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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  Avalanche LTZ - 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By yakfloater - December 28 - 1:12 pm

  Purchased this truck new in December of 08. Traded in my 04 Avalanche after putting on 130,000 miles. I am very pleased with the ride comfort and new styling, interior and exterior, compared to the 04. I have used this truck for freeway commuting for work and for towing a snowmobile trailer and camping trailer. The gas mileage in commute traffic on the freeway averages 16.5, towing the 5,000lb trailer = 9.5. Now at 54,000 miles the truck uses oil, 1qt per 1000miles and there are more rattles in the dash/interior than any vehicle I,ve ever owned. I,ve been back to the dealer 3 times to have the oil consumption issue resolved but GM doesnt have any fixes that seem to work.

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  Capable of amazing gas mileage - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By floridadrive1 - December 26 - 1:27 pm

  I was looking for a car for commuting....and I like a manual transmission. I have been a bit of a hypermiler (coast in neutral when slowing for long distances - or approaching a turn). So far, in the first week of 1/2 city, 1/2 country roads, Ive achieved better than 47 mpg. You can get that easily by driving gingerly. This car is an ideal commuter.....I am just floored by how nice of a car this is....and Im blown away by the gas mileage. Again, the manual is awesome - especially if youre a commuter. I love this car.

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  are you crazy? - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By idiots1 - December 22 - 10:36 pm

  I purchased my Malibu used at 51,000 miles. The car did have a few little glitches, like the windshield wiper hub vibration(easily fixed) which was a manufacture defect. I fixed it with 2 sided tape 46,000 miles ago. No more vibration. After a few mods, like a new throttle body/ intake manifold and higher duration cams i got a regular 16 % millage increase and 42 more horses. That all cost me less than $1300. which brings the total up to $22,320. still a better value than the competition. The car handles great on the windy Adirondack mountain roads that I live on and is adequately aggressive in traffic. Although it could really do with a 6 speed, the car is still fast enough. Great Car.

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  Runs hot - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By courcollision - December 22 - 12:16 pm

  Water stays filling up tank van runs hot open radiator cap and it fills it self back up dont know why!! Dont like the way you have to vent coolant system!!

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  Wow! A great Car! - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By jeffroberge11 - December 21 - 10:10 am

  I have this car since august 2010! And since this day, Im fully satisfied of this car! The consommation is really great for a car of this size! And the trunk is incredible! I can put everything inside! Well I have only good this to say about this car!

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  Reliable, comfortable, safe - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By alisotoga11 - December 20 - 4:52 pm

  Bought this used with 40k 2 years ago for 8500. No problems, put on nice Michelin tires and it handles good. The very cheap tires on it had it squeal around corners. Drive it to San Francisco, park it anywhere, same size as a Mini, and get a solid 30+mpg. Only thing I do not like is no cruise control, for the money I would buy another. It stills runs good, and think it will a while longer.

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  Biggest piece of junk ever!! - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By gmlover777 - December 20 - 8:19 am

  We bought one in 2007, with 61,000 Km on it. It seemed good but than again we need a truck that can haul a camping trailer, and a trailer for a boat. To our cottage and home both ways is 600km so we definitely but some good kms on it. But towards 2008-2010 when it had about 70,000Km to when we sold it, it had 97,000Km. The problems were insane. The gauges for gas was never accurate, you could fill the truck to the top, and it would only read to about half full. The alternator broke 2 times of use. The steering mechanism broke the first year. There was always a weird sound in the muffler, which the dealer could never fix. The steering would make weird noises when you would turn it left.

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  Nice car. Dont but from Chevy of Irvine. - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By stayaway3 - December 20 - 4:11 am

  Superb car in every respect. The blind spots are plenty, so be careful. But this is the most bang for your buck you can get for under 40k performance-wise. Do not buy from Chevy of Irvine as they like to drive your "new" car for hundreds of miles before presenting it to you. Who knows what they do prior to you taking ownership. And even when confronted about the issue, they deny despite the odometers readings. There are honest Chevy dealers out there. Chevy of Irvine IS NOT one of them. Fair warning.

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  What was GM Thinking, finally a RWD car that works. - 1991 Chevrolet Caprice
  By drvette - December 19 - 12:17 am

  Dad bought our "91, new, traded in an excellent 82 Caprice that was great also. The vehicle NEVER gave any problems whatsoever Price was some $18k or so, still they command about $5,000 for a nice one on Autotrader, so Edmunds, get your pricing correct..

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  My first American car - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By quartz3 - December 18 - 10:09 am

  I have been driving this car as I normally would for a little over 6 months now. I have used 22 gallons to cover 6500 miles, which included routes that are 50 miles each way. Sometimes I am too busy with my life and not plugging it in as I should. So there is a reason for me to believe I could have used less fuel. This car driving dynamic is surprisingly good compared to the BMW I traded in. This car feels notability more powerful than Leaf and Prius, also feels as having more torque than Sonata hybrid. The interior is not what you would call luxury in a traditional sense however, there are lots of little interactions with the systems that will make you pleasantly surprised. And those