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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  Big coupe - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By phant2000 - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Lots of room inside for a sporty coupe. Back seat is more than ample for 2 full sized adults. The 200 horsepower 3.8 liter V6 provides brisk take-offs and excellent passing. It gets great mileage for a big V6. Lots of features like auto-dimming rearveiw, heated side mirrors, auxilliary 12V power outlet, dual zone heat and a/c. power everything

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  Best Car Ever - 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Genocide - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Best Car Ever

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  LS NOT RELIABE - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By FRANK DAVIS - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I really wish US auto makers would get it together. I spend too much time dropping this car off at the dealership. Transmission problems,AC problems and noises under the dash. Im going back to buying NISSANs. The car looks and handles great, but its not reliable.

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  Delivers as Promised - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Good Car - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I have been reading about this car for the past 18 months. I have owned one now for about a month and I can say it performs as promised. Quite, smooth, fun to drive, stylish, and efficient. I can get the 36+ mpg on the highway provided I drive slower than 70 mph. Anything over that and it drops quite a bit (70 mph is about 2800 RPM). At 55 - 65 (common speed on my daily commute), its closer to 39. I checked the computer against the manual way of checking mileage and its accurate. I am also quite pleased with the feel of the electronic throttle and 6 spd auto transmission. It accelerates nicely without any gear hunting.

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  No more GM - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Run while you can - November 11 - 11:45 pm

  I bought my Blazer with 32000 miles on it and have had to repair it constantly. Alternator twice, water pump 3 times, intake gaskets, axle bearings, transmission, cooling system rusted up and no amount of flushing will stop it. I have an open ground in the wiring harness and had to ground the blower motor directly to chassis ground. Vacuum lines have become brittle and shut down the windshield washers, 4wd and ac. When I tried to splice them, they crumbled in my hands. The tensioner fell off the engine and the transmission went out despite frequent fluid and filter changes. I have been loyal to GM through their diesel days and bad overdrive transmissions but I am done with them. No more GM.

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  Cant believe I chose a Chevy! - 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
  By William - November 11 - 9:04 pm

  Wife and I went to the dealership as part of due diligence to "rule out" the Traverse because it was in our price range as an available 3-Row vehicle for the family. Immediately upon beginning the test-drive, it was clear this was a game changing vehicle. Astonished, my wife and I left the dealership to go re-drive a couple SUVs we had previously considered. There was no doubt the redesigned 2018 Traverse was going to be our next vehicle. Smooth ride, unbelievably smooth transmission (smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy?) told a story of being a luxury vehicle - Even the interior materials seemed beyond the price tag of this vehicle. Fit and finish of all internal mechanisms just seemed premium. We were blown away. At the end of the day, we figured the LT Cloth version with the Driver Comfort and Convenience Package offered the best value among the various trims and we took him home. I might have opted for a vehicle with leather but as this is to be my wifes daily driver, she did not care either way. We are an average family without any buyers remorse or regrets on this vehicle purchase. Hope this review helps others out there considering the many offerings in this price range and class.

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  Four Door Corvette - 2016 Chevrolet SS
  By John McNear - November 11 - 11:12 am

  Just like the Corvette, this car offers more performance per dollar than anything else out there. For those of us that like having more than one person come along for a fun ride, this is an amazingly capable car.

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  Bang for your buck - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By sailordave - November 10 - 10:19 pm

  If buying used, youll get your moneys worth. Bought it one year old with about 30,000 miles. Smooth steady acceleration, smooth shifting transmission with no neck snapping jerk of the shift, good interior layout of controls, and a nice highway cruiser.

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  Miss my baby - 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By sailordave - November 10 - 10:12 pm

  Fit me like a glove the first day I bought it. Was impressed with the acceleration. Was getting near 100,000 miles when a truck ran a yield sign and hit me. Front truck tire was on my hood. Amazingly enough, the engine and transmission still worked. Too bad it was declared totalled. Was paid off for less than a year when it was totalled.

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  Vibrations - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By silvabrations - November 10 - 6:57 pm

  Overall I like the truck, but it certainly is not that much better than the 09, or 11 I had. Oddly enough this truck has an awful vibration at 55mph plus or sometimes 45mph if going into the wind. Oddly enough, I believe the vibration is due to the hood flexing. When driving you can see a slight flex in the hood that as best as I can tell corresponds to the vibration throughout the truck. I am curious if others have had the same issue.