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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  Great vehicle with poor GM support - 2011 Chevrolet Suburban
  By John Costin - January 6 - 1:27 pm

  This is a great vehicle and was just the right size for my whole family. I bought this vehicle used and was a good deal so I jumped on it. A few months after we took possession of the vehicle, the dashboard started to crack by the passenger-side airbag and then on top of the instrument cluster. I come to find out that this a common and very documented occurrence on 07-13 full-size GM trucks and SUVs. The bad part of this is that GM will not recall this issue even though the cracks occur in the same places in all of these vehicles. They say its not a safety issue - wait until the airbag deploys and the plastic shrapnel come flying towards you or the dashboard rips apart during a crash and slices through your arms, head, etc. Even worse is that GM dealerships are being authorized to repair this with GMs consent but there is no uniform pricing. Some customers are paying $100, some pay $300, others pay $750 while others do not have to pay anything. First of all, this is not the consumers fault that these materials are defective so the customer should not have to pay anything. I have had cars and trucks from other manufacturers that were more than 5 years old and the dash and every other interior material seems to be just fine. Suffice it to say, were not buying another GM product again.

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  Awesome ride.. Lots of compliments.. - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Augie - January 5 - 10:27 pm

  This is a fantastic vehicle. Right after thanksgiving I had new tires installed. It had performance tires great for speed but not for winters in the Midwest. I have not had any problems with this SUV. I have driven it for more than 11hrs straight just gasing up and bathroom breaks. No issues at all. Transmission shifts effotlessly, no heating up. I have nothing to say about this gem. I bought it with 65k and now have 122k. Regular oil changes a must . Every month I am driving to a different state . Milwaukee to Chicago. Then Kentucky, Virginia, Buffalo, Oklahoma and back to Chicago and Milwaukee. No problem. I really dont see what issues people have . Either I was blessed with a great vehicle and know how to maintain it. Or just some people dont know how to take care and just wreck great vehicles. Or even just like to complain when given the chance..

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  Oldie but goodie - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By MacBob - January 5 - 7:03 pm

  Bought car in 2015 with only 68k original miles. Automatic, power steering/doors, and a/c. Solid 6cyl 3.1engine although is noisy at startup until warms up. Found out is normal for this motor. Comfortable car and good on gas. Smooth on highway. One problem area is the 3.1 engine lower intake manifold gasgets, they tend to wear out quickly. Had mine changed and used stronger gaskets..problem gone. Original stereo not bad, decent sound. Nice cloth interior, not fancy, but looks good. Overall, good transportation car that is dependable.

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  2012 Sonic LT - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By D. Meeks - January 5 - 10:09 am

  Bought it. Love it!

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  Test one out for yourself - 2015 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Manny - January 4 - 7:15 pm

  This was my first car right out of college. AND I LOVE THIS CAR. I had driven a 2004 malibu classic with a 2.2 engine for the past 6 years and got to say the 2.5 engine was a pretty good upgrade in performance. I would admit the start-stop tech took a while to get used to, but with the upgrades to the starter and engine gaskets you will be safe from the constant on and off feature. I use this car everyday for work and look to keep it for some time.

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  Good Value for a Commuter Car - 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Troy Crawford - January 4 - 9:58 am

  I purchased this car as a commuter vehicle and it has not disappointed. I needed to be able to squeeze 3 kids in the backseat in a pinch, but knew that 95% of the time it would me driving to or for work alone. To be clear, it is a cheap car - the interior is not fancy, it comes with very few features and it does not have the performance of the 250hp sports car. However, it does get from A to B reliably and I have had no maintenance issues and my actual mileage is around 34 mpg. To be clear, if you are attempting to impress dates or beat people of the line, it is not the car for you. If you are looking to for a cheap sedan which for a daily driver which can fit a few passengers in a pinch, you are going to be hard pressed to find a better value.

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  good performer - 2000 Chevrolet Prizm
  By David D - January 3 - 9:58 pm

  bought at automall end of 2000 it had been in a rental fleet for the year, only owner, it is an automatic transmission mostly city driving at around 28mpg but very good highway at 65mph only (you can drive 75mph) gets around 35/38 mpg never had one problem with engine or transmission never added oil once my self just had regular changes around twice a year but only drive highway for 6 hours round trip maybe twice a month or so.... have replaced radiator, both front door inner handles, both safety belts for front seats, front breaks, and the usual belts and hoses also had to replace fuel tank as the pressure release valve on the top locked shut and the tank had already started to bulge .... had to replace fuel filter assembly, filter and pump in one assembly, and therefore costly. cassette broke and replaced radio too replaced dash gauge cluster lights too all in all Ive had great luck with this car but drive very conservatively in fact my mechanic says I have excessive carbon and should burn it off by accelerating once in a while the engine light is off and only came on for the fuel tank problem and catalytic converter/carbon problem problems I have put off lost one diode in alternator, slight leak in rack-n-pinion steering, motor mounts, car feels a bit loose might be front struts/shocks etc. all in all Ive had great luck with this car but bought it one year old and babied it ...... worst feature is the interior as the headliner is falling apart seats wear thin etc.

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  05 cav - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Bob - January 2 - 3:27 pm

  Its a good reliable car!

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  Be careful unless you enjoy tow truck rides. - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Eloise Mullen - January 2 - 2:58 pm

  I am the original owner of this vehicle. Since approx. 40, 000 , it has been in the shop for days at a time, at least 5 times. Convenient that the warranty was for 36, 000 miles. I have been stranded at least 3x, believed to be fuel pump issues. Audio system replaced twice ( I listen to news radio) ,sun roof leaked and a cadre of other issues. Cant wait till it is paid off, so I can trade in. My first car was a Chevy (74) and my last Chevy will be this one. Be forewarned

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  Interior - 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Jeffrey L wisniewski - January 2 - 2:22 pm

  No Good! Material is cheap. All four inside door open/close lever covers are cheap brittle plastic and fell off or out and had to be replaced!