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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  Honest and to the Point - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By iamvindell - January 31 - 12:01 pm

  Bought brand new. Have it for over two months so far. Great little car. Would highly recommend it to others. Small car, yes, but, if you want more room, buy a Malibu. I bought the Eco model and it has not dissapointed in any way.

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  Cherry runs like new. easily a steal - 1999 Chevrolet Corvette
  By vestedvette - January 28 - 2:17 am

  I traded a much more expensive 2012 car to get the Vette I always wanted. Cant believe I found a 14 year old car with only 60k in mileage. Its not even broken in yet.still handles like every vette if not better than all pre - 2000s Im having a blast. Instant Classic. .. love it

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  2013 Cruze Eco Manual - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By main1462 - January 26 - 1:15 pm

  I had a Cruze LS we loved, but traded for a larger Malibu. After a year of poor Malibu mpg, we went back to a Cruze this time an Eco. LOVE this car! After a month in mostly below-freezing weather, Im averaging 36 mpg around town! On three days in the 50s, it got in the low 40s. Highway is 45-50 mpg at 65-70 mph. My fill-ups so far actually show slightly better mpg than the computer reading. The car handles great and is very quiet. The stick is smooth. I have owned GM cars for 25 years, and the Cruze is my favorite. I got this Eco for $17,300 after $3,500 in rebates (mostly from GM card incentives). A friend who rode in my car last week said, "Wow. This is a REALLY nice car!"

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  Love this car - 1994 Chevrolet Corvette
  By cooper1994 - January 26 - 11:16 am

  Just recently purchased my 94 vette with a little over a 125,000 miles and I have to say, I love this car. The performance, styling, handling, everything. Wish I would have bought one years ago/

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  Free Car - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By bluevolt - January 25 - 2:52 pm

  I just bought a volt and am actually being paid to drive it. I put zero down financed at 0%. My payments come to $5,800 a year for six years. I get paid a $9,000 tax credit (live in California). I save $2,000 a year on gas and $500 a year on tolls ($15,000 over six years). So, even if the car loses half of its value, at the end of six years I own a car worth $17,500 and my out-of-pocket expense came to only $11,000. In other words, I get to drive a car for six years and am essentially paid $6,500 to do so.

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  Best car Ive ever owned! - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
  By paigelarissa - January 25 - 2:11 pm

  I love my Camaro ! Seats are comfortable, smooth ride, quiet cabin, good radio, Gets up to speed as soon as you touch the gas! I have NO complaints what so ever about my car (:

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  BUY A 2001 THAOE!!!!!!!!!! BEST TRUCK EVER MADE!!!!!!!! - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By jbustelo - January 24 - 6:29 pm

  bought it with 175.000 miles and sold it with 245.000 miles, NEVER DO ANYTHING TO THAT TRUCK! AMAZING, ACTUALLY I DROVE IT FROM FLORIDA TO PA A BUNCH OF TIMES WITHOUT NO PROBLEM! this truck are amazing! with 245.000 miles on it, i would push the gas and that truck would still pull you into the seat! amazing, best product from chery so far! gas mileage in higway is actually really decent!

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  Love our 2013 Equinox! GREAT VALUE! - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By dnvrsdad1 - January 24 - 11:09 am

  I purchased this vehicle for my family as a family Christmas gift. We immediately have fallen in love with this vehicle. The bells and whistles it offers are hands down top of the line and other similar vehicles do not offer them as a standard feature. This car drives and feels very safe with all the safety features it has on it. Six air bags, all disc brakes, On Star, Rear backup camera. This is a very comfortable ride. The front seats fit like a glove and there is so much rear leg room and space for people to stretch on long road trips. My wife rides in the back often because she likes the overall comfort while my son and I ride up front. The My Link system is stae of the art as well. A+

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  Great Car But Has Rough Idle at Times - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By sos7 - January 23 - 5:06 pm

  I got my 2012 Chevy Equinox back in April of 2012. I love the car but at times the car has a rough idle, and is even worse with the "ECO" button on. It doesnt get the gas mileage that GM has promised.

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  Great Car - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By peen1 - January 23 - 11:21 am

  I have 111K on my 3.6L LTZ. I still like the quality interior and have been in few mid priced cars that can match the interior quality. It still runs and handles like new barring a minor squeek hear and there. The only thing that has gone wrong is that I had to replace one power door lock mechanism. Its slowly loosing oil and coolant after 111K miles, but I think I can get at least another couple years out of it before Id have to fix it. Also, the chevy key fobs are junk, and break but are pretty cheap to replace. I