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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  2SS Convertible - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By hotrodss - February 18 - 10:05 pm

  Bought mine March 2011. Have 6500 miles on it. So not driving it alot. Issues, passenger seat too low and non Electric so no height adjustment. If you run my heater for awhile the fan will begin to rattle. I need to take in for repair. Rear rotor is rusting and it is the only one doing that. The car is garaged and basically new. Not sure about the necessity of ONSTAR due to Smart Phones. ONStar costs $30 a month. Seems better just to have a GPS. No spare tire or Jack/lug wrench in trunk. Just have the air pump and tire sealer. (Seems cheap for a car I spent well into the mid 50s on. A bit cumbersome removing and installing the convertible top cover. Wheels scratch easily.

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  A decent car - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By antwoine - February 17 - 11:42 am

  This is actually my second Corvette. I love the performance and the sleek lines of the exterior. The exterior, however, leave much to be desired. The hard plastic isnt so attractive. The roof also creaks and squeaks in the heat. That becomes annoying after driving on bumpy roads and long stretches. The C6 model also has a pretty badly-designed harmonic balancer. Its been a known design flaw for at least a few years now.

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  Where is the fuel economy SUV? - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By tlp1968 - February 15 - 11:35 pm

  I purchased my 2011 Equinox very mildly used in 2012. It has 20,000 miles on it and I think I see why someone traded it. The best gas mileage I have ever had with the car in eco, out of eco, with a light foot, with a lead foot is 23 mpg. My previous car was a Pontiac Montana which was getting almost identical mileage with a V6 and 3 more passenger seats. I love the body style of this car and the blue tooth, XM and backup camera but I have taken it back to the dealer twice already. Once for an air bag error and once for a check engine light. I purchased the extra warranty and boy am I glad I did. I sure would have looked at other brands had I known the gas mileage would be so bad.

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  Love It! - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By capeverde74 - February 6 - 12:12 pm

  I traded in my 2006 Jeep Laredo for a 2013 Malibu. I was skeptical in the beginning as Id never owned a Chevy and hadnt owned a sedan since my Honda Accord over 15 years ago. I was seeking something that was fuel efficient (better than my Jeep, which was horrible), that looked good, durable, and didnt hurt my pocketbook. As a teacher and single mom with two kids remaining in my budget is essential. This car does it for me. I love the look, the smooth ride, and my monthly payment. My kids love it as well! Even though Ive only had my new car for three days, I can already see that I will be saving on gas. Oh and love the automatic start button!

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  Getting my moneys worth. - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By brad1992 - February 2 - 11:59 am

  I purchased my 2008 impala LT 3.5 VVT in the cold Michigan winter of 2011 with 47000 Miles. The day after I bought it we had a 12 inch snow fall , thus making it near impossible to drive. However, at the time I was a Corrections Officer so it was imperitive that I make it to work. So I bundled up and braved the cold and, icy roads. This car was excellent on my commute. It never gave me any issues other than the traction control limiting the ammount of power I could supply to the wheels. I am proud to say I now have 80000 miles on this automobile and other than replacing the gas cap, battery and, two tires I have not had to do anything to it. I would def. purchase this car all over again.

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  performance - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rsarin - January 27 - 10:36 am

  very poor rear visibility, wish I had known!

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  Disappointed with Impala AGAIN . . . - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By drvmn - January 27 - 7:33 am

  Purchased my 09 Implala new in February 2009. At around 50,000 miles, the head gaskets started leaking (fixed under GMs 100,000 mile warranty - faulty gaskets used by GM). Had to replace a transmission cooler line, Im now on my third pair of front brake rotors, and even after a front-end allignment at the dealership, the front tires continue to wear out along the outer edge. I thought GM was better than this. Now at 66,000 miles, Check Engine light comes on due to a "gunked up" fuel injection system. Why put the fuel filter inside the tank where it cant be serviced on a regular basis??? This is my second Impala (my 05 had intake manifold gasket issues). Im done with Impalas.

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  Trans Went - 1995 Chevrolet Caprice
  By joes12 - January 26 - 6:47 pm

  Born 1995 Died 2011...not too bad considering the mileage was in the upper 100s. Biggest problem was electrical and tuneups,there were oil leaks but what killed it was actually the transmission gears went from trying to maneuver around in the snow up here. Not good in snow either btw,that wheel drive was not cut out for it.

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  Like the cruze, hate the MPG - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By easyep - January 26 - 12:05 pm

  I traded in an impala for the advertised gas mileage of the cruze, I took it on a road trip to Myrtle Beach SC and averaged 31 mpg, the impala averaged 32 on the same trip on the open road. I contacted GM a number of times and was old there was nothing that could be done, took it in to a local dealership, the computer scan was normal, tried to get GM to trade it back in for another impala, no luck on that either, during this time my wife bought a new nissan versa because she drives around 150 miles per day the versa averages 38 MPG on te open road and if you use cruise control it will average 42/43 MPG. I feel GM pulled the wool over everyones eyes with the MPG on the cruze

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  Volt is a No-Brainer over Prius - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By ntvolt - January 26 - 1:56 am

  Its like a game driving this car, to see how far I can go. I average 45-53 miles on a single charge. 3 year lease is Cheaper than a regular Prius BEFORE the $1,500 CA rebate. Volt = $329 MO vs. Prius at $299 MO. Volt is $1,080 more over 36 mos. But you get a $1,500 rebate on the volt, bringing the 3 year cost from the time you walk in the dealer till the time you turn it in to $420 less than a Prius. 36,000 miles each, Prius will use 720 gallons of gas no matter what at $4 per gal. = $2,880. If you drive less than 40 miles a day, Volt will cost you $0 in gas and about $1.50 per full charge for 40 miles. $1,350 for 36,000 miles. 3 year savings = $1,950