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:

• 

  Malibu of Shame - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Brent Evans - July 13 - 6:02 pm

  I bought a used 2009 Malibu LS for my daughter and have had nothing but trouble. Recall after recall for some odd reason does not apply to my car and Ive spent well over $1000 to replace steering column, power steering, stability control, traction control module. The biggest joke on these cars is replacing the front headlights because you have to take off the front end to get to the headlights to replace the bulbs. I was determined to not take it to the dealer so my son and I found a YouTube Video and 1 hr later had one replaced. This is ridicules because on my Honda and Acura it takes me all of 3 minute tops!!! My stereo also quit working so I ordered one for a reasonable price on E-Bay but as you might imagine its not just a swap. No that would be way too convenient. You have to schedule an appointment with the dealer to have it programmed which is around $45 labor charge. The Malibu is a great looking car and has good styling and features BUT Chevrolet and their engineers should be embarrassed they have produced such a mechanical FAILURE!! Chevrolet should recall every Malibu manufactured from 2009-2012 and admit the created a "LEMON"!

• 

  2014 LTZ 1.4l turbo hatchback - 2014 Chevrolet Sonic
  By Garrett - July 13 - 1:27 pm

  This car has been good for me in that it is sporty, roomy, and has the power you would expect. The only issue I have is that it is so full of hard plastic even for the highest trim behind the RS, that it seems like a joke. Everything rattles and it gets to be very annoying. I have had this car for about 2 months and being this new, I am considering getting a different car. Come on Chevy, enough with the [non-permissible content removed] interior of your cars and maybe we will regain your trust as something quality that is American made!

• 

  Run as far away from these vehicles as you can! - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Carlos - July 13 - 12:55 pm

  We purchased our vehicle, 2011 LTZ 4 cylinder with navigation and rear dvd player, brand new. Now 4 years later it is on its 3rd transmission and has been at the dealership more times than I can count. The navigation unit would reset to Washington DC as a starting point whenever we tried to located an address and the clock hardly ever worked. The dealer tried doing a software reset and ended up replacing the unit when it was 1 year old. When it happened the 2nd time they said the unit was out of warranty so we had to deal with it. The fuel efficiency is a joke. GM stated this vehicle at 32 mpg and we average 21 on mixed city driving. Our warranty is almost up and were already looking to trade this in.

• 

  MY AMERICAN FERRARI.... - 2013 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Sandy Mandel - July 10 - 9:11 pm

  ...THAT JUST HAPPENS TO HAVE A KENTUCKIAN ACCENT. Actually, its more technically a bargain basement Mercedes AMG SL_, what with all the German parts in it. After putting over 30K miles on Mr. Z so far, the only thing that Id recommend to anyone who gets one is to GET RID OF THE OE GOODYEARS. I switched over to Michelin Sport Pilots and they completely transformed the car. With these tires, most all of the handling and squirrelly handling and tramming nearly completely disappeared. 90+ mph in the pouring rain is confidence inspiring with this car on the Michelins. And half the noise. This car has been extremely reliable, very inexpensive to own (except for the tire replacement) and a pure joy to drive. Ok, the interior may not be the best, but, I dont think its nearly as bad as others might say. The styling is like that of a 430 F1 from the front. And good enough to admire with a glass of (your beverage choice) in your hand as you sip and admire its great styling. Its very comfortable in ride (with the Michelins). Much like a stiffly sprung Caddy. Even the gas mileage is great. I get 380-420 miles range on a tank. And the best part of buying the 2013 is the 7 years of upgrades and updates from the 2006/7 cars. The transmission, once warmed up, shifts with the flip of the fingers (except for 6th, which requires a bit more effort). The only hiccup has been very occasionally, I might get out of the car after running then get back in and the keyless ignition might not allow the car to start. But, just push the bottom of the START rocker switch to go into ACCESS then press the top to start and it fires right up. Doesnt happen often and its pretty random. But, at least theres a work around. I did have 3 niggles during the warranty period. Sticky ECO pod switch, HOUR button stopped working on the infotainment module and a distorted trim piece on the door/window bottom. All replaced under warranty. Otherwise, no other issues. I figure 30Kmi is a pretty good shake down period and a good indication of reliability. So far, so good! Love this car! If you want a bona fide 200 mph car for well under $100K, this is your only choice. When it comes to hot rodding, in this case, the factory did it best! The only real upgrades of any value? TIRES!!!

