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 looks, bad performance - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By jmouxemt89 - June 2 - 6:44 am

  I have the same issues, car lunges forward, motor shakes badly, My Link radio system freezes, sometimes tranny wont shift properly, Now my car wont come out of or go into park like it did, it took me 15 minutes to put it into park at work. I have only 860 miles on it.... still smells new, so upsetting, not what you want from a new car, I bought a new car so i didnt have to deal with used car problems..

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  Realistic Review of 1996 Tahoe - 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By sjbwis - June 1 - 11:56 am

  All-in-all a great vehicle, though it had some problems. Bought vehicle w/115K miles in 2009 and got rid of recently when the tranny went kaput at 186K miles. Put about $3,500 in repairs. Biggest problems (other than the tranny) were the EGR & fuel pump (typical for Chevy trucks), ball joints and A/C compressor. Smaller items were heater control valve leaking and misc items breaking/failing. Cant complain though for a 16 year-old truck. Just make sure to purchase a Tahoe that hasnt towed a bigger trailer or boat (my mistake with this Tahoe). 2WD was very good in heavy winter snow. 4x4 was virtually unstoppable. The Chevy 350 will run forever without a problem if normal maintenance is done

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  Undecided on how I feel about the purchase - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By stmyers - May 28 - 11:53 am

  I hate how the steering wheel covers up the ac vents, could have designed it better. I have a 2013 with 13k miles, the black granite color. I have had to take it in once already because the paint has bubbled and now I’m taking it in again for the same paint bubbles, just in a different location. My equinox is a 4cy and I only get, at most 25 mpg and the dealer cannot explain why, I drive on open road, not much stop and go traffic. Just recently my brakes have started making a horrible sound. I have had to take it in multiple times for the electronics, all to do with the radio / navigation. I really liked the design of the car, for the most part.

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  07 Chevy Colorado, ext. cab, automatic NOT standard - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By hunkahunka - May 26 - 9:14 pm

  I have owned this vehicle since May of 2010 when it had 23k miles. So far my only problems have been: a leaky (rain water) center cab brake light which had a defective seal and had to have all the carpet changed the blower fan on the a/c got to where it only blew on high and would not work on other speeds and a new battery. Other minor things: brakes squeak severely each morning that the relative humidity is over 70% which is about every morning in the New Orleans area, the fuse for the driving lights burns out fairly regularly, and the cab light wont come on when you open any door. Windows whistle when driving into a strong wind. Sometimes the cruise control is difficult to engage.

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  good deal for the price - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By garryman2 - May 24 - 8:41 am

  I bought this car used with 48 thousand on it. It has a 1.6 liter engine. No engine repair has been needed. I was surprised by how roomy this compact car is. I get the mpg that was advertised. The car handles well. The 100 thousand 5 year powertrain warranty and rust protection warranty are big pluses that attracted me to purchase. This car is very basic with no frills like power locks or windows, blue tooth, cruise control, or GPS. The stereo system is average. The exterior design to me looks sleek. I would recommend this car to my friends.

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  The best $5500 I ever spent - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By joebloe1 - May 23 - 2:54 pm

  Bought a 2002 4 speed auto with 60K on the clock in 2007. It now has 147K. It has been absolutely reliable with routine maintenance. With a set of Pirelli tires it handles great on our curvy roads. We average about 30MPG. Minor problems with outside mirror, sun visor and cracked dash. Apparently due to poor choice of materials, workmanship or design. The odometer works intermittently. There is apparently a bad connection. When you bang on the instrument cluster it works. The seats are really uncomfortable after a couple of hours. This is an inexpensive car that is very reliable. I expect to get well over 200K miles. If they still made them I would buy another.

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  I love this car - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By triciakraft - May 22 - 8:33 pm

  I have a 2005 base model Impala with 210k miles on it. Ive only had 3problems with it. A fuel pressure regulator ($50), Catalytic Converter ($250) and my cruise control hasnt worked in approx 3 weeks. I own 2 other vehicles a expedition and a 2011 convertible Camaro SS with all the bells and whistles imaginable. This may sound a bit nuts, but I prefer the Impala, the ride is so much more comfortable not to mention 29mpg. I drive it everyday it hasnt given me any problems (its well maintained) and i expect to last at least another 130k. If you had problems with this vehicle, you probably didnt care for it as well as you could have.

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  Worthwhile - 2000 Chevrolet Metro
  By ooolie - May 19 - 11:12 pm

  Bought this car used in 2008 with 61K miles. Inspection sticker was from 2003 it hadnt been driven that time. Rusty underneath, but other than that, very fine. Took it off the road for 6 months due to heavy potholes cost $700 to repair due to being idle. Took tough city streets to work and needed a new rack and pinion ($700). A/C compressor went a year ago, due to having to constantly use the A/C - even in the winter - to get the windshield and side windows defrosted. Other than that, this is a great car and still depended on. You feel the bumps but thats because its a subcompact. Now at 100k miles. Gas mileage about 20 local / 30 highway w/ reg gas w/ auto transmission.

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  Nice car but sleepy - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By numberguy - May 15 - 3:41 am

  Ive had my Cruze for a year now and 11,000 miles. It has been trouble free. You do get a lot of car for the money. My advice is dont get the 1.4 turbo motor as the throttle response is terrible at highway speeds. The problem is that the better 1.8 motor is only available on the LS model. Ive driven both and the 1.8 is better and gets the same mileage. Sadly I plan on trade this car for one with better highway response. If you can afford it buy the Malibu as it drives MUCH better.

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  Great car! just needs a few minor tweaks. - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By 62235volt - May 14 - 2:16 pm

  1) Driving in D utilizes slightly more kW than when driving in L. [upshift into D and see the increase on the battery draw display then shift back to L]. Use D when you want to coast instead of regen braking. 2) Needs separate SPORT MODE button. 3) OnStar needs faster data acquisition and more data viewing options. 30/60/90 day & 6 month mileage display. Yes..many of the cons are relatively minor. Yet, overall, the car functions very well to what the MAIN purpose of the intent was…to be an efficient commuter car. ..a home run in that respect. But when you add in the cons and other notes against the price of the car, I give it a strong triple.