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:

• 

  May 2014 Road & Track 2004 best year C-5 ZO6!!! - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By porchrd - June 4 - 7:45 pm

  This is my 8th corvette and it is the best performing and handling corvette that I have ever had. Hopefully in the near future I will purchase my 9th corvette.

• 

  Dependable and solid - 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By exitseven - June 2 - 3:25 pm

  This is my second Tahoe. My first was a 1996 and had over 225000 miles on it. I have put 80000 miles on this one. It still looks and rides like it was brand new. The power door lock on the passengers side does not work which is a common complaint with this model. I hope Chevy does something about this in the form of a recall. The third row seat should be an option. I removed it the first day I owned it, however the tracks make it hard for flat objects to fit in the rear. I got it with the Z71 package. Has great towing capacity and the gas mileage is better than with my old Tahoe. The automatic door locks and other automatic features should be abandoned.

• 

  2 rebuilds under 200k - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By pgarvey - May 31 - 5:21 pm

  2007 avalance new lifters at 95k. now needs new lifters again. GMC refuses to fix problem. so now i will become a problem for them thru my attorney. oh instead of fixing engine they offered me $1000 of a new vehicle purchase. what a joke. last time i drive a GM product. back to the imports as they last and admit their shortcomings.

• 

  Has its quirks but keeps on plugging - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By pegdee - May 30 - 7:51 pm

  I bought this car used from Hertz (at 24,000 miles) in 2003, and 11 years later its at 152,000. Ive used it for lots of city driving in San Francisco (those hills and traffic are hard on a car), highway driving, and trips on rough roads in the Sierra. Engine is still going strong, and I havent had to spend much on repairs. The biggest (and scariest) problem was a fuel pump failure while I was on the road. The anti-theft system can be annoying when it wont let you start (has happened to me about 4 times over the years), but all you need to do is wait it out for 10 minutes.

• 

  Motor problems - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By wmailey - May 29 - 4:47 pm

  25000 K and cracked head replaced in the last two weeks. Whats the problem with the ABS, I havent heard anything about it. Should I be scared driving it? NOT HAPPY

• 

  Great, great choice for a small car - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By mcland - May 29 - 3:42 pm

  Have LTZ with the 1.4 Turbo. Great engine, feels strong and pulls well. Combined gas mileage so far is above 30 MPG in mostly city driving. Composed ride, car sticks to the road in turns. The car feels very solid, a pleasure to drive. Visibility is great. The media system works well, the phone operation, the media applications and the radio itself. Large screen provides a lot of information in a friendly and clear manner. Remote Link with OnStar allows you to start the engine from far, far away, all done via satellite. Tried to use the turn by turn directions via OnStar and it did work very well too, you can download your route via smartphone. Overall happy with the car.

• 

  Smiles for miles!!! - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By mzcherylz - May 29 - 3:21 pm

  I bought my 2014 2SS/RS as an early birthday gift to myself in October 2013. I was a bit hesitant at first but Ive wanted a Camaro for a very long time and figured it was time to splurge. I spotted my Camaro on the lot and drove home the first one I test drove. Of course, it was the model that had every bell and whistle imaginable....which was completely fine with me. The dual exhaust gives my Camaro an amazing growl and, truth be told, I get excited EVERY time I start my ride. I went from a 4 door, 4 cylinder Chevy Cobalt to 6.2L of pure muscle. Its been quite a change and, admittedly, its taken me awhile to get used to driving this Beast! :) But, I wouldnt change a thing!!!

• 

  need help, ac problems - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cindysue2 - May 26 - 4:38 pm

  The ac on my 2005 equinox not working right. You turn the ac on and it doesnt get cold. I had it checked and was told it needed a new ac compressor, so I had a new one put on. Still didnt fix it. We discovered the fans werent turning on to push the cold air out. I bought a pressure switch, put that on, they come on now but still not pushing cold out. Its like they are not turning fast enough. No one knows what to do with it. Im tired of spending money & it not getting fixed. Anyone have any ideas?

• 

  2004 Corvette Convertible - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By chuckdi - May 25 - 11:15 pm

  My 04 Corvette Convertible came with chrome aluminum wheels, magnetic suspension, memory seats, head up display and 18K miles on it, The C5 Corvettes are about 1 inch lower and 3 inches longer than the C6 Corvettes. Riding over speed bumps is a problem as well as parking up to concrete slabs. The C5 is lighter than the C6, because the engine is smaller (5.7 liter vs. 6.0 and 6.2 liter). The LS1 engine is more reliable than the LS2, but no match for the LS3. Got a dealership window sticker from the Corvette Museum. List price 55K.

• 

  5K miles 2 CELs and 12 days in service bay - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By hwy1volt - May 23 - 6:16 pm

  Day one, test drove the vehicle all was good paid for said vehicle, 2 miles from dealership CEL comes on, I call OnStar they report a charging cooling system not operating properly. I take it back to the dealership immediately they cant get to it until the following day. They put me in a rental I then head home. Couple days later the car is ready for pick up and I was told it was an over use of brakes. 5K miles new CEL, I call OnStar they report a charging cooling system not operating properly, I take it to a different dealer. Nine days later they replace 5123 drive motor battery coolant cooler, as per DTC P5034.