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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  Am I missing somethinh - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By Unhappy - September 6 - 1:54 pm

  OK so I filled up my tank and it was fine within 4 days.just last night I got it to half a tank went to the store and post office all within 10 miles and 2 bars were gone. I am NOT pleased with the gas milage.

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  Great for empty nesters - 2015 Chevrolet Trax
  By Jimblytheusw12775@gmail.com - September 5 - 3:05 pm

  Rides great. It has great visibly. Quiet. good mileage. We also have a Ford Escape Titanium which is a great suv. I drive the Trax for work and some travel and it cost 10k less than the escape. I could have bought the Buick Encore, but it was 3k more and I could not see what the big improvement would be by paying the additional premium. This is a great value suv for singles, empty nesters, and small families.

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  Bullet Proof!!! - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By theZman - September 4 - 8:13 pm

  My car (2001 Z28) has been very reliable from day one. Bought it new fully loaded and now has about 92k miles, I hope I didnt jinx it. I think as long as it continues to receive proper maintainance, this beauty will continue to run strong for eons. Its truly a looker and Ive been asked many times if I want to sell it and the answer is always no. Too bad I cant post a pic here to show her off.

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  Do not buy a diesel Cruze! - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Rob - September 4 - 1:00 pm

  Do not buy a diesel Cruze! We purchased our 2014 diesel Cruze a few months ago. It was a new car left over from last year and we got a great deal on it. It was an ok car and then we began having problems. The check engine light has come on 3 times now due to issues with the diesel particulate filter. The most recent issue began a few days ago and we brought our Cruze into the dealer. They ran all the tests and pulled the code. We have been told that they need to keep the car for weeks and a new part has to be custom made by Chevy because the emissions sensors are faulty. No one knows when the part will be ready. This is an absolute joke. GM Global Support is useless and the person who is "assigned" to our case wont speak to us. Weve paid for a car that we cannot use. No one can give us any answers. Seriously do yourself a favor and stay far away from the diesel version of the Chevy Cruze. We have heard from both the dealerships weve brought the car into that there are many known issues with the Cruze diesels and a recall is probably in the very near future.

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  Perhaps Grounds for Commitment Procedings - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By David H. Buswell - September 3 - 2:48 pm

  A convertible sports/muscle car with a powerful V-8 engine is not for everyone and certainly not for the unschooled in the art of driving such a car. Since Im an 82 year old retired corporate exec, my announcement that Id bought a candy-apple red 2SS fully loaded "vert" sparked some thoughts among my children and wife as to my mental acuity. What they dont realize is I dont care what they or anyone else thinks. I wanted the car just as I wanted and bought years ago a Jag XK140, an Austin-Healy 3000 and a 1975 Camaro coupe. For the many years since those halcyon days I have tended toward Buicks and Cadillacs and still have a new quite sedate Cadillac XTS. The difference between the XTS and the SS is like the difference between, say, Deborah Kerr and Joan Collins. I think the analogy fits. I drive the SS because it instills in me the same joie de vivre of yore. I have thumbs up constantly from the neighborhood teens and twenty-somethings even though Im sure many think I belong in an assisted living facility. Are there any negatives with the Camaro SS vert? Of course. Its impractical for virtually any endeavor except having a great time getting from Point A to B. The back seat is really for an overnight bag or perhaps the family dog who also loves the wind in its face. My antediluvian body, slowed badly by arthritis, has a hell of a time getting in and out of the drivers seat. It has abysmal gasoline mileage. That said, I enjoy looking at its truly enticing design. I smile when I turn the light on in my garage and see it waiting to go somewhere with me. Once in that car, though, and I kick on the 400 horses, put the top down, and leave my driveway, Im back in college. To me thats worth the price of an occasional neighbors raised eyebrow when I drive by. Ive always liked Nikes edict: "Just do it!"

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  White lighting - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Josh - September 3 - 11:20 am

  I purchased new a lt1 with the technology, convience package,and sunroof. I was originally looking at the eco model but couldnt get a sunroof and was 1500 more. Its ben a while sense I have a manual transmission. So much fun and able to get better mpg than what the window sticker says. The key is to shift around 2000 rpm and drive the speed limit. Three carseats will fit in the back seat. The changes I would like would be available sunroof on the eco. A place for my cell phone in the center console and more leg room for my right leg so not resting so much on the center console. All in all verry pleased with this car. I am hoping it will last as long as my 1997 oldsmobile did.

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  Excellent small car for the $$ - 2015 Chevrolet Sonic
  By MBC - September 3 - 8:45 am

  Although it is a Turbo, it is not neck jerkingly fast off the line, however it is more than adequate for a vehicle this size. The Sonic has minimal turbo lag and is a fun car to drive, with excellent road composure for a vehicle of this size, and excellent handling . Coming from a life of VW Golfs/GTIs, we now own 2 Sonics, a 2014 & a 2015, and couldnt be happier. These cars have proven very reliable, built very good and solid, with excellent interior comfort. We have not had one issue, change the oil and go! As far as looks, that is subjective, but we get a lot of compliments,people are shocked at how nice they are, and they dont feel like a cheap vehicle. We test drove the following before purchasing our 2nd Sonic, they were all 2015 models, Toyota Corolla- ok on the outside, bland/unappealing inside, very slow and awful CVT. Mini Cooper Countryman- good looking, blast to drive, unfortunately bad reliability history and $10K more than a Sonic made us pass on that, VW Golf, great car in/out but not as good a deal as the Sonic and didnt feel "better" enough to justify a big difference in price, to get all the options on s Sonic RS, Hyundai Elantra GT-Hmmm, not a bad car but seemed bland and basic for the price, not very good MPGs with the 173hp engine.

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  Beware as they age.... - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By S. Moore - September 3 - 7:45 am

  what started out as a love affair has turned into a headache/nightmare. My volt started out great but as it has aged it seems to be heading into the service dept more and more for repairs. Chevy has covered all of these repairs under warranty even though my car is well past the 3yr/36k mile point without a fight which leads me to believe that I am not the only owner experiencing these sort of problems. When I called to complain about the more and more frequent service dept visits, GM CS told me I really don have anything about as they have covered all the repairs even though my car is long out of warranty. While I appreciate that, I really don like that the service dept at my local dealership know me by sight. I really hate that I have fallen out of love with it, handles well, incredible acceleration, quiet and awesome gas mileage....well over 500mpg. Down side is repeated service visits and a lot of time in a loaner car as they fix mine. Really wonder what the long term will bring.

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  My 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe Rocks!!!! - 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Sheila Jackson - September 3 - 12:04 am

  As a woman, I find my 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe to be easy to handle, extremely comfortable, great looking and the best vehicle purchase I have made in 25 years. My new 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe Rocks!!!!!!

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  Short people beware - 2015 Chevrolet Trax
  By Phyllis Mitchell - September 2 - 12:41 pm

  Just recently purchased the vehicle, so cant say a whole lot about it at this point. But the one thing I have noticed is the liftgate is not made for short people. I am only 51" and to close the lift I have to jump up to reach it. I am an elderly person and that is hard for me to do. Have almost fallen a couple of times. GM needs to modify that with a pull down strap that is easily accessible. Checked with the dealership to see what could possibly be done to correct the problem and they did have a suggestion as to how to fix it, but it requires drilling a hole in the lift and my husband isnt comfortable that not knowing what he may drill into. And of course the service department "might" do it for a charge. The only other thing I have noticed to date is the rear seat head rest blocks part of the view when looking through the rear view mirror. Not good if you are traveling the interstate or 4 lane highway. Other than that, I really like the vehicle. Well worth the cost.