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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  A Great Truck Hamstrung by an awful tranny and Fuel management system - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By m1tanker - May 15 - 8:36 pm

  I traded my 07 Avalanche for the 14 Silverado thinking the new motor and 6 speed tranny would be a path to better fuel economy. Not so much. The tranny constantly hunts for the proper gear and the AFM system is so cludgy that the whole truck lurches when it goes in and out of V4 mode. Its been to the dealer for the recall to remap the idle which has lowered the already low city MPG from 17 to 16 (sorry performance for a standard cab). I tried installing a Diablo tuner to fix the AFM but theyre maps werent any better. They just turned off the V4 mode, which made the fuel economy even worse. Its a shame because other than the mapping and tranny I enjoy the features of the truck

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  Great older car - 1996 Chevrolet Caprice
  By retirednak - May 15 - 6:45 pm

  My 3rd Caprice. This car has 30000 miles. Just did 3000 mile road trip to Alaska with no problems. Best MPG was 26 mpg at 60-65 mph. Worst mpg was 17mpg at 8-100mph. Too Bad GM doesnt make a full size rear drive car anymore.

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  wonderful drivivg machine - 2017 Chevrolet Suburban
  By jim bunn - May 15 - 4:36 pm

  It is a big vehcile but is very easy to handle and has lots of help with camera in parking.

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  2008 HHR SS - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Lew Jump - May 15 - 3:01 pm

  We bought the SS HHR a few weeks ago and I have few complaints. The car looks and drives great - I especially like the turbo power for passing and climbing hills. The front bucket seats are made for small, slim people. Im 5 7" and if I was one inch taller, my head would touch the roof. The seat side bolsters bite into the side of my back - not too comfortable on long trips. After a 1,200 mile trip last weekend I got 25.2 mpg but the tailpipe got really carboned up and the oil got pretty dirty. Dealer says "its normal" - which I doubt. Oil was somewhat overfilled from the factory and Im hoping it just blew out, causing the tailpipe (somewhat oily) buildup - time will tell.

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  Great Car For The Money - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Jim - May 14 - 8:56 pm

  Many people make the mistake of comparing this car to a Camry, Accord or some much more expensive car. However for between 10K and 13K this is a great car. Mine gets great mileage, looks good and is easy on the wallet. I think its the greatest bargain in the US. Its a great car at a great price.

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  Not overly satisfied! - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By jay - May 14 - 4:57 pm

  My wife purchased this vehicle three years ago and is still paying it off. This car has had numerous problems from the electrical wiring (turn signals did not work due to wiring issue), Power window button/ switch has problems and has been seen by three different mechanics and the problem has still not been diagnosed. Check engine light will come on and off periodically, carpet near the passenger side door is pulling apart from the seam, exhaust has had small leaks, brakes need to be replaced constantly, not great on gas, runs poor when driving up hill. This car has 130K miles, and is still running therefore if you dont mind occassional trips to the garage, this car may last long.

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  Wonderful Car - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By volt - May 14 - 4:22 pm

  Theres no better bang for the buck. I had my C5 for two years and it lost $1000/year in depreciation. If Chevy made all their cars with the quality of this, they wouldnt be going broke. It is a sheer blast to drive, everything is precise. Steering is responsive, gas and brake are solid. The suspension is comfortable and handling is perfect. Plus, and I guess most importantly, is the fact that this cars design will never go out of style. She is sexy. On the otherhand, the cars not that practical because of the lack of room and the low clearance. Maintenance and repairs are pricey, but nothing like foreign cars. Tires are very expensive

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  Diesel issues not covered under warranty - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Joe - May 14 - 1:52 pm

  Ive had my Diesel 14 Cruze for about 10K miles. It has never come up with any messages about regen. Suddenly the turbo stopped working and a message came on that said reduced power. Its still under the bumper to bumper warranty. I took it into a dealer and they said the particulate filter is clogged and it needed to go into regen. They are telling me they couldt find anything wrong so, they are charging me $320 to put it through regen. If there wasnt a problem, why didnt it go through regen? Whats the point of a factory warranty? I averaged 40 mpg. Based on diesel fuel being 10-20% more than gas, a gas car is almost the same efficiency, with a less complicated engine. Should have bought a Civic. Better resale, similar cost to drive, and probably wouldnt have been in the shop under warranty costing me $320.

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  Quality Domestic Compact - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Scar - May 14 - 11:03 am

  This car with the XFE 2.2L engine over achieves the 36 mpg with the 5 speed manual transmission. Actually getting 40+ mpg. Comfort, features, price structure, warranty, and quality compare at or above the cars in its class. I test drove the Focus and Accent the same week I bought the Cobalt. I havent bought a GM product since 1982, and was pleasently shocked by the product I eventually bought.

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  Been OK - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By P51DMustang - May 14 - 12:50 am

  Ive had this for 6 months heard about wind noise, but except for engine noise mine has no wind noise. Overall this seems so far to be a good SUV. It goes very well in snow and ice. Stops well too.