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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  Love ittttt! - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By chevyygirrl - July 26 - 1:45 pm

  My dad bought me my blazer a few months ago. i LOVE it. it has plenty of room. plenty of power for me. 4x4 works great, just had it down on the beach yesterday. it is the perfect vehicle for me right now. the only thing i hate about it is the gas mileage. it seems like im getting about 7 miles to a gallon..and thats for stop and go, well sorta. i live in the country so theres like 2 stop lights i go through, and most of its just straight driving. i can make it about 30-35 on a quarter of a tank.

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  Great Truck - 2012 Chevrolet Colorado
  By timemant223 - July 24 - 10:05 pm

  After owning a 1999 Chevy S10 Blazer for 13yrs this is a great truck to upgrade to. My parents gave me their 99 and I loved it but traded it in for a truck and my blazer had more kick to it but it hated it. I really like how simple the Colorado is, nothing fancy just the basic features and with Crew cab and Z71 package I got more than I ever wanted with it. Like my blazer im gonna keep it for a long time. If you are looking for a simple cheep reliable truck this would be a good one to look at. I havent yet done much with it but I can drive from base to my parents house (200miles) in about half a tank which is great!

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  An American Classic redone flawlessly! - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
  By adamlucchesi - July 24 - 2:48 am

  Just bought my very own 1LT RS last week, and I cant even describe how much I love it. The looks, ride and feel are incredible. It can really kick when you need it to, but it actually gets good mpgs, believe it or not. Where else are you going to find a 323HP V6 that looks this sexy and gets 30mpg highway [and can get up to 34!]. Its really a phenomenal sports car, has tons of character and vibe, and the appointments on the RS package are perfect. My only "complaint" would be that you have to pay the extra RS upcharge to get the really beautiful cosmetics [wheels and lights, mainly]. But its worth every penny. Go test drive one. Youll be hooked.

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  Worth Every Penny - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By 100inchhammer - July 23 - 3:32 pm

  I have 10,126 miles on my Cruze, the car has the RS package and is a 1LT. My avg fuel economy with a mix of driving is 41-43 mpg. My lowest tank yet to date is 38.5 mpg with no highway driving. My best tank ever has been 46 mpg and that was all freeway at 65 mph.

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  First 1,000 Miles in the Volt - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By mn_volt - July 23 - 3:02 pm

  After test driving pretty much every comparable hybrid, we traded in our Audi TT Roadster for the 2012 Chevy Volt. After the first 1,000 miles, we both love driving this car!! We were hesitant for a couple of reasons: the price tag was much higher than the hybrids we test drove (including the fully loaded versions of the Lexus CT200h, Prius, and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid) and, we were leary of the "technology" differences of this EV/gas car to that of the traditional hybrid. However, we are way beyond any of those potential buyer remorse feelings...this car is fun to drive, performs really well, and we didnt neccessarily give up any major creature comforts from our loaded Audi TT.

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  Glad I bought the Cruze instead of a Honda Civic - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By dmrock1 - July 19 - 6:41 pm

  After buying the Cruze Ls model and reading the reviews I thought I made a mistake by not upgrading to the Eco 1.4 turbo model.Some reviews said the Ls got nowhere near the expected mileage.I drive approx 70 mi (mainly highway) each day to work and so far I am VERY impressed with the mileage without air I am getting 38 mpg and with air a little over 35.Im 64" and alot more comfortable than if i would have bought a Civic.Understand I was driving a Dodge dakota truck everyday and spending $80 dollars a week on gas,so now you can understand my point of view.I bought the Silver met. Ice and had the windows tinted and it looks great!

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  Just plain awesome! - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By lipweb - July 19 - 5:16 pm

  I have a Subaru 2.5Premium which I bought for the awd, but the gas milage is horrible and it just doesnt have the power at low rpms. I also owned a Celica GTS that I traded for the 2012 Cruze Eco and not only is it zippy around town but I got 52 mpg on a, 1 & 1/2 trip - all highway - According to the computer. The ride is comfortable, Bluetooth technology is super easy to set-up & the seats are great on my back too. I do a lot of lifting all day and it feels just right to get in and out of this car. My wife loves it too. Infact so much so, that she took it over and Im back into my 2011 Subaru. Now if I can just convince her to let me trade for another Cruze Eco.

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  Wonderfully Perfect,Sporty,Luxury at an affordable price - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By jjj1989 - July 19 - 4:54 pm

  I bought My Cruze brand new In 2011, I drove off the lot with only 7 miles on the ODO. I now have 25750 miles on It. Happy to state that Ive never had any problems with my car. This is a wonderful car for a starter family, or for anyone who wants to own a new car at an affordable price. Its more value for the money than Toyota Corolla,Honda Civic, Its quieter, Much better then Any other car I test drove. For a first year vehicle reliability Has been above average for me. Plus It has a nice luxury look to the vehicle at a great price. Ignore the people that complain about it, their either the ones that drive like maniacs or the ones who do not keep up with the Maint.

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  High Quality Interior and Great Ride - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By roadwarrior26 - July 17 - 7:25 pm

  This is a great car. I have over 2000 miles on the car already and its averaging 33 mpg. Its a smooth car to drive and has more than adequate pick up speed when passing other cars on the road. The interior and exterior of the vehicle are very attractive and its a real pleasure to drive.

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  Excellent Performance - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By dillonk - July 17 - 1:21 pm

  The Chevy Tahoe LT 5.3L V8 is one of the best vehicles Ive ever owned! I bought it with 82,000 miles on it, and now it has 95,000 miles on it. The Tahoe can accelerate very fast for a large size vehicle. One of the reasons why I would recommend it to others. The only problem I had with it was that the clutch for the A/C and/or Heater went out. But It was a small repair, otherwise the Chevy Tahoe is the best SUV ever.