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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  Very Nice Car - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By manningdp - March 19 - 10:34 am

  Bought a 2011 Malibu for the daughter. Great value with all of the rebates. Great gas milage, dependable, comfortable car for the money. Would definetley recommend.

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  2012 Chevy Impala LT - 2012 Chevrolet Impala
  By hmnijj - March 17 - 1:04 am

  This car is a great long distance traveling car just dont go up in the mountains. The car doesnt handle very well but thats were you get the smooth ride from. One thing Chevrolet definantly needs to work on is the transmission. The transmission takes a good second-second and a half to shift to the correct gear when your stepping on it. Once again, do not take this car in the mountains when theres only a two way road and you need to pass someone. You have to get used to it that the transmission will lag so you have to step on it a bit earlier. But once it gets into gear, it does pull pretty good. The car seems to be overpriced when compared to the Charger which is a better car.

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  not bad - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By sixohthree81 - March 16 - 5:09 pm

  had my Bu for about 2 years, only problem was external head gasket leak. just kept antifreeze in and drove it like that for over a year. had to send to junk yard due to my stupidity with jacking it up in the rear in the wrong spot and bent something that cause the back end to come around when you hit the breaks. didnt want to take the time to fix as I got another car I was fixing. great car tho loved everything about it!

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  Please so far - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By sheepleking - March 15 - 2:31 pm

  Bought a 2012 LTZ AWD with V6. Significant upgrade from the Honda CRV we traded so Ill temper my enthusiasm until weve had it long enough to put some decent miles on it. Overall, very pleased with the interior (leather is firm but comfortable), features are pretty straight forward and within easy reach, ride is very soft and the cabin is quiet. Especially compared to the CRV. We have two preteen girls so leg room in the back isnt an issue. If there is one complaint, its that the V6 AWD Equinox is a very thirsty creature. Were averaging about 20mpg in mixed driving, however we kind of expected that going in so its not really a complaint.

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  My colbalt - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By carm7sig - March 13 - 11:04 pm

  Fun car. But my heated seats went out at 63,000 miles? When i brake hard going down the mountain it feels like its going to fall apart in the front. my Passenger side door lock doesnt work. The chrome is peeling of the interior door latch. Should of got a Kia. If u r going to buy this car keep looking. And if you got to have it test drive the hell out of it. Cause it sounds like some are good and some are not so good. oh and my cruise control works when it wants and my RF tire sensor goes in and out. and other weird problems with my electrical.

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  Love my Uplander - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By tmccleskey - March 13 - 9:58 pm

  We have owned our Uplander for 3 years. It was a rental with 26000 miles on it. That told us that it wasnt in the shop more than it had been driven. The seats are fairly close to the seats in front of them, but the grandkids love Grandmas car. It has been really reliable, we havent had any trouble with it. It now has 50000+ miles on it. Dont like the tire sensors.

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  Fun First Car - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By mizmwise - March 12 - 8:46 pm

  I bought my Cobalt new and have put 56,000 miles on it. I love it! Im religious about servicing it and have had zero mechanical problems. I get 40 mpg highway easily. For a relatively inexpensive car it handles great and has decent power. I live where it gets cold as hell in the winter and it starts every morning, and it does alright on the snow and ice. There is pretty limited storage space, and the blindspots are pretty significant. Everything seems pretty solid still. Of course there are little rattles here and there, but nothing crazy. Everything has stayed pretty tight and sealed up. The ride on the highway is smooth and fairly quiet. Overall, I think this is an awesome car!

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  Poor gas mileage - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By darlenem - March 11 - 10:39 pm

  I bought my 2011 Equinox new on January 1st. 2011. I have approx. 13,000 miles on it. I like almost everything about the vehicle except the gas mileage. I researched SUVs for several months before deciding on this one. My main buying point was that it had to have good gas mileage. This one said it had 27/32. I am lucky to get 26, and that is on the highway driving on a flat road with nothing but myself in the car. Ive checked the mileage every time I fill it up its never gotten better than 26. I was told it would get better mileage after I had my first oil change. This is a lie on Chevys part. I wouldnt have bought the car if Id known that was the absolute best it would ever get.

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  Sonic LTZ Turbo 1.4 Hatchback - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By daveh14 - March 4 - 8:57 pm

  Just purchased a week ago. Car rides and handles great. Had a hard time finding the turbo model - bought it sight unseen as it was in-transit to the dealer. Makes driving enjoyable again (my previous car was a mini-van). Getting great fuel mileage, so far, averaging about 36 with a high of 41 (and thats doing about 70 on the highway). Comfortable seating and looking forwards to a cross-country trip this summer.

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  Good car - 1996 Chevrolet Corsica
  By bamaminchew - March 4 - 5:04 pm

  I bought my 96 Corsica last year for $450 cash. The car looks like absolute crap, but it runs great. It has 159000 miles on it and still purrs. I feel that I have already gotten my money back out of this car. The interior headlight and wiper controls on those older Chevys are not designed very well so I have had to rig them up so they will work. No complaining from me though, this car gets me from point a to point b reliably.