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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  Most reliable car Ive ever had - 2005 Chevrolet Classic
  By guitfiddle07 - April 25 - 8:44 am

  I believe most of these cars were either rentals or government fleet vehicles. I believe mine was a rental. At any rate, I have 165,000 miles on it and I put about 40,000 a year on it. I put new brakes on once, wiper motor and new tires. Replaced the serpentine belt as preventative maintenance and thats about it. They are not very fun to drive and handle like a boat after the suspension ages (not something I care about), but it is a great dependable car that is cheap to maintain. I will buy one for each of my kids when they are old enough.

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  Chevy Malibu 2013 - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By stromit - April 23 - 9:46 pm

  Have had the Chevy 1LT Malibu for about a month now. Traded in a 2006 Honda Pilot with almost 100K. Hard to trade in but it eats gas like nothing. Really like the better gas mileage. Not fantastic but a big step up. We also have a 2012 Honda Accord. The Accord gets better gas mileage and is zippier and shifts gears smoother. But, the Malibu feels like a really nice luxury car. I really like it better. In fact, my 18 year old likes it much better than the Accord. More bells & whistles. Will be interesting to see the reliability in the future for both. But, I have more faith in GM now than in the past. As far as OnStar navigation which is free for 6 months, not impressed.

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  My Cruze experience - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By ctryan1 - April 22 - 6:55 pm

  I recently purchased a used Chevy Cruze. A friend had purchased one brand new a few weeks earlier and he said he loved it. Well I am feeling the same way about ours. We purchased a used 2011 2LT with leather and it is great. Rides nice, feels solid and gets great gas mileage.

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  Love this thing! - 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By majorv - April 21 - 6:18 pm

  Ive never spent more than $18k for a new car so this was a real splurge for me, but I am totally in love this my 2012 Avalanche! We raise and show rabbits and I got it to take our rabbits and equipment to the shows. It has not disappointed me. Its easy to drop the back seat and midgate and I have LOTS of room to put rabbit cages, grooming table, etc..., and the best part is that I can keep the rabbits cool or warm, as needed, because the bed cover keeps the elements out. The ride is very nice, not at all like a truck. The only thing Im on the fence about is the AFM (active fuel management) system. If I have to press on the gas there tends to be a slight lag before it accelerates.

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  2011 traverse - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By marv17 - April 21 - 11:23 am

  I have had for 8 months and put 20K miles in it. When I drive out of town for trips sometimes I have problems with the stability track light going off and it will say engine power reduced. I have to pull over and let it sit for awhile then I can drive again, but it continues to come back on, I have to pull over numerous times. Have had it looked at, which it was not under warranty for this problem, computer was reset. And yes it keeps happening. Also, second row seating is not comfortable for adults. I am a previous owner of a Dodge Durango and never had any problems. I am currently looking for a Dodge. Good luck with the Traverse. I will never own one again!

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  Safety - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By nickie3 - April 20 - 7:04 am

  I have been rear ended twice now and I have to say this is the best car so far on safety, hardly no damage on the bumper at all this last wreck I was in and I was hit hard all it did was scratch the paint, more damage was to the vehicle that hit me. So five stars on the safety/ build of this car! My cruze is the ECO model automatic not manual it wouldnt pull the correct one up.

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  Mission Accomplished !!! - 2013 Chevrolet Spark
  By iammilitaryman - April 19 - 8:43 am

  In my mind Chevrolet has accomplished the mission it set out to complete with this car. There are always compromises and the Chevrolet team seems to have balance those well with this car. First are looks inside and out -- There is no reason a car should be ugly or have non-functional design features and here the Spark is terrific-- I hear "cute" often until the person sits or rides in car and then they go on about the surprising room and features that are in the car. Second is performance, People that buy this car want good MPG and realize that it is not a sports car. The fact the it is pretty slow is "ok" because this car lives up to and surpasses MPG ratings the EPA gave it.

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  Well, done - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By jwarmuth - April 17 - 9:47 am

  This is a commuter vehicle, not a sports car, not a truck, not a travel vehicle... For what this car is designed for, the execution is near perfect. I drive less than 20 miles a day, dont live in SoCal and it does get pretty cold here in the winter. The technology is ahead of the competition. The vehicles instant torque is pretty fun off the line, it is quite, it has all sort of electronic gizmos, a appealing exterior and interior design. The vehicle is smaller, but is not a lightweight, meaning the car is pretty heavy, but if you have to pack batteries, an electic motor and an engine, this adds up. Driving in the snow could be cured with winter/snow tires

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  Cobalt 2008 - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By cobalt_08 - April 16 - 12:25 am

  Bought an 08 Lt Sedan (4a) in Sept 2011 with 58000 kms on it, like brand new, and fully equipped! Almost two years and 40000 km later Im still impressed with my Cobalt. The 2.2l engine is very quiet, yet performs flawlessly. I avg around 600km per tank, barely any road noise, sound system is good. Reliable on the highway and good performance during Canadian Winters. The interior is plain, nothing fancy. The info center is great as you can scroll though Oil Life, Gas Mileage, Outdoor temp. etc... all in all, a great car if your looking for something non-fancy but will get you from A-B.

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  Impala 08 - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By piercebmng - April 14 - 1:45 pm

  locks, heater, fresh air, design, when back windows are down forget about it. bearings, tire wear, oil consumption, spudders, probably when the cylinders cut off the oil flows out filling the converter.