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 solid car - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By smithns - July 17 - 9:51 am

  I purchased my 2000 Malibu in 2003 with 60k miles. The owner was a senior citizen who had made lots of road trips and meticulously kept up with maintenance and had all receipts to prove it. Ive now had my Malibu for 9 years and love it. Ive had to do most of the expected routine maintenance - brakes, rotors, tires, filters. Theres been a few pieces of non routine maintenance but overall this has been a great vehicle for me. Im now at 162k and expect to take it to 200k+. When Im done, I hope I can find a similar car - malibu from same era with meticulous records and low miles and likely non aggressive driving previous owner.

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  1 LZ turbo Love it - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By i8ahonda - July 16 - 3:24 am

  Absolutely love my sonic ordered the car march 7 showed up at the dealer april 20 and i couldnt be happier. Due to the low price i bought one loaded love the performance hankooks and the size of the trunk, also doesnt look like everything else available and this is one of the most gorgeous blues ever sprayed on a car. over 6000 miles in three months and going strong. consistently average 34-38 mpg and the car handles better the faster you go.

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  Great Vehicle - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rushfan2 - July 15 - 7:28 pm

  My wife and I bought ours about a month ago and have about 1500 miles on it. We hadnt owned an SUV before. Im 67" and the wife is 6. Plenty of room for both of us. Easy to get into and out of, which is important to me because Ive had a hip replacement. Great to drive. Very smooth acceleration, quiet ride. Getting about 24 MPG. Wife drives it to/from work, which is only about 12 miles each way, so thats not surprising. Took it on one trip to Baltimore, about 2.5 hours away, and it was great. We love it and would recommend it to anyone. I also have a 2005 Impala, and we traded in the wifes 2003 Monte Carlo, so were Chevy people anyway.

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  Better equipped and built than the competition - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By labluebabe - July 15 - 6:25 pm

  We test drove the new Mazda CX-5, Ford Escape, Nissan Rogue, Hyundai something and a few other SUVs. The top of our list was the Equinox, Escape and CX-5. The Ford and Chevy were our two favorites, but at the end of the day the Equinox was cheaper for the fully loaded version and came with a 100k mile/5yr warranty, vs the 60k on the Escape. We got the LTZ loaded with FULL LEATHER seats, not partial leather in the Titanium (beware! you can find full leather Escape Titaniums but MOST of the Titaniums are PARTIAL leather where just the middle insert is leather!). To anyone looking at new SUVs, be sure to test drive BOTH the V6 and 4 cylinder Equinox, theres a huge difference in power!

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  Solid Vehicle - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jtaft - July 14 - 9:01 pm

  I picked this car up to be my wifes everyday driver - love it, the stop/start feature is great going back and forth to work every day in bumper to bumper traffic - shes got a little over 5k miles on it so far and shes be averaging 32 mpg combined, took it on one reasonably long trip and got 39 mpg - the 2.4 ecotec was one of Wards 10 best engines - car is very quiet, zero wind noise, even at highway speeds - however, the low rolling resistance tires pronounce road noise, that being said, its still more quiet than any other vehicle in the segment

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  Great Buy - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By stompthegas - July 12 - 11:31 am

  I have owned a string of Japanese cars for the past 20 years including 2 Camrys, Corolla, Sequioa, Maxima, Infinti, Sentra, Frontier plus a few domestics, Cavalier, Corsica, Dakota RT, Durango, Contour V6, Corvette, and a Taurus. I grew up up on Pintos, Dusters, and other rust buckets. Plus I have rented 100s of car of all various makes and models. This is by far the biggest bang for the buck I have ever owned or drove. I have the base model purchased at a steep discount but the car still far exceeds my expectations. The 1.8 engine combined with the manual 5 speed is a hoot to drive. It feels quick, handles great, and is reasonably comfortable and quiet.

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  Great SUV purchase - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By newchevysuv - July 8 - 5:31 pm

  Great new suv purchase for our family of 4. After shopping around we found a beautiful Chevy Equinox at the best price at Montebello Chevrolet! Our salesperson was very professional and very knowledgeable about this vehicle. We knew we were done shopping once we arrived at Montebellow Chevrolet. We could not resist the price of this new car. I drive it to work everyday. Its easy to drive and runs so smoothly and its a great looking car. We are very happy with our purchase. This is exactly what we were looking for in a car.

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  2012 Traverse 30-Day Review - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By nurseratched - July 8 - 7:58 am

  This is my daily commuter from the mountains to the city. The Traverse is exceptionally comfortable to drive and handles the steep and curvy mountain roads with ease. Plenty of passing power and, despite some of the other complaints, I think the visibility to the side and rear is fine. Ive never been in a quieter car...little to no road or wind noise. Everything is within easy reach and the interior is cavernous! Even though there is seating for 8 I dont use the 3rd row. The rear is strictly used for cargo and comes in handy with monthly trips to Costco! I looked at several other models and decided the Traverse topped them all.

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  Why the Volt makes sense for me - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By palmbeachcpa - July 3 - 8:51 am

  I traded my 2010 Mazda 3 in for a 2012 Chevy Volt and couldnt be happier. I drive 14 miles each way to work so I can go the entire week without using gas. Had it for a month and averaging 105 mpg, and that includes two 150 mile trips to Miami. I was going to get a newer 2012 Mazda 3 but after doing some analysis, I figured that I would save $4K over five years by getting the Volt. How you may ask? Simple, I am eligible for a $7500 tax credit and I save $200/ mo on gas. So if you do the math, the Volt costs $8K more than the Mazda3 after the tax credit, but will save $12K in gas over 5 years. And that is taking into account increased electric, and an occational fill up in the Volt. Sweet!

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  Just Bought it Yester"night" - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By americanmade2 - June 29 - 9:03 am

  We got back from the dealership last night with our new Traverse... lets say its a heap of alot better than our old 06 Durango! the interior quality is fantastic. Only good things to say about this amazing ride :)