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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  This car got old in a hurry. - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By gbreadman - April 29 - 10:05 am

  I bought this car new in January 2007. I liked it a lot, especially when gas was $5 a gallon in 2008 and within a week all the dealer lots were full of huge SUVs and no compacts were to be seen. Now it has 63000 miles on it and its needed some work, especially the front-end (most of which is discussed in the "improvements" section). It was a very sensible car, and still is...but if youre not a DIYing shade-tree mechanic youll be very disappointed with the early repair costs.

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  Poor investment - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By teddy21 - April 28 - 11:43 am

  As far as the ride quillity, it was a great hwy car , fit and trim great, room was also good. But when a car company developes A car company you think they would test this engine for problems, leaks, burning oil, ruff idle and so on.

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  1998 Chevrolet Z28 Camaro - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By z28you - April 27 - 11:53 pm

  I bought my 1998 Z28 in 2012, it had 120,000 miles on the clock, first impression was "I like the power!" Had to replace warped rotors/new pads/front wheel bearings/steering knuckle/tie-rods. The prior owner had taken relativity good care of her, average wear and tear for a 15 year old car @ the time. Leather seats are comfortable, even on trips/daily driver. Gas MPG very good for 2014 (considering its a V8) even 20+ hwy- 17+ city driving. One of the best Camaro Z28s GM Chevrolet has ever produced! IMO. My old Z28 was a -1986 Z28 IROC-Z- 305 T.P.I., this 1998 Z28 350 M.P.F.I would suck the windshield out of my old IROC-Z...very e-Zilly =) Find a maintained one, youll thank me.

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  Worst Car Ever !!! - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By ezt1 - April 27 - 4:46 pm

  I purchased this car 3 month ago, since then i have got back pain and also i have a terrible pain in my right leg and is worst every time a ride this junk. Seats are so hard and external padding is too high, i use a cushion but i continue in the same way, i tried to trade in to a different car but in the process i can lose more than $4000.00. Also when i turn on the air conditioning comes a chemical odor from the air vents, i have to open all windows until it disappear. I DONT RECOMMEND THIS CAR. I decided to buy this car because i have always been a GM fan, all my cars in the past were from this company except a Fusion that was terrible too.

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  Got a Lemon - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By joshmatt - April 26 - 11:09 pm

  We bought our 2002 Tahoe with 99K on it. It was super clean. Within the first 3 months we replaced the rack and pinon steering, and the front A/C condensor. One year later we replaced the back A/C condensor. Then it began to die while driving, let it cool off and it would do it again, all b4 125K. I think I got a lemon because everybody else gets 200K from them. I loved our Tahoe and I am going to buy another one, if I get burned again it will be the last one I buy, but I really dont expect that to happen.

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  Soild car - 2013 Chevrolet Impala
  By ktm300xc - April 23 - 11:01 pm

  I have had my car for a year, so far, no problems. Yes, Edmunds thinks the car is to plain, no flash or modern styling. But I personally dont need that. I just want a solid, large comfortable car for a reasonable price that is reliable. Thats all. It gets about 20 mpg around town and 30+ mpg on the freeway. Plenty of power to pass on the freeway. The car has a speed limiter on the car, its set at a maximum of 112 mph. So if you want to go faster, you will have to rechip the computer. I can carry six people, but its more comfortable with a max of four. I bought the base LS model, has every option I need. And it has more options than the base 2014 Impala for a cheaper price!

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  No complaints - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By chevyok - April 23 - 7:49 pm

  Going on 11th year since new. Fairly reliable car given normal maintenance. Beside the normal problems others have reported, such as sticky flasher, stuck A/C button, wrapped rotor, etc, I really cannot complaint too much. I did replace the water pump and thermostat, shocks all around 100K miles, the ABS sensors at 115K. Other than that, everything still works approaching 136K. My goal with this car is 250K miles, but will see when and if it can get there.

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  Good Compact SUV - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By carguy07054 - April 23 - 2:23 pm

  I have 13K miles. Good fuel economy. Best so far was 30.8MPG on a 600 mile trip driving @ 65-70MPH. Average 25.5MPG in mixed driving. Lots of room inside. Comfortable seats with good support. Good ride and suspension is well tuned.

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  Couldnt wait to get rid of it - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By alfredcelmare - April 22 - 9:20 am

  Problems (so far): Plastic rear bumper cover coming off -$350 to fix. Rear Passenger window not closing -$400. Factory Radio broken does not work -$400. A/C, Fan will not blow in some settings -$600 Power Steering Pump Seal requires replacement -$1300.

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  not bad chevy, not bad! - 2014 Chevrolet Malibu
  By mattyvp - April 18 - 1:03 pm

  i enjoy the zippy buzzy 2.5 4-cylinder, it pretty sufficient of moving the car swiftly. very nice ride for what it is, but can be floaty and too bouncy, while road noise is well controlled, rear seat space is smaller than id like but its not that big of a car. the biggest complain is the rear seats though. they are very hard and literally hurt me and my passengers, but no complaints with the front ones, theyre rather comfy. the dash and leather are nice soft materials, but some dash parts seem just glued on and put on in a rush almost. the media system is also rather hard to comprehend and can be very confusing at first but becomes easier over time also the stereo is pretty lack luster.