• 

  Good Cars With a Few Issues - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Jerry in Missouri - July 10 - 4:26 pm

  Overall, I think Chevy Cobalts are good cars. The issues they have are similar to ones the Cavalier had, which are a cheap front suspension which will most likely require a few repairs, and a few safety issues, namely side crash test scores (poor without side curtain airbags). I would recommend getting a 2008-2010 Cobalt if you are concerned about the side crash test scores because they automatically came with side curtain airbags as a standard feature. Its possible that an 05-07 could have gotten them as an option, but most likely not. The Cobalt is a solid, attractive car that gets good gas mileage. Reliability is pretty good. If you do buy any year Chevy Cobalt, make sure you check that it has had the recalls taken care of, as all Cobalts were subject to a few recalls pertaining to the ignition/steering column. These cars have a smooth enjoyable ride but if you go over a raised bump you will definitely feel it, and do your best to avoid bumps as the front suspension is somewhat fragile in my opinion. I have noticed that the Cobalts have really good body integrity--usually even the 10 year old Cobalts still look good with no rust or bumpers falling off, etc. UNLIKE the Cavalier, which tend to fall apart piece by piece unless they are babied. A few random cons for the Cobalt are: Trunk is hard to open, and lid is heavy mouth of trunk is too small to take in larger items that might otherwise fit backseat is very cramped with little legroom so plan on anyone other than a child or dwarf hating it. All in all, I might consider buying another of these cars if it had the features and appearance I wanted on one.

• 

  So underpowered - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Julia - July 10 - 2:21 pm

  This car has a nice interior but it is severely underpowered. I have to floor it to accelerate on the highway all the time. I end up getting tailgated all the time because I cant get the car to go as fast as I want in an appropriate amount of time. This car also uses more gas then it advertises. I got much better mileage from my Dodge Charger honestly. Another minor thing but something that bugs the crap out of me is that the gear shift and Chevy logo on the wheel are ridiculously shiny. They constantly catch the light and blind me. Something so small but matters so much when driving. Im not kidding, it is absurdly shiny and Im blinded 25% of the time I drive. Chevy definitely needs to dull that down. Also dont change your oil when recommended because its inaccurate. Change it more frequently

• 

  2005, and only the strong survive. - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By dan klee - July 9 - 8:48 am

  My 2005 Chev uplander has 180k, still runs Great, only ever have done regular maintainence and replacement stuff(rotors,pads,tires). Terrific.

• 

  Sparky is a great little car! - 2014 Chevrolet Spark
  By Greg Acker - July 8 - 6:50 pm

  Very comfy for a small car, doesnt feel tiny on the inside. Acceleration is a little slow but cruises happily at 75+. Getting almost 40 mpg overall. I like the my link system, works with my phone and the navigation app. Id recommend getting an LT1 over the LS, I looked at both and the extra features are worth it. Im commuting 32 miles each way and Im very pleased so far. Front seats are very good for a cheap car. The back seat has a surprising amount of room but the folding seats are pretty hard. Overall a very good value for the price. You should be happy as long as you realize this isnt a Cadillac when you get it.

• 

  On the cusp of 300,000... - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Dansker1 - July 8 - 6:56 am

  ... pleasurable miles of driving:+)}}} This is my second review on this vehicle, did one in 2014.............just took in for 295,000 check up, all I can say it is amazing. Had oil gasket replaced three months ago for the first time, burns virtually no oil (most driving is highway). Has plenty of pep, but needs new shocks...........my chevy mechanics have asked me if I will sell this vehicle to them, after I am done with it! Minimal replacement of parts, had new ball joints put in a couple of months ago, and brakes, other than that, nothing has gone wrong. As said before, I would buy another in a heart beat..............with 295,000 miles on the odometer the care has a negative value (just dont tell that to the car)...........happy owner, had chevys since I was in high school..........1949 fastback pea green, and paid a whopping $50.00 for it (it ran great for two years, the tranny went) should have kept my 1958 Impala two door, paid $800 for it and today it is worth $80,000, but who knew!

• 

  greatest car - 2015 Chevrolet Trax
  By Natums - July 7 - 11:56 pm

  I have had my car for a few days but i love it. Great car for anyone