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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  I am very pleased - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Tasha - March 24 - 1:28 pm

  I purchased my 1st Tahoe almost a year ago, and I must say that I love my car. I love the way it rides, the comfort is amazing. Anytime that I have to travel I offer to drive, becuase it is fun to ride, and I feel very safe while driving it.

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  I got a lemon - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Rebelsbaby - March 24 - 1:01 pm

  I bought my Cobalt brand new with 12 miles on it. From day one it has been nothing but problems. It is in the shop 22 times in the first 30 days because the air conditioning was leaking in the floor board. I called GM and they refused to do anything about it. After that I had to have 4 gear shifts replaced and the linkage in my transmission replaced. It also had electrical issues but everytime I took iot in the dealer could not pull the code because the computer automatically reset itself when you turn off the car. I will never own another one

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  2016 Spark compared to a 2014 Spark - 2016 Chevrolet Spark
  By Happy daughter! - March 24 - 4:24 am

  My daughter and I tried out a new 2014 Chevy Spark two years ago. We thought it was OK, but needed a big makeover and a lot of refinement. This year, we drove a new 2016 Spark, what a wonderful little car. I thought because she was a new driver, she should have something that was very safe! It has a great warranty, and easy to drive around town with great gas mileage. This car has safety features not found on most $30,000 cars. Parking assist, lane departure assist, frontal crash avoidance, ten airbags, including knee airbags, back-up camera and more. Fantastic ! 2LT model with all the extras. She paid $14,000 for a new car! It was absolutely worth it. She loves the car. She is single, and there is more than enough room in the car for extra people if need be. The gas mileage cant be beat! The insurance is low too. We could tell this was a great little car, quaility, quaility all the way, compared to the 2014 Spark. With all the options she has, a bigger car would cost at least twice as much or more. She has had it a week, and wants to drive everywhere. At one time she wanted a much bigger car for safety, but they dont have all those safety features on most bigger cars. A bigger vehicle would cost almost $20,000 used, and wouldnt have all the safety features, plus it would have 30,000 miles or more. For the price, she couldnt beat buying a "NEW" car.....and not having someones used troubles!

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  Great buy for $16K - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By S. Daniel - March 23 - 11:20 pm

  Was looking to downsize from a mid- size SUV. It had the necessary cargo capacity I was looking for with some kicking style to boot. Nice ride with adequate power. Im not a nit-picky guy, so all the reviews Ive read about inconvenient power window button location and cheap seat fabric I can live with. Being a former SUV owner, if GM wants more of us to downsize to the HHR, they have to do something about storage up front. Even with the unique dashboard compartment, storage is really lacking. Even the door pockets are the smallest Ive ever seen! But obviously all the other positives outweighed this big negative, so Im still happy I bought the car.

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  I like it - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Eric K - March 23 - 2:12 pm

  Im still a new owner, but I think this is a great car. The power is great, and as a racecar driver, the handling is impressively good. Even my wife, who has no interest in cars, likes it. The interior has just had some minor upgrades and seems fine to me. The seats are comfortable and the controls come to hand nicely. Very little noise gets inside the car either. Unfortunately this also makes the cars occasional squeeks from the roof latches stand out more. I guess GM has a fix coming soon for this problem. Another niggle is the occasional nanny warnings from the computer. You cant open the doors with the engine running and itll even warn you if you leave the turn signal on too long.

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  So Far, So Good - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By DeBeez - March 23 - 10:18 am

  This is my first auto so I was looking for a fuel efficent, easy to drive car. Well, I lucked out with both. This car handles well and parks easily too. Ive had only had to replace a rim and tire but that had to do with potholes, not the car. My only issues are that braking distance needed at higher speeds is longer than I expected and when Im on the expressway and go above 60mph,the car starts to drift.

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  very good - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By uallreadyknoe - March 23 - 2:00 am

  it was a very good car it drives very smooth it was excellent really cofortabale as well i love the size of the car its more of a teen car to me thats why i like it cause im a teen myself its a great size its just a perfect little car or what not

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  a great small car - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By studmuff - March 23 - 2:00 am

  We love this car.

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  Great Car - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Big Bear - March 23 - 2:00 am

  I asked a lot of people about their Cavalier before I purchased one. I never heard anything bad. All of them happy with the car especially the longevity of it. Cars going into the three hundred thousand range. The car is rated at 26 MPG around town and I am getting 33. No freeway at all, all stop and go driving. I like everything about the car, especially the 2.2 engine and 5spd. trans.

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  The Cool Car!!! - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By matsounds - March 23 - 2:00 am

  This car is fun, fast, powerful and is just an all around great car to drive!!!!!