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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  Horrible car - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By K Daniels - October 15 - 8:33 pm

  Purchased new Z71 with all the options. Truck now has 86000 miles on it and is falling apart. Transfer case and front differential gone, speedometer, heater fan, windshield wipers, mirror defrost, seat heater, fuel pump, U-joints, turn signals all not working. Truck needs over 5K of repairs. These are all items that should never go out, especially on a low mileage car. This is my 4th chevy truck. All others have gone 150+ miles without issues. GM is not building a product that will last and will not stand behind their product. I will not buy another GM product again.

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  Hoping for the Best - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By $4,300 for 2009 Aveo - October 15 - 7:18 pm

  I purchased my Aveo as part of the Cash for Clunkers program after all rebates my price $4,300. Did not need car as had purchased 2008 Civic Hybrid prior year. I have enjoyed the car and believe it is good for my teenagers to experience the manual door locks and manual windows. It has a comfortable riding position and I like the interior. I recently changed my oil and was surprised with canister oil filter and torx socket for drain plug.

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  Great fun car - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Chevy27 - October 15 - 6:45 pm

  I hated the dealership I got this car from so for all my service I go to a different dealership, but outside of the dealership the car is great. I get 27mpg city driving, the get up and go is a little slow but its just a 4 cylinder so thats okay she handles turns great and handles the occasional long drive out of state. Great first car for me. Body lines are clean and the size and shape are ideal for Jersey driving and parking. Love it, and would recommend this car!

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  I LOVE this car!!!!! - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By PattyE - October 15 - 6:18 pm

  We bought our Chevy used with a little over 18K miles. I fell in love with it when I saw it on the Web and even more so once I took it for a test drive. Weve had a problem with the Power Steering and had to have the Steering Column replaced (under Warranty) but not even that makes me sorry for choosing this car. My husband is 63" and my son if 61". Both of them have plenty of leg room. The color is great, Pewter Gray with Gold iridescent. This is a sleek looking and driving machine. Good going Chevy.

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  Unhappy - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Susie - October 15 - 9:04 am

  We bought our 2007 Equinox brand new, noticed a smell and inside windows kept fogging up this summer. Found that our carpet in the back was completely soaked with water. By the time we found the issue, our carpets had a black mold on them. I have a small child who is a severe asthmatic and I feel this is a safety issue. Our Equinox is currently back at the dealership for recurrent leaks. So far the dealership cant figure out the source of the leak, so AGAIN I am in limbo, renting a car, hopefully it wont take 6 weeks, like the first time.

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  5000 mile review - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Upstate NY - October 15 - 8:09 am

  Weve had the Traverse about 5 months now and 5000 miles. No problems to date (hasnt been back to the dealer) and both my wife and I really like the car. I see a lot of posts about poor mileage but we have consistently got 20 to 22 mpg in mixed suburban driving which in my estimation is great for such a large car. My only regret is that I did not buy an LT2 or LTZ package to get some of he features like backup camera, power folding mirrors, temperature controlled climate controls, and upgraded radio. People who ride in the car are surprized how quiet it is especially the engine (hard to tell its running). I dont think Chevy has gotten the credit it deserves for this engine.

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  M5 at half the cost - 2017 Chevrolet SS
  By Paul Lavelle - October 15 - 4:41 am

  This car pushes all the proper sport sedan buttons. It has the power to satisfy all but the crazies out there. Sophisticated adjustable suspension, exhaust function, steering feel and throttle mapping let you go from quiet sedate street driving to all out controlled sideways power induced oversteer with a turn of the control knob from the tour mode to the performance mode. Huge highly visible red caliper Brembo brakes to haul you down from very illegal velocities immediately identify this car as something special. Aside from the Brembos, there is very little else drawing attention to the true potential bottled up inside. You need only to "rub the lamp" to unleash the Mr. Hyde disposition. It can comfortably carry 4 or 5 adults. The manual transmission puts it in rare company for 4 door, V8 powered sedans. And, it is a very crisp and solid transmission with clean engagement and no discernible slop in the shifter. The clutch performs equally well while giving you confidence that it is up to the potential provided by the 6.2 liter Chevy LS3 V8 churning out 415 HP and 415 lb.ft. If you aspire to a full size, 4 door sport sedan with superb power and an unequalled fun factor, this is the car for you. I now have 2,700 miles on mine and these miles have provided me validation of my purchase every time I fire up its V8 and slide it in to 1st gear. I just love the car. I just sold my 2007 Audi S4 V8 manual transmission auto and replaced it with this SS. No regrets.

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  Not too bad - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Yosef Spinoza - October 14 - 10:40 pm

  When driving my Traverse LTZ from home to the baseball field, low milage, slow acceleration, slow downshift, poor rear window visibility are very disappointing BUT when the 6 passenger seats are full with my kids, their friends and their sport gadgets, the cargo area is loaded with their NY Yankees jackets, coolers, one bike, bats, gloves and balls and cup holders are all booked then I realize that I did not make a mistake. Driving back home turns into a joyful experience. I appreciate the stability, smooth and comfortable ride, nice interior design, amenities the vehicle has to offer, room and the feeling of driving a safe vehicle for my family (and their friends).

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  1995 Astro AWD LT - 1995 Chevrolet Astro
  By Nate - October 14 - 10:08 pm

  Bought the Luxury Touring addition with all the extras and have been very glad we did. The astro appealed to us because it offered better cargo space, better payload, and had better ground clearance. Most minivans just cant do what an astro can. We have had great luck 185,000 miles and only an alternator and window motor. and brakes and tires of course. The all wheel drive works great in all conditions. The one thing you have to watch for with these is the dutch doors. We have also bought a 97 and they both sucked water under the carpet via the plastic thresh hold. But the only way you know is by reaching under the carpet because theres a rubber backing keeping the water from coming through.

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  97 30th anniversary 2d coupe. - 1997 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Big Country - October 14 - 9:31 pm

  This car is amazing. The 3.8 combined with the 5spd tranny is awesome. I had a lot of doubts b4 I bought the car about the power but let me tell you, that v6 will put you back in the chair. Im very satisfied. Definitely a great buy.