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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  2013 Eqinox is in the shop for repair every few months - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By nicolepalese - January 25 - 12:44 pm

  Purchased my Equinox June of 2013, when I brought it in for my first oil change, I already had an oil leak. Right around my second oil change I heard this horrible banging noise coming from the rear of the vehicle, the car needed a new secondary fuel pump, and sensor. Right before my 3rd oil change my check engine light came on, the car needed a new fuel rail pressure sensor. Now the car just came out of the shop this week due to a humming sound when I would turn on my ac. It turns out the car needed a whole new ac compressor. I have had nothing but problems with my new car. I have purchased 3 other brand new vehicles in the past, and never had any problems with them. Very disappointed!

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  1LE 2SS/RS Is a Civilized Beast Daily Driver - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By effirsay - January 24 - 10:46 am

  Purchased my 2014 1LE with the dual mode exhaust and Recaro seats, after looking at Mustang GTs, M3s, and 370Zs. Wanted a car that was fun to drive, comfortable, reliable, and good looking. This car was the best bang for the buck, for me, and a set of winter tires let me continue to enjoy it in the winter months. It is also one of the safest and most reliable performance cars out there. Finally, the 1LE package is fairly rare, and really improves the performance and stance of the car. Really stands out at work in a parking lot full of gray, boring Japanese and German sedans.

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  Great big family on the move vehicle - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By flfamonthegogo - January 23 - 12:08 pm

  We bought our 2001 suburban in 2003 with fairly low miles, after our 4th son was born and we realized that we were not van people. We have almost 300,000 miles on it!! We have had to get the transmission rebuilt twice, and the fuel pump replace. It leaks oil, and coolant. We live in Florida, so we just use water....nothing freezes here . :) I get regular maintenance on it, and keep the tires good. It does eat some gas, but truly it isnt as bad as it could be. We can go from Tampa-Daytona and back on a tank, with spare to run all over Daytona. And Tampa-Atlanta is just over a tank each way. It takes awhile to heat up now (on cold mornings) but its also old.

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  My first car - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By kenny61 - January 22 - 9:41 pm

  I cant praise this car enough. From the moment I got it, I was in love. It had such a great pick up, it was "peppy". There was enough space for a teen to live in it! It was my own. My car saved my life in an accident on the freeway. My car gave her life for me. The damage outside was unrepairable, while the damage inside was nonexistent. I owe my life to my Old Girl, and Ill never forget it. If youre a parent, this car will keep your safe young driver safe from unsafe drivers.

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  Extremely impressed - 2015 Chevrolet Traverse
  By vvk - January 21 - 6:35 pm

  I must say that I am extremely impressed with the 2015 Traverse LT we ended up leasing. It has a firm, well damped ride that we like, pretty good steering and drivetrain. The automatic transmission is fairly good at not driving us crazy -- all of our other cars have been manual transmission. The equipment we got was exactly what we wanted, including heated cloth seats. Interior is very well made and we love the color scheme. It is very roomy, even in the third row -- three adults across are an easy fit. The second row captains chairs allow us to have child seats and still have people get into the third row without hassle of removing child seats. Very good family car.

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  Will NEVER buy another one - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By paulson1011 - January 21 - 10:50 am

  This car was nothing but problems from day 1. I had the car for a total of 1 1/2 years before a dear ran out and wrote it off (Thank God) Its been in the shop for hail damage which isnt chevys fault. Then 2 months after getting the car I brought it in for an oil change and they said my engine seal was leaking so i brought it into the dealership and they fixed it. Not even 6 months later I was told it was leaking again. Then I drove to a store and the car was running perfect, I came out and started the car and it was fine, as soon as I put it in drive every light on the dash came on and it wouldnt move. I had it towed and the driver said that a previous thunder storm fried my computer. Wow..

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  Terrible vehicle - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By cindt - January 20 - 11:33 pm

  I bought this car for my daughter in 2007 and it was horrible. The interior was cheap plastic and paint chipped off the radio buttons making it look terrible. Initially, it had mechanical failures that the dealer wouldnt fix under warranty. I dont know why: maybe getting over on my teenage daughter. It had recalls that I tried to have fixed a few years later, but the dealer refused to fix them because they said it wasnt worth fixing (by then it was about 6 years old). I complained to Chevrolet and they wouldnt do anything either, so I guess they dont stand by their vehicles. Owning this car turned this Chevy family away from buying Chevy cars....at least for a few years.

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  I love my Spark! - 2013 Chevrolet Spark
  By steveinsac - January 20 - 4:48 pm

  I bought my 2013 Chevy Spark in the summer of 2012. And from day 1 I have been in love with it! Its so much fun to drive! And parking it is awesome! I can park where most average size cars cant. I have over 32,000 miles on it. My only minor complaint is that it doesnt have the pick up and go. So, merging into traffic can sometimes be an adventure. But, everything else, the sweet stereo system, the a/c, the entire interior, the truck space....all are perfect.

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  Love it except for---- - 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
  By wrdsr824 - January 20 - 9:57 am

  Bought our 2013 Traverse LT new, left over 13. Love everything about it but since we travel there is no way to hang clothes between the front and second seats. Clothes hooks are behind 2nd row seat and you have to choose luggage or clothes behind 2nd row. We usually put the seats down and put luggage behind the front seats since just 2 of us are traveling. Only have 11k on the car but getting ready to trade for something that works better. Probably go back to a Highlander since I have owned 2 and had great luck with both. No there are no grab handles in ours.

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  Looks good, spacious interior. Not real impressed overall. - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By scole134 - January 17 - 8:06 am

  Ive had my Traverse for less than a year & Im dying to trade it in for something else. I love the look of the Traverse, but after owning one for a while now, the disappointments keep adding up. For one, its horrible to drive in cold weather. It handles great, but the front defrost is the most useless thing ever made. The vent is like a foot wide & doesnt seem to blow outward at all. I can let the car warm up for a half hour & still have to scrape the sides of the windshield. Also, the heating system is flawed. When I change the temperature, it doesnt actually change, sometimes taking as long as 20 minutes to go from cold to hot. And now the check engine light is on because of a sensor.