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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  A great compact car! - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By NYdriver - December 6 - 8:29 am

  This is a compact car, so all comparisons should be made with respect to other cars in this class. Ive owned it for just over a year now, so I had some time to evaluate it properly. Overall it is a great value for the money my comparisons (test driving also) included Civic, Corolla and Elantra. The engineering is clearly superior, as is the interior design. The 1.4 l turbo engine has adequate power for all situations. You wont win a lot of races, but you wont be put to shame either. The transmission shifts smoothly when accelerating, and the wet clutch (not torque converter) engages firmly throughout. You dont need to race the engine, just keep it at 1800-2200 rpm and let the surprising torque pull the car forward. Occasional 2-lane passing is quick, Ive never needed more than 3000 rpm. In slow traffic, between 15-30 mph though, the software has difficulty making up its mind which gear it would like to be in, so being gentle on the gas helps with not jerking the occupants around. Overall fuel economy so far has been 33.6 mpg, with a lot of slow, city driving. On highway trips with an 80/20 mix (20% city driving) I got 38.2 mpg combined. Going with the flow, not at a snails pace. Not bad! Using ethanol free gas helps by about 8%, which is worth only on long trips, when range has often indicated just over 600 miles on a full tank. The interior design is superb for the class, with controls well harmonized. Two long legged adults fit up front with plenty of room and comfort to spare with 4 long legged adults, at least some negotiations are mandatory. This is however compensated by the unusually roomy trunk. It feels bottomless vs. other cars in its class. The ride is quiet, but on rough pavement theres noticeable road noise. It is a compact car, though, not a Buick or Caddy! It does very well handling uneven pavement, heavy snow and slick roads. Test it in an empty parking lot and youll be surprised! The cars heats up quickly on frigid days, and cools just as fast on hot and humid days. The radio, Bluetooth, USB and OnStar work beautifully, and the overall driving experience is above what one would expect from a compact car. If my experience changes with time, I will update this report. So far, I am very pleasantly surprised and have no reason not to recommend giving the Cruze serious consideration if you are looking to buy a new compact car.

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  Awesome - 1999 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Dan arcotta - December 5 - 6:57 pm

  Drive it! Youll Love driving again!

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  Greart car - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jeff - December 5 - 7:20 am

  This is my second Impala, I had a 2011 Ls ,now a 2014 Lt Limited and I love it

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  Fun in the sun! - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Nehi - December 4 - 3:54 pm

  This car hugs the road. It performs with no problems. Ease of use, everything within reach. You just want to drive it down the road. When the top is down you can see everything.

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  quiet engine smoothes ride - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Paula Elliott - December 1 - 7:58 pm

  I think for a van this is most comfortably ride, Engine is so quite, 2 air conditioner cool in hot summer, 2 heaters to keep everyone warm in cold winter. 4 captains seats easy to get to the third row. never drove a mini van.. but I liked it. New tires and new battery 2015. Nice vehicle.

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  Best out of 50 cars - 2014 Chevrolet Equinox
  By LCT - November 30 - 8:24 pm

  I went through 4 junkers the first year I started driving in 1970 and have owned over 50 cars since. The 2014 Equinox was my first new car and I could not be more pleased. I traded in a high end 2007 GMC Envoy that I loved but got terrible gas mileage. My GMC was a powerful 4 wheel drive tank and I was worried about how the Equinox AWD would handle New Englands heavy snowfalls. The winter of 2014-2015 was one of the worst I have dealt with and the Equinox took on the snow, ice and cold without fail. I get around 25 mpg and drive the car pretty hard. For a 4 cylinder it is very quick and I have no complaints.

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  Love this car. - 2011 Chevrolet Volt
  By Mark Grabosky - November 30 - 6:04 am

  I purchased one of the first ones made. Drove it almost 5 years only using gas on road trips. Just traded it in for a new 2016, hope its as good. Best car I have ever owned.

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  Awesome Vehicle that saved my life - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By nettzspot@yahoo.com - November 28 - 9:53 pm

  Had I been driving my Pontiac I would be dead. The accident was really bad and is costing a lot to fix my trail blazer, but I would now and will always trust my Chevy SUV.

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  A Great Review for a 2014 Camaro ZL1 - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Trent C Mulkern - November 28 - 11:44 am

  What a great automobile! Except for gas mileage, it rated a five star rating. Both exterior and interior were of impeccable quality and condition.

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  Love this car! - 2015 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Steve - November 27 - 7:34 pm

  Its easy to hook up all of you wife and blue tooth, making hands free a standard thing. Great on gas, love the interior, Had other Malibus in the past that lasted and lasted. I mean like 190,000 and still humming along! Dependable, safe and beats everyone on price except the inferior brands. Would let my daughters travel in it or recommend to someones mom. I love this car~!!!