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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  100 mpg +++++ - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By borchone1 - March 4 - 3:04 pm

  Over 5900 miles and used 21 gallons of gas and $135 elect. ZERO problems. Handles great in snow. Heater is great. Grandkids stay warm in back at 0 degrees. Yesterday drove 54 miles and total cost elect and gas was $2.33 and it was 34 degrees outside. 34 miles in elect and 20 miles on gas. Summer gives me 45-50 miles on elect. Cost me at most 69 cents to charge per night. Special time of day rates with elect. co. Great car and only stopped at for gas 3 times in 7 mos. Fast, fun and great car. One of best cars ived owned out of 41. Great car GM and thanks to Pres. George Bush for helpping get this started.

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  Modern Muscle - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By stinger222 - March 3 - 10:11 am

  Ive had my Black 2SS for nearly 3 years now and still love driving it. I live in Western NY and must garage it during the winter, bummer! To own this car in my area you it must be as a summer car, no way I would drive it in the snow and salt. Pleanty of power when you want it, I recomend investing in a radar dector. The cool factor of driving this car makes the visibility issue dissapear after a couple short drives! Trunk space is OK, The back seat drops down and 2 sets of golf clubs fits easily. Ive owned several manuals and nearly stalled it at first but you get used it quickly. Gas mileage not bad when compared to older muscle cars.

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  Bought New over 100K miles and Going Strong! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By boeknows - March 2 - 1:34 pm

  I have owned Mercedes, BMW, Jaguars, Land Rover... Bar-none this is the most reliable vehicle ive owned. I feel like im sitting in my family room leather couch. Im 63 250lbs. and fits like a charm. GM has out done itself on its SUVs

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  Awesome Car! - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By ekrupa - March 1 - 10:00 am

  Personally, this is probably my favorite car in its class....handsomely designed inside and out, a somewhat powerful 4cyl thats excellent on fuel and of course MyLink standard on most models. Ive gotten comments from people i didnt even know how much they like the car and what it even is in the first place cause they arent common around here. Overall its great, id highly recommend it to anybody looking for a mid-size sedan. Dont listen to the media on this one..its not a toyota camry so of course theyre going to give it a bad review.

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  I never set out to buy a Chevrolet Cruze - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By southlandhb - March 1 - 4:47 am

  I did not have the intention to buy this car. However, I did have the intention of test driving and exploring a broad mix of vehicles across many makes and vehicle classes. So I drove a lot of cars from Audi to Volkswagen, because like excellent Italian food- you cant know how close or how far you are until youve tasted the good stuff! That said, the Cruze unexpectedly met my expectations offering what I felt was an excellent balance of features, driving dynamics all at a very fair price.

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  Best car Ive owned in 50 years - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By pscarpelli - February 23 - 3:37 pm

  My 2008 Z06 replaced a 2005 Z51 Corvette. Beside providing world-class performance, in 26,000 miles this car hasnt had a single issue other than changing tires and oil. Its the best car Ive ever owned. It has no rattles, no glitches, and at a steady 80 mph, it gets 32 mpg. Highly recommended.

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  2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 1.8 6 Speen Manual - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By luvmy2012cruze - February 22 - 10:51 am

  Excellent car! This car trumps the competition. I have read the reviews on this car and see a lot of complaints about it, none of which I have encountered. I just rolled over 15k in it and have not had a problem. Many of the reviews I say complain about the turbo in the 1.8 LS......if they read about the car they would know that the 1.8 LS does NOT come with a turbo. Gas mileage complaints.....depends on how you drive I average 34.6 mpg and I am not easy on the car. I drive this car extremely hard and fast, average 75-80mph on the highway, but still get 430 miles to the tank. Not as powerful as the 1Lt and up models, since it does not have a turbo, but I am very very happy with it.

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  Pleased and anticipating good things... - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By kmanderson - February 21 - 9:08 pm

  Have about 600 miles now on my new Sonic LS Hatch 5speed manual. Overall I am very pleased. Steering is light & crisp, ride is poised and quiet and the car feels solid. I have been impressed. Entry to/from the rear seats is no problem and my kids all are wanting me to take them to their events in this little car. I bought this car as my 3rd car for a runabout and for my kids to drive. I traded in a Hyundai Elantra and have found the clutch, shifter and steering to be superior to what I had in the Hyundai. ---One thing I really dislike: There is a terrible reflection in the windshield of the dash and its shiny materials...especially on sunny days. So annoying. Chevy---plz help !

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  Pleasantly Surprised - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jim0450 - February 20 - 6:37 pm

  I am extremely happy with the 2013 Equinox LTZ with the 3.6L. The style and comfort are great. Ours has all the bells and whistles on it and it is pure fun to drive. Lots of power. The power lift gate and sun roof are a real kick. The seats are powered and adjust easily and comfortably. We have the memory adjust on our Equinox and when i or my wife drive it, its so easy to push a button and the seat and mirrors adjust to our settings. The size is perfect for the two of us. Plenty of room in the back for guests and the rear seat is adjustable. Enough cargo space in the back for us for luggage or groceries and with the back seats down plenty of room for hauling all sorts of things.

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  2013 Traverse: Extremely Happy! - 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
  By keithzimmerman - February 18 - 5:27 pm

  This 2013 Traverse drives unbelievably. Interior extremely quiet, ride is tight & firm compared to my traded OVERPRICED Mercedes 320 CDI Maintenance disaster! Comfort, Quality, Look, Feel we give this truck A+