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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  Something Chevy Doesnt Tell You - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By oceanhhr - May 13 - 8:31 pm

  We have an HHR LT with the 2.4L Ecotec FlexFuel, automatic. Drives great. Plenty of pick-up. But no one mentioned the engine is NOT happy using the Ethanol gas we have to put in it!! To get decent gas mileage we have to put in an additive by Lucas every time we fill up! Thats a pain. I would think about it before buying. Another problem is that the interior has MANY blind spots. You have to be extra careful to look more than normal to make sure you see properly. (Esp. for someone short in height.) It sits comfortably and the power driver seat works well. The round air vents are nicer than the standard louver ones. There are ample cup holders compared to many more expensive cars.

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  Solid First Vehicle - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By ncergnul - May 8 - 11:05 am

  This car is a beast! I got this from my father 5 years ago. It has 170,000 miles and I have only had minor problems with it. They are known to leak oil but it wasnt too expensive of a fix. About 4 years ago I rolled my Blazer and had a lot of cosmetic damage as well as a few minor engine problems that we my own fault. It has ran perfectly since though. Great first car!

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  After two years with Cruze LTZ - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By tat1739 - May 8 - 10:51 am

  To follow up with my initial review of the Cruz and my experience, I submit this information. I have been in my car for over 2 years (original owner). Gas mileage is inconsistent - tends to be near the lower end of manufacture claims. Expect 25 in city/32 highway. Advertised 40 is possible, if alone, on cruise, no cargo, and going speed limit. Problems: at 28K miles, I am dealing with a leaky transmission, leaky water pump and radiator. I now have doubts over the quality & reliability. My experience with car ownership has always been: once you start putting money into the car, you keep putting money in the car. Is this going to be my destiny??

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  love turned to dislike - 2004 Chevrolet S-10
  By dakitn - May 7 - 1:07 pm

  I agree with the other posting, love the truck, but it is a money pit. Had to put in another rear end at 70,000 miles, and know another guy also did. the road noise is terrible, wheel bearing bad, new radiator, gas tank broke between the nozzle and tank, fuel pump gone, just to name a few. I have had the truck from 13,000 miles. have had other s10s in past and no problems at the rate of this one.

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  Excellent car - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By bloodytrenches - May 4 - 4:55 pm

  I bought my 07 cobalt LS auto-trans in 09 with 40K miles as a bank repo. Today it has 105K. Ive never had to have major work done. The most expensive repairs have been the front wheel bearings 200-300. The passenger one went out a couple years ago and just now the drivers side is going. Ive had quite a few wheel alignments but not in the past 2 years since took it back to the machanic since it was still out of alignment. The tires still dont wear evenly, but I am rough on cars and the roads I drive on are terrible. When it rains or snows I slide easily at the stop sign, but no issues on the road as long as I dont speed. Oh I forgot, something went wrong with my radio after a car hit me

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  Very good - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mrsteady1 - May 1 - 12:03 pm

  Very reliable, practical vehicle. No fancy BS. This will get the job done. My commute is throught heavy traffic and the car is super reliable, gas mileage is good , not great. I ideally need more room, but due to a rough commute, this was the best choice. I have had many Chevys over the years and they have all gone over 200k with regular maintenance.

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  A great car - 2013 Chevrolet Impala
  By polar8 - April 29 - 8:31 pm

  This car is a great car. This first review posted before me shouldnt be advised to read. This car is a joy ride. I have not been in a smoother ride. It is a very comfortable car. It is very spacious. Every one ive had in the car wanted to fall right asleep in the seat. It doesnt get the best gas mileage but for a sedan with some speed its perfect. Some one who is losing speed on turns should probably turn off the traction control and remember a impala is not for turning on a dime. I like this car and it runs great. I would recommend this car for a great american made sedan and will tell you if your looking at this car, get it, its great

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  Volt problem - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By wligon - April 28 - 5:58 pm

  My wife drove our Volt to a friends house. When she parked and turned off the car, she realized that she had parked someone in She quickly pushed the power button and shifted to reverse. Nothing happened! The power button was lit on the console but there was no power. Pushing the power button again gave the message: "initializing--wait to shift" This continued for about an hour until the car sensed the battery was running down and shut itself off . After the shutdown, it restarted and operated normally but for an hour it was dead! Chevy told us they had never seen this. We conclude you absolutely must wait for everything to come up before shifting! Software needs a fix.

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  06 Trailblazer - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By scribe77 - April 26 - 8:30 pm

  This is my second Trailblazer. First one was 2003. Kept the 2003 for about 4 years and 90,000+ miles. I bought the 2006 in 2009 with about 30,000 miles on it. It now has 115,000 miles. Love its power and appearance. Gas mileage is acceptable with about 15-17 city and 20 -22 on the highway. Only problems with it other than maintenance was the fuel sensor, which I had to replace and belt tensioner ($20.00). I have replaced the brakes twice. Tires replaced once. Used it to pull 4,000 lb trailer for a while. It did it, but it wasnt happy. With a 3,000 lb trailer it drives much better, but hwy mileage sank to about 13-14 mpg. When this one wears out I will look for another one.

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  Enjoying the first 1000 miles - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By gwtx - April 26 - 4:08 pm

  Ive had the car for a month and put on about 1,000 miles. Ive yet to put gas in the car, so from the EV perspective it works exactly as advertised. I bought it with all the bells and whistles. The interior isnt bad. Its a bit cramped and there isnt a lot of space in the back seat. The lack of electric seat adjustments is a major negative. My wife literally has to get out of the car to adjust the seat. We trade back and forth driving the car, so were constantly pumping the lever to raise or lower the seat. Its very inconvenient. The other complaint is that the voice recognition and navigation system is a complete train wreck. Simple instructions like "Drive Home" or "Destination Home" are impossible. If you dont know the exact… command name in the list, the voice recognition is completely useless. I dont understand why I can tell my phone to "drive to bass hall" and it gives me directions to the door, but the Chevy nav system completely freaks out. Then, when it tries to send you to something ridiculous, like Baskeall, TX, (I dont think such a place exists), canceling the instructions takes several minutes. You have to wait for it to calculate the results and then talk your way through several menus before you can tell it delete the waypoint. Then it asks you which waypoint to delete (of the one available). Chevy could fix this with a software download. Lets hope they do. On the plus side, the car drives very well. It doesnt have power in the traditional sense, but it really takes off. Its very smooth, nimble handling, and--of course--extremely quiet. Im glad I bought the car and will consider the ELR when it comes out. In the meantime, though, Chevy needs to do some work on the voice commands and nav system.