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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  Spark - 2014 Chevrolet Spark
  By msgt_sasse - March 4 - 1:23 pm

  Nice basic car no frills

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  Smell - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By ehib83 - March 4 - 10:30 am

  Everything has been great about the car, until I got the first oil change. After the oil change and my 20min drive home, there was an awful smell coming into the car from the heat vents. I thought they spilled oil on something. It went away and then came back about a week later. Took it in to have them look at it and they found nothing. Now the smell is back again and I am having them keep it over night and figure out what the smell is. It no longer is as strong, but there is a faint smell of chemical coming in, and I dont need my kids or myself smelling this when the winter is so cold.

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  Very sharp car. Compliments everywhere I go ! (: - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By jason151 - March 3 - 11:38 pm

  Im 42, married with two kids. I needed a midlife crisis fix. I test drove the 2014 Mustang GT 5.0 Challenger 5.7 Hemi and finally the Camaro 2SS 6.2 . Out of those three above mentioned choices, the Camaro impressed me by far. It doesnt have throttle lag like the Mustang. Handles surprisingly nicely around turns and doesnt float at high speeds like the Challenger. The only downfalls of my particular model is I hate the "skip shift" feature making you shift from 1st to 4th under light throttle. The owners manual stated this is designed to improve fuel economy. I have found that revving the engine above 2,000 rpms will allow you to shift normally. A true adrenaline rush, a blast to drive!

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  Love My New Malibu 2T - 2014 Chevrolet Malibu
  By reginanita - March 3 - 9:46 pm

  Never thought I would enjoy a small car after driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 but I love it. I am still getting used to the shifting. We bought it mid January. Everything else is higher than me on the road but even in the Jeep there were many taller than me. It has a Driver Leather Power seat. Good rear vision along with the backup camera. Seems peppy enough but have yet to tromp on it to avoid accident. Interior is beautiful and blue lighting adds ambiance. Touch controls are easy and Screen easy to read. So many new features and I love them all. Steering is tight and responsive. For Auto/Stop everyhing has to be running in optium perfection. Warm engine, A/C and fans not too high.

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  Love my 14 Malibu - 2014 Chevrolet Malibu
  By murrietaal - March 3 - 3:00 pm

  I believe the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ is a great car for the price. The features are what you expect to find on a car costing twice what I paid. Shortly after my purchase I took the car on a "shakedown cruise" to Laughlin, Nevada, about a 300 mile drive each way from my home. The car performed flawlessly and I got just short of 30 mpg for the round trip, including a 20 mile drive in stop and go traffic on the return trip.

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  Accident - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By jordan2014 - March 2 - 5:32 pm

  I absolutely love this vehicle, its an amazing gas saver. I was so so about buying this car but my wife wanted it so we obviously got it. After 6 days today being the 6th me and my 19 month old were on my way to pick up my new born and wife from the hospital, and along the way we lost control and had flipped 4 or 5 times. The only damage was the roof. The above airbags deployed and saved my sons and I lives. I very strongly recommend this vehicle to anyone for the safety, all i can say now is thank you chevy.. thank you

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  I Really Do Like This Car - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By dhpnet - March 1 - 7:08 pm

  I am 6 3" tall and 240 lbs, and this car feels roomy and comfortable to me, but the seats are too hard! The beam suspension is not as nice as independent suspension, but it handles well for a compact. Everything feels very solid and much higher quality than other compacts I have owned. One big issue for me is that when the doors are unlocked then so is the trunk and anyone on the street, or the valet, can open the trunk by just pressing a button on the lid. Also, there is no lock or latch on the gas lid. The premium pioneer stereo isnt that great. All of the sound seems to come out of the center speaker in the dash. My Bose SoundLink sounds better. Overall, I really like this car so far.

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  little problems - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By aw336 - March 1 - 2:07 am

  Ive had my sonic for almost a year. Ive had to have the radio replaced twice. People can barely hear me through the Bluetooth system (I have a Galaxy Note 3). The car idles weird now and theres a rubbing sound in the back end. This car feels very unstable on the highway and the dealer says there is nothing wrong with it. I went on vacation and someone smashed my passenger window open and the alarm DID NOT go off and GM says it will only go off if the door is opened. So far nothing major has went wrong and Im hoping it stays this way. I will be trading out as soon as I can. I would not recommend this car to anyone.

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  Wow! - 2004 Chevrolet Express
  By cooldude5 - February 27 - 9:51 am

  Ive had this van since 2006. Its been so good. I personally think its more comfortable and prettier than the fords. Cabin is a little loud. Very easy maintenance.

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  Just bought this as an extra car. - 1999 Chevrolet Prizm
  By dmd747 - February 27 - 5:39 am

  So I just purchased this car used with just a little over 96,000 miles. Gotta say great choice. Weve been having a hellish winter here -20s not uncommon followed by 6-12 inches of snow when it warms up. This car has never even hesitated. Mine is the 5 speed and I love the gas mileage. Awesome heat!!! A/C works too. Mine had the usual door handle break off, but the previous owner fixed it. I cant believe I actually enjoy driving this car. I wish the new Corolla wasnt cvt then Id buy one next year.