key. Chevy needs to make this right!!!!!!