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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  SaigonPaulie75 - 2012 Chevrolet Malibu
  By saigonpaul75 - July 9 - 7:46 am

  I introduced to my wife 2011 Malibu(Summit white) LT1 model when it was new and she bought it and loves it..So this may 2013 I went and bought my 2012(former lease) with 14000 miles for a great price(same color) but its LT2 model and loaded with heated seats. We laugh about it. Its like driving an expensive car that we only paid $17000 each. Oh yeah! There are cars that cost $50k+ and its all about name brand and status symbol. We cant afford those and so in our own way, this is our Mercedes or Audi lol..But less fortunate people than us only wish they could own this Malibu. So we are very happy and proud to own 2 cars with the same color and park in our driveway at our cozy home lol..

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  Great family sedan - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By jtemple5 - July 5 - 8:41 pm

  We bought this car used in 2012 with around 55K miles, and have only had a few minor issues which are to be expected. The front bench seat has helped when the kids friends are over, and the trunk space fits everything we needed it to for a long vacation. Excellent in all weather, great comfort, and a great value, it even survived a fairly serious accident and was able to be completely repaired - a great solid GM car like all my others have been!

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  Reliable - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By tbguy1 - July 3 - 4:50 pm

  The only real problem in 150K miles Ive had was the fuel gage. If I compared this to all my other vehicles Ive owned, mostly Japanese, it is better, and waaaaay better than my Toyota. Reliability is my number one issue. I hate paying for and doing repairs. Chevrolet paid for half of the repair and I didnt even have to chase them down nor was the vehicle still under warranty at 75K miles. This was parts and labor coverage. But as for the vehicle I just love it. Period. Its everything I ever wanted in an SUV - my first SUV. If you buy a vehicle brand new be sure to get what you want. If its a Chevy it will last you many, many, many years so get all the goodies! and enjoy.

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  Good for the family of 5 - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By tabithaj - July 2 - 7:12 pm

  I have had mine since June, I bought it used with 33k miles on it. Its been amazing, we replaced our Chevy Equinox for the 3rd row and I have to say that I am really happy with it. No problems other than the dealer not fixing the breaks before the car was given to me like they said but I got it from AutoNation so I just took it to another dealer and they did it for free... I think they could have added a few more perks for the car, made the cup holders about an inch back from the AC plug and maybe put a few extra ones in the 2nd and third row but overall its a great car!!!!

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  Great First New Car Buying Experience! - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By lrohlfs - June 29 - 12:20 pm

  My parents worked with Andre before on the purchase of my dads camero and had a wonderful experience the first time, which is why my mom chose to go back and have Andre sell us my new Chevy Sonic. I love the car! For the price, the options that come with it are unavailable at other places. This deal just seemed to fit what we were looking for perfectly!

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  Surpassed expectations - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By mrc23 - June 26 - 5:15 pm

  Have put 6k miles on my Volt and I am very happy with the purchase. My work commute is about 20 miles a day round trip. Ive used 18.6 gallons of gas since I bought it. The Volt performs like a champion off a green light and in heavy highway traffic. Absolutely no issues getting where I need to go and moving at the pace I need to free myself of oblivious drivers. This car glides like glass, and I climb hills everyday. Shift into Sport mode and its a golf cart on steroids I routinely outrun german cars. Ive been in Audis for 10 years, and traded an A4 for the Volt.

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  Love the Cruze - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By beezer34 - June 25 - 10:48 am

  Have a Cruze LTZ with Navigation. Love the two toned interior. Had a Jetta before the Cruze and the Cruze blows it away. Better performance and nicer interior. Love it

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  Go For It - 2013 Chevrolet Camaro
  By chuckfromli - June 23 - 5:28 pm

  Just got my 2SS Convert a little over two weeks ago. Have just over 1000 miles on it. Obviously I can not speak as to reliability yet, but it seems well built and Ive had no problems. It is definitely the most fun I have ever had in a car. I did have a 1997 Trans Am convertible, and that was fun, but this is much more solid. This just feels heavier and has much less body flex. It has no body flex really. I traded in a Toyota Sienna that I had bought just over a year ago. I bought that minivan for my wife, and I realized that with no little kids left at home, we really didnt need it, and I hated driving it. So I kept the wife, got rid of the minivan. Shes good with that.

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  Super value for an economy car - 2013 Chevrolet Spark
  By okumaman - June 23 - 1:10 pm

  After looking at used car and new cars in the small car segment, I pick the Spark after the test drive. The interior room in the quality of build at this price was impressive. I have 2800 miles on my Spark and am really happy with my purchase.

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  Best Buy so far - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By nobbyclarke - June 22 - 11:13 am

  Ive had my Malibu for a couple of weeks now, Its a beautiful vehicle. I think they made a mistake with the quality and price. I am expecting a call any day now telling me I paid too little and I owe them 5 grand. And do you know, I might just pay it.