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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  Fantastic car - best Ive ever had - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By dderamus - March 3 - 9:22 am

  I just purchased a Volt great car: great performance, really fun to drive, amazing torque, very high quality build, been running it almost entirely on electricity (like many Americans, radius of my daily driving is not more than 35 miles), the gasoline engine kicks in seamlessely to extend range to 300+ miles (at approx 40 mpg), and easy to recharge at night (at a small fraction of the cost of gasoline). Im 64", 2 kids, and we fit fine. Technology integration very well done - nav, backup camera, etc. all works seamlessly (incl hard drive dvd player easy ipod/iphone connect voice recognition). Electric really does make driving fun again!

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  ** Very Reliable *** - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By chat55904 - March 2 - 12:41 pm

  I bought this car used with higher miles 160,000 miles to be exact and i bought it in another state and had it shipped to me i figured i better order a Engine & Transmission just in case so i did and when i got the car it was nice needed nothing! I now have 204,000 miles on this car with the original Engine & Transmission I love to drive and this car is One i can not down talk it does have its flaws but then again what car dont! Gas milage is not the best but for the comfort and drive ability it is worth it plus its flex fuel which is 60 cent less a gallon!

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  Cold Weather Volt Owner - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By voltman - February 27 - 9:35 am

  I live in Minnesota and have 2 months of winter driving experience with my Volt. Like other owners I can say I love the car. Fit and finish and design are stunning. The heater works fine which was a concern of mine. There are 2 heater modes. Eco consumes less battery but doesnt heat as effectively. Regular is equivalent to other cars. When it is quite cold (less than 28 F), the battery will get you 33 miles but beware the gas engine will go on for about 5 of those miles to keep the battery and cabin warm. The best youll get is about 130 mpg for those 33 miles. Above 30 F, you can expect 30 miles per charge with no use of the gas engine. In general, I have gotten 37 mpg on gas.

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  Great Car! - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By gwengee - February 26 - 8:30 pm

  I needed a new car and had great luck with a 2005 Hyundai Elantra. Originally I headed out to get a new model Elantra. Somehow I ended up on a Chevy lot and am glad I did! The Chevy Cruze is a solid car. Drives well, little road noise - feels like a higher end car. The engine has been designed to give you the best opportunity for great gas mileage. All in all this is a great car!

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  Great SUV - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By jeffersons - February 25 - 1:07 pm

  Ive owned a 94, 98, and 99 Tahoe, all of which have been exceptional vehicles. My 99 currently has 174k, looks great, sounds great, and has been very reliable. It might be slightly more expensive on gas than most vehicles, but the cheap maintenance more than makes up for it. At 140k I replaced the mechanism that opens the driver-side door. It was an easy fix and I was able to do it on my own in about 20 minutes. At 150k I had to replace the fuel pump. From what I understand this is a fairly common fix. Be sure to replace it with a GM factory fuel pump. 174k and only $800 spent on nonroutine maintenance! Looking forward to many years on the road!

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  Theres Hope For GM - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By gep10 - February 24 - 2:36 pm

  IMHO, this is the best compact car GM has ever made (been 25 years since I bought a Chevy compact). A friend (BMW 5 series owner) asked if I wanted to trade cars after he drove it. It is fun to drive, looks contemporary, has outstanding features for the price, and is averaging over 34 MPG for the first 1,400 miles of mostly city driving (47 MPG is best 50 mile average). The Eco 6M is one of the most sophisticated cars GM makes virtually every aspect of the car was optimized for (MPG) performance to make it lighter, more efficient and more aerodynamic. These changes also improve handling. My only problem with the car is that my wife wont give it back after driving it for several weeks!!

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  baddest burban in florida!! - 1993 Chevrolet Suburban
  By towman813 - February 22 - 12:44 pm

  love my 93 burban 4wd it does everything ive asked it to! from hauling my 5 kids around to hauling my boat! we loaded it down from tampa to greensborugh,nc on vacation and only burned 350.00 for gas last year at 3.45 gallon never been happier with my chevy! longest lasting most dependable truck on the road! even after the end of the world according to chevrolet commecial well, if thats the case ill be in mine,lol

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  Love this truck! - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By tahoemama - February 20 - 8:02 pm

  Fun to drive, and tows like a dream. Its great!

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  No. 2392, 9 months, 26000 miles, OK - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By talbottsolar - February 18 - 11:19 pm

  The Volt is eerily quiet. I drove for weeks with the windows down just to understand what it was doing. It accelerates like an elevator, just tire noise and a stiff push from the seat. My wife was driving us up to Lassen Lodge, nice wide winding mountain roads not much traffic, listening to "Il Volo" on the Bose sound system, and chatting away at more than a mile a minute as it turned out! She was driving in her comfort zone, and was substantially over the speed limit! Its a really nice car. Ive been in for the free oil change at Maita Chevy, and to repair a flat tire. Mileage is 55 MPG. Fuel savings is $1K. With the tax credit. and fuel savings it has cost me zero to own this Volt.

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  Only 250 mpg - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By liftaddict - February 18 - 9:25 pm

  Traded in a 2010 german turbo diesel which only got 40mg for this. Electric motor with generator is way faster and more economical. My wifes commute is just over 40 mi round trip and the elevation gain is about 750 ft. She ends up using gas the last few miles. But the performance is better than most cars we have owned. Fit and finish are excellent . The electric motor responds intantly not like the other hybrids. This is a real car with the advantage of being able to take advantage of our solar panels.