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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  5 years later and still love my Tahoe - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By mjfhorsey001 - December 11 - 5:46 pm

  Got the Z71 4WD in fall 2007 and have 80k on it ...great road trip car. I regularly tow a 2 and 3 horse trailer with 3 horses and a tack room full of stuff and it pulls with ease. The only thing I have to do is use a anti sway because of the length of the trailer when going on the interstate with the big trucks blowing by. More for my peace of mind I think. The only issues I have had are - leak in the rear liftgate, right mirror power fold broke - one new set of tires..still on the initial set of brakes. Weird thing is the interior is great but the black coating on the controls flakes off on some of the buttons which obscures the little picture. Not sure what that was about.

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  Chevy Cruzes into the top tier - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By bytes220 - December 11 - 11:25 am

  My Cruze 2LT is simply the best new car Ive ever owned. I and I have owned Acuras, Hondas, Toyotas and others. For my money, the Japanese Koreans, or Germans have nothing to compete with the Cruze. The interior is that of a premium near luxury car with stellar engineering that rides and handles well, has plenty of power when you need it, is very quiet and comfortable and, last but not least, delivers incredible mpgs read(29 - 44). I truly love this car. It is everything I could possibly hope for at this price point.

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  Amazing Economic Sportscar - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By l4kmttnt - December 8 - 7:25 pm

  Outstanding experience thus far! I am an integration manager for a large company traveling 40+ wks out of the year. This has given me the opportunity to drive many, many makes and models of vehicles as I must rent a car every week for work. When my wife and I decided to purchase a new car last month -we specifically went to our local Chevy dealer in search of a Chevy Cruze as I felt it was the BEST sporty and economical car of choice. HOWEVER, we had the chance to drive a Volt and immediately fell in love with the performance, comfort, long-range savings opportunity and overall sportiness of the car. We are 100% happy thus far and look forward to many satisfying miles as we pass by the pump.

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  Will this be what most people drive in the future? - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By masterofnone2 - November 30 - 8:41 am

  What a car! They did a marvelous job. I can only compare this to the Prius I previously owned. The Volt is far more comfortable and much smoother. I have to admit I got tired of the Prius shaking when the engine shut down and hessitating when the engine started. There is no shaking or shuddering or studdering when the volt engine starts and stops. In fact you cant hardly hear the engine. The prius was a little quieter inside than the volt. There is a little wind noise in the rear of the volt. Not much difference though. After federal tax credit, the Volt costs about the same as a Buick. Great car. Im proud to do my part in reducing the amount of foreign oil we use.

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  First month in SUV - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By bigbro422 - November 29 - 11:53 am

  This is my first review and first SUV, The new Chevy Traverse is great, it is a family friendly and works for me being a disable driver. The lift gate is easy to use, cargo area great for my wheelchair. My children are growing so the adjustable seating on the second row is wonderful.

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  First And Only Car - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By eschaefer1 - November 29 - 10:47 am

  Love this car, I got it as a 16th birthday gift from my mother, it had 150k miles on it and it now has 167k miles. put new battery, serpentine belt and all new pumps, plugs, and wires in it along with new intake manifold gaskets ($400-$600) and new Moda MD9 Rims. easily maintainable except for battery removal, which is a pain to get out. only major problem in whole car is small rust spot under gas cap, couple dents on fenders and rack and pinion needs replaced ($400-$800) depending on where you go. after 12 years thats amazing to me, even after i ditched it, which didnt seem to phase it internally. 100% recommended to anyone wanting a cheap, affordable gas sipping (21-32MPG) 4 door sedan.

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  chevy knocked the cover off the ball - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By bayoubilly74 - November 25 - 11:41 pm

  Had an aging HHR that needed to be replaced. I wanted a car that got good gas mileage (drive 35 miles one way to work) but wouldnt be an embarrasment. Went into chevy to get a sonic but the cruze turned out to be a better deal. I got the base model with 6 speed manual. For the base model it has lots of equipment: power everything, keyless, on-star, satellite radio, etc. The only thing missing that I notice is cruise control. The interior is eye-catching and comfortable. Very smooth and fun to drive. 6 speed manual will get you up the road no problem. Satellite radio is the best--cant let that go. Huge trunk. Car wants to go and still has high fuel economy numbers.

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  Six month update - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By katydid1 - November 24 - 12:06 am

  I previously wrote a review on my Cruze Eco over 5 months ago after having it for two weeks. Well, its been six months now and I am still really happy with it and I am now averaging 34.5mpg between half highway and half city driving. I did drive over 500 miles each way to Ohio and it performed well and was very comfortable too. I am also very proud to own a Lordstown-made Cruze as I grew up very close to there and know that it was made well by good local UAW workers.

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  The Sonic - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By andrewhudson - November 22 - 6:37 pm

  My wife and I were looking at getting a used cobalt when we noticed online that Chevy was releasing a new vehicle (the sonic). I was a little worried at first with the track record of the aveo but went for a test drive and we noticed the quality difference right away. We fell in love with the car almost instantly and bought it a number of weeks later. This car combines smart technology with a stylish fun to drive vehicle that gets excellent gas mileage. A soon as we can we will be getting another one, and as many people say it is one of the cars from the transformer 2 movie so it gets extra cool points.

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  Great Malibu - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By rocknjim08 - November 22 - 3:23 pm

  I bought this car in the summer of 2011 with 125,000 miles on it. I drive for pizza companies and it is now at 150,000. I only had one problem with the alternator. Inside is OK, just a little small for my taste but still great value for $1400.