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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  Grape Spark Named Vylette - 2015 Chevrolet Spark
  By Vylettes owner - November 30 - 10:34 am

  I first got the 2013 standard spark in pink almost 3 years ago. When I say standard thats an understatement. The thing didnt have power locks no curse control or usb port. I love the car over all. In the past 2 weeks i upgraded to the grape spark lt and it has all the features I was missing from the pink one. it seems roomier then the 2013. The only problems I have with the 2015 is that the acceleration seems to delay when I press the gas pedel and the usb port keeps changing the settings on my Iphone and when i hit the skip/seek bottle on the stering wheel it changes the radio station that i was on before plugging my phone in. Oh and the bluetooth takes a very long time to sync with my phone. Other then that I love it!

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  Just be prepared for the keyless remote going dead - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By Dave - November 29 - 6:50 pm

  Bought my 2012 Chevy Volt with 34K miles about 6 weeks ago. As quiet as the 3 Toyota Camrys Ive owned. Great acceleration (considering Ive only owned 4-cylinder cars), and love, love, love the fact I can drive round trip to work on zero gas. LD trips out of State (Atlanta, 280 miles) I can easily get 35+mpg, or 45ish if I drive 70, and use the normal setting for all uphill / mountain, and "mountain" for all downhill/flat. My ONE complaint occurred this weekend, when my keyless remote was suddenly (and without any prior warning) not picked up by the car. Luckily there is a key entry in the driver door, but no way to start the car using that key. Was stuck 10 miles from home with nobody available to get a ride. Bought two replacement batteries, but no change. Finally sat in the car for 15 minutes tapping my remote until suddenly the car recognized the remote and would start. From now on, Ive hidden a second remote with batteries removed (plus 3 batteries) in a small bag inside the car. If this happens again (and it has) and the remote stops working, I can access the second, slap in a battery, and hopefully get this thing started. There really needs to be SOME option for starting the car using the key.

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  The only car Ive ever been afraid of... - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Tim - November 23 - 8:37 pm

  ...is this 2014 Chevy Camaro ZL1 convertible with the 6 speed manual transmission. Ive owned 2 other Camaros (1990, 2010), 2 Mustangs and even a Corvette (2000), but nothing had the performance to make me fear for my life like this ZL1. It accelerates like a rocket, handles like its on rails and stops on a dime so theres no real need to review the performance of the 6.2L supercharged engine. I mean, 580 hp and 556 lb/ft of torque speak for themselves. Were I so inclined I could cut the tires loose in almost any gear despite the traction control, however I dont make enough money to keep replacing them. Instead, Im going to focus on the technology and aesthetic aspects of the car. First, the styling is gorgeous. Heads turn wherever we go, and once folks see the ZL1 script on the hood fingers begin pointing. Yes, its difficult to see out of it when the top is up but I knew that going in. Besides, the top is rarely up. Its a summer time car and I use it as such. It gets appalling gas mileage yes I said appalling. Roughly 12-14 mpg. But I wasnt buying a Prius, nor is this my daily driver so Im ok with it. The infotainment system is decent and relatively easy to use once youve read the manual and played with it awhile, but the Boston Acoustics stereo is bad. Coming from a THX II Surround system in my Lincoln I am severely disappointed. I expected so much more. Sigh... The alcantara/leather seats and alcantara on the steering wheel/shift knob/dash are nice touches and make the interior stand out. There is plenty of room up front (65" driver here), but none in the back. None. Nada. All in all, I am thus far eminently satisfied with this car. Ive put a little over 3k summer time miles on it and Ive smiled during all of them. I wanted a sexy, fun, ridiculously fast and completely unnecessary indulgence and thats exactly what I got!

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  You Should have a V6 AWD - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Karl jensen - November 18 - 7:38 pm

  There was no option to select the V6 for review. It seems there is a big performance differences between 4 cylinder and the AWD V6. First off is the power, Shocking! Plant your foot and go to warp. Passing is a pleasure, not "I think I can, I think I can". With the V6 and AWD combination you get an upgraded suspension that gives you precise handling and very little body roll without being too stiff. Stuff not easy to find in the specs. The major complaint is the transmission. It not always as intuitive as it could be and for gods sake DO NOT use the manual shift buttons. They lag in command and once badly downshifted so let the computer do it. The so-called premium sound system is only fair. Would I buy it again? Yes, cant beat the bang for the buck.

