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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  I love this car! - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By djbsyrny - September 4 - 11:02 pm

  I was a Saturn owner since 1994. Changing brands was nerve wracking! I was nervous about buying the Equinox because of the reviews complaining about blind spots. I havent had any problems in that regard & Im enjoying the heck out of this vehicle. I dont but a lot of miles on a car so after 6 months I only have 3500 miles on the car. Gas mileage is just about as advertised - 23/29. I get about 22 around town & the best Ive gotten on the highway is 30.2. The 4 cyl has been fine, but it can be a little sluggish when accelerating. Not enough to discourage me though.

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  Fun to drive, reliable enough - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By sac98281 - August 23 - 3:41 pm

  Love this car. Affordable, good looks. Some of the best suspension for a factory vehicle. Engine and transmission are great. Handles great. NOTE: front wheels are toed out (easily adjusted) which makes for great cornering but on the highway the tires will grab any surface imperfections and go that direction. Makes the driver pay attention. Convertible top works flawlessly and the material that it is made out of is excellent. Material is like a heavy canvas with good texture and looks. Common to this model: window motors burning out because of low voltage. I installed an aftermarket window motor wiring kit.

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  Surprisingly good car - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By david331 - August 22 - 4:43 pm

  Ive been driving for a long time and have never bought a car from an American company until now. The Cruze is more solidly built than our previous Hondas and Toyotas, and I recently got 45 mpg driving from Georgia to Virginia.

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  MY 97 TAHOE LT - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By gene105 - August 21 - 2:43 am

  Had to replace engine around 85,000 miles, then around 130,000 miles had to replace head and vortec gaskets. Also had to replace radiator, shop busted old one when they replaced the gaskets. Still on original tires. Seats are fully adjustable,power windows, rear hatch style doors w/washer n blade, cruse control low mileage on mine due to the fact I drive a 18 wheeler.

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  Love This Car! - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By carlover75 - August 19 - 11:44 am

  We have had our LTZ for 3 weeks now. Being high gloss black with chrome, it is a real head turner. Has everything that most luxury cars have. Huge trunk with roomy back seats that fold down for easy pass through from trunk. We traded in our 07 Corvette and the Impala gives us the feeling of a sports car with the ride and comfort of a luxury car. Really love the back up assist and heated and cooed seats. Once we saw this model we had to have one. Looked at lots of other sedans and for under $40,000 could not find one to compare.

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  30,000 mile review - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By captdavid100 - August 15 - 6:56 am

  Car purchased December 2011. Trouble free since new. Main reason for selecting the Cruze 1LT was the availability of the six-speed manual transmission. Recently completed 2,200 mile road trip - average fuel burn 36.4 MPH (real - not computer). The car remains surprisingly tight, is very quiet, tracks well with no torque steer and a all and all a pleasure to drive. Because the engine lacks "punch" it takes a little getting used to when passing or entering a highway - pay attention and drive defensively. I look forward to driving the car every day and enjoy the Cruze much more than I would have thought. GM deserves two thumbs up for designing and delivering a quality vehicle.

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  Bought it with 1Mile on it back in 2003 - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By indiabradster - August 12 - 12:40 pm

  I take care of my cars. I can say this one has taken care of me. Comfy ride, in the 10 years that Ive owned it, minus the normal wear and tear items Ive replaced the fuel injection spider ($1000 repair). I needed to replace all the ball joints for inspection, which I did myself this weekend. Add up all the repairs at normal garage costs, $3000 in 10 years. Thats great.

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  Solid Dependable Economy Car-Love it! - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By chevysonicfan - August 11 - 12:03 pm

  I knew that purchasing The 2012 Chevy Sonic was a bit of a gamble as it was the first model year replacing the Aveo that only survived a two year run,and there werent any consumer reports. My two prior cars were the Monte Carlo and the Impala I was tired of getting fleeced at the gas pump with the 6 bangers though. In March I drove all the way from NH to FL and it was a comfortable ride. The car handles very well and has great fuel economy on the highway. It only costs me about $32 to fill up the tank, and I almost made it to PA on a single tank of gas! In retrospect I am happy I took the gamble with My Sonic LT! It is my 9th car and my 6th Chevy I have never had a problem with a Chevy

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  Love my Malibu but do not like the flimsy lip - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dave_e - August 10 - 11:38 am

  This car is fantastic in so many ways. Just after purchase we took a trip up into the Arizona white mountains and the Malibu handled the climbs with ease. My only complaints are that the car is a little jerky in shifting at lower speeds, the lip under the front bumper is very flimsy and has already fell apart, and the interior roof console where the built in garage door opener was pretty loose when we bought the car. As far as the lip, the dealer refused to cover it under warranty, but, they are replacing the roof console to secure it better. The only thing that secures the lip to the plastic lip bracket is glue. I am going to try pop rivets.

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  Great Car, Terrible A/C - 2013 Chevrolet Spark
  By focuser1 - August 7 - 6:00 pm

  Ive got the 2LT, and I really love this little car, for my purposes, it handles well, it is comfortable, and it is full featured. It is not a racing car, but it does what it needs to, it is advertised as a city car, and thats what it is. The mylink radio, fog lights, automatic trans, heated seats, full power, etc.,etc., all wrapped in a 4 dr. sedan, for just a touch over 17K, is a great deal. The deal breaker is the A/C.