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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  What Problems? - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By geoflying - December 11 - 11:18 am

  I just got my New 2013 equinox 2.4 LS. I just dont see anything to complain about in this car!. On the test drive I did notice the transmission down shifting, but so what? that is what the transmission does. I am impressed with the power for a 4 cylinder engine in this car. As for gas milage it is pretty much same as my old Geo tracker, but this car has more style, more room, more power and fun to drive. This is the best purchase I made for the price I spent, and I did look and drive few other vehicles before chooosing and buying this car.

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  Love my Sonic! - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By krystalhoffman - December 9 - 10:41 pm

  I absolutely love my Chevy Sonic Hatchback. Its extremely fun to drive, has great MPG (35-40 for me), has great handling, and is comfortable. Its an inexpensive car that has some great features like Bluetooth and such. The main problems Ive had with this car are the tires. I have had 11 flat tires in 10 months. They seem to go flat for no reason, so Im hoping its just the stock tires on it. Ive also had a few other problems with parts breaking. I drive my car pretty hard though (being a teenager in Wyoming), so its not surprising. Luckily, my warranty covered nearly everything.

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  I didnt expect a Chevy to be this good - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By virginiacarguy - December 8 - 7:17 pm

  I bought a 2013 6 cylinder AWD 2LT Equinox with leather as a winter/extra vehicle to keep miles off my more expensive cars. I didnt expect a Chevy to be this comfortable, well designed, and almost "elegant" inside. I cross shopped a 2013 Escape SEL, which is sportier but lost points in every other category. The Chevy won with roomier interior, huge backseat room, more comfortable seats, better organized dash, intuitive controls, 301 hp V-6 for the price of a Ford 4 cyl, more refined drive train, quieter ride, classier interior. The Escape had a disjointed "chaotic" non-intuitive dash and controls, uncomfortable back seat with tight leg room, narrow front seats, awkward driving position.

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  I love this car - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By minyung - December 7 - 12:58 am

  I was a Chevy Suburban guy for the last 16 years until last May when my truck of 8 years needed some major work, I decided to buy the Volt. My gas bill every month went down very substantially in the last 6 months. My average gas bill with the suburban was about $1000 a month ans so far, I have spent about $1000 in the last 6 months. I have driven 17,593 miles since 5/28/2012 of which 8280 miles was EV miles (47% of the total miles). Every day when the Volt take me for a ride, I tried to squeeze out as much miles as I could in a single charge and the most that I was able to squeeze out was 51 miles before the gas kicked in. I just love this car.

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  Great car! - 2011 Chevrolet Impala
  By chachel_02 - December 6 - 11:21 am

  I bought my 2011 Impala used in the beginning of 2012. I got the LTZ which has all the features you could want in a car. It drives great, gas mileage is good, its comfortable for long trips. While the Camaro is still my dream car I feel that the Impala is more practical and comfortable. Back seat has a lot of space for passengers as well. Great trunk space too!

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  "Nice Car" - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
  By camaro2012guy - December 5 - 5:57 pm

  I hear "Nice Car". At the gas station or store or even a neighbor walking by, they all say something. I just smile and say thanks. I drove the car from Florida to Durham NC. I filled up at South of the Boarder in South Carolina after driving from Bradenton. The fuel range was 522 miles after the fill up! Thats because I was averaging 32 miles a gallon going 76 - 79 mph. The gas from BP works better than other any other gas I have tried. Not one creek or squeak or oil leak and I have had the car for 9 months and 10,000 miles. My Camaro is black automatic 2LS. My 39 month lease payment is under $300.00. I had the gm card that was good for 2k and put 1k down. Lease the car!

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  Great Car - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By intoz24s - December 4 - 10:44 pm

  My wife wanted the Buick Enclave but thats quite a bit more so we agreed on the Malibu. Its a nice car that rides well and is quiet on the road. Ours is the LTZ with the V6 and the engine is something beautiful to listen to when accelerating. The car on the highway truely does get 30-32 MPG.

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  Nice job Chevrolet! - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By katvolt - November 24 - 10:24 am

  Just purchased the 2013 fully loaded Volt for my wife. Its a great ride with a very high feel good factor of knowing you are helping be part of the solution to foreign oil dependency. (Im a Desert Storm Vet) But even more important is that its a no compromise ride - very responsive drive train and we do not worry about being stranded without a charge. Chevrolet got it right.

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  Fun to drive and comfortable - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By evowa - November 18 - 11:51 pm

  I agree with all the other reviews about how well built and technologically advanced this car is. The volt has been a pleasure to drive and I still cant believe how comfortable it is. I was commuting in a 2006 Lexus GS 430 which gives you a sense of how well the volt drives. This is my first American built car and I have to say Chevy did a great job!

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  Totally Impressed - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By cadeleon - November 18 - 7:52 am

  Purchased over a year ago and all I can say is I have been impressed. We have over 16.0K miles. Have taken many road trips and it is quiet and comfortable. Mileage has been as advertised, though the more you go over 70MPH tends to lower MPG. Our average for the year has been 35 MPG. This calculation does not/has never matched car computer. Only issue was the recall of which the dealer took care of with no issue. I would recommend to anyone.