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  Love it! - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By me - November 17 - 8:32 pm

  Although I am no expert, I have owned several different cars, so I can speak from experience if you will.. The Equinox is a smooth ride, safe, sturdy, and sexy in my opinion :-) I had a Mazda cx5 temporarily, and if felt like I was in a tin can compared to the Equinox, and it was the same price, if not more...I have gone over most of the reviews, and it sounds like most of the negative comments are from people that are never satisfied, its pretty obvious..My parents are on their second Equinox, they love it!

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  Solid traveler but lacking acceleration oomph! - 2015 Chevrolet Malibu
  By K Beyer - November 17 - 1:54 pm

  Recently had to have a rental while my 07 Camry V6 XLE was in for collision repairs. Let me say right away I never was fully satisfied with my Camrys ride. Its far too taught and the ride reminded me of a go-kart. The Camry is fast and nimble, but hard to endure on long road trips. As soon as I sat into the Malibus driver seat, I was instantly comfortable. Of course, its a 2015 and its not a sport edition, so it may be disingenuous to compare the ride comfort of the Camry vs the Malibu, but even the later 90s Camry had a better ride than the 2007 Camry. One thing my V6 Camry is good at however is acceleration. Its a loud V6 at idle, but it moves swiftly. The base engine Malibu on the other hand is too slow on acceleration, and when it does respond, it is anemic and I almost feel like I may be injuring the thing when I step on the gas. But the ride is awesome. Comfortable without feeling too plush, and not claustrophobic like some other newer model cars. Visibility is not great, but no worse than the Camrys. What ever happened to large side and rear mirrors of yesteryear? The materials are much better than my Camry or any Chevy I had been in recently. Overall, if it holds reliable, this would be a solid choice if the base engine was quicker. If you can afford a step-up in engine level (turbo or a v6), it may just be perfect.

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  Happy after almost 3 years and 20k miles - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Vicki - November 16 - 8:51 pm

  Have been happy overall with my leased 2013 Equinox LTZ. Gas mileage in city (LA stop & go? traffic) consistently 20 mpg freeway high 20s...low 30s in ECO mode. Only issue thus far has been occasional hiccups in radio/nav system (occasionally doesnt turn on with car often starts in radio mode rather than usb/iPod where it was when turned off). In terms of design, really like sliding back seat...lots of rear seat leg room when not hauling cargo. Cargo space is a bit narrow, but has been adequate for my needs. Rear seats fold flat (as long as headrests retracted), creating good space when needed. Not thrilled with plastic door panels...very cheap looking. Absolutely HATED front collision sensor, and turned both it and the lane indicator OFF shortly after purchase...front collision sensor would apply brakes when accelerating to pass, and also on "twisty road"...apparently it thought I was headed for the cars parked on the opposite side of the street so applied brakes...very irritating and potentially dangerous. Fit and finish have been great. Absolutely no repairs required outside of routine oil changes/tire rotations. Tires and brakes still ok at 20k miles.

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  Positive volt - 2015 Chevrolet Volt
  By john - November 14 - 11:01 am

  Great comfortable, functional, and fun car. Many positives. Rear seat room just above adequate. Negatives are: Climate controls are too complex. Heat is a big drain on the battery.. even being careful it cuts range by 20%. Exterior gap and fit still not up to Japanese quality.

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  Good Value - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Jack - November 13 - 11:03 pm

  2005 Avelanche used at 18K miles. 2x4 with G80 locker. Major problems: transmission went out after 95K, My Suburban had over 150K without a problem. Investigating some had earlier problems and most went out around 100K, so dont feel to bad. It has been reliable with little maintenance. Interior seem to fall apart fairly easy, buttons on dash, Cover on window pillar fell off. Light 4x4 with G80 locker did very well.

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  Fun and economical drive, but poor controls - 2015 Chevrolet Volt
  By Gabriel Teixeira - November 10 - 12:23 pm

  The car is indeed very economical, but you should mind that it uses only premium fuel, which is not so economical in money after all. It is electrifying fun to accelerate yet it does not invite you to drive fast. I would put it in sport mode and leave the traffic lights in front of everybody, but I was never compelled to go faster than the speed limits. The interior is really comfortable, but mind that it just takes 4 persons. The trunk space is reasonably big, considering it is a compact. But the controls for the audio, ventilation or navigation are really hard to use while driving. It is easy to mistype the buttons since they are capacitive and often I would touch them and there would be no response. Besides that since it has no tactile feedback, I would have to turn the attention away from road to do simple tasks.