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:

• 

  2007 Atomic Orange Z06 Corvette - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By 2007 Corvette Z06 - July 21 - 3:59 pm

  This car is awesome. GM finally did it right. Several times they have come close, but never actually did it. What do I mean by they finally did it? For the first time they have not allowed a specific price point to keep the car from becoming what it should have done many times over. The greatest American muscle car that has basically no limitations. You have to spend 200K to get a car that can even come close to the all around performance of this car.

• 

  Bought a Lemon - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Lynn27 - July 21 - 9:04 am

  Weve had this car for 3 years and 3 months (37,000 miles) and have had it in for service 18 times. Though all were under warranty, it meant time off work to take the car in, sitting for a couple of hours in dealership, or finding someone willing to drive us back and forth. This is the most unreliable car weve ever had. Service included: steering column replaced, (lost power on highway and I couldnt steer), fluid leaks from axles, new routers, stablizer bar, front end problems (Chevy is working on this they said), trunk release broke, strut mounts replaced, seat broke, new muffler, hazard button fell into dashboard, gas cap recall and more.

• 

  Looks good, if you could only push it - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Christy - July 21 - 8:06 am

  I have had my Chevy for two years now and it has a whopping 23K on it. Apparently, this is the same as 200K for other cars based upon my problems with this loser vehicle! I am currently looking to get-rid of it soon before the warranty runs out. I told the dealership today, as my car was being repaired for the sixth time, that I could not afford to do all the work it need monthly. So, I am currently looking to unload it before I have to start paying big money out my pocket. Two weeks after I bought “it” the starter went out. I took a picture as it was being towed back to the dealer. Then a stylish feature is the check engine light - it stays on all the time, which will no doubt become an

• 

  Chevy Spark - 2016 Chevrolet Spark
  By Kim Peran - July 21 - 5:28 am

  Love my new car. It is pretty comfortable for such a little car. I am 511 and still have plenty of head room. There is plenty of storage space in the back and I am getting great gas mileage.

• 

  No regrets - 1999 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Starving student - July 21 - 3:08 am

  I really cant say enough about this car. It is the first car that I have owned and Im afraid it may have set the bar too high for my future vehicles. I try to keep up on the routine maintenance, but even when I dont, the car is extremely forgiving. It has given me 50000 miles of trouble free driving and all I have given back is oil, tires, brakes and a battery. This amazes me because my wife learned how to drive a 5-speed on this car, it is not garaged (it gets buried in snow every winter and withstands sub zero temperatures) and we drive it all over the western US during the summers. On a recent trip, I calculated that we averaged 44 mpg! Bottom line: this is an all around great car.

• 

  Colorado proves to be a surprising ride! - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Gil H - July 20 - 11:40 pm

  At the time that I was shopping for a light duty truck I was impressed enough with the Chevy Colorado to take a chance at first glance. Sure there was a lot of history with US trucks in as much as how reliable they were compared to their Japanese competitors. For once, Im happy to report that I was right (thank goodness!) in my initial assessment of this impressive vehicle. After 63,000 miles my truck still rides fine, has been hassle free and has made me a believer. Its been just what Id hoped itd be and a bit more. A no-nonsense, get me there-and-back, reliable truck. Its not as fancy as most the others but I have to say Im really happy with my purchase.

• 

  Should be faster - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By corvettekid - July 20 - 8:05 pm

  I purchased a black 2002 auto transmission Corvette with 33,000 miles on it (I wanted a manual, but my left knee is too messed up). I love the car, but it seems like she loses power after hard acceleration a few times in a row. Also, I think the voltage regulator is bad cause sometimes it drops down to 12.3 when I am driving and it also jumps up and down a lot when I step on the brakes. For the car having 350 HP it doesnt feel very fast to me except for when it is first started in the morning. Other than that issue, I totally love the car. I get compliments on it all the time. I love how the sport seats hug me during fast turns. I would definitely buy another one.

• 

  Good Car - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Aveo2007 - July 20 - 2:40 pm

  Overall driving experience witht this car has been good. A little slow on pick up when going up inclines but other than that I have no complaints.

• 

  Trailblazer Happiness - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By snap shot - July 20 - 1:23 pm

  My trailblazer has been an excellent vehicle. Great comfort and ride. Gas mileage could definitely use improvement. Had initial trouble with a faulty fuel injector but once the dealer bit the bullet and repaired on warranty I have had no other performance or reliability problems.

• 

  Mally - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Heidi - July 20 - 9:20 am

  What an exceptional vehicle. I purchased what I guess would be called used, even though it only had 7000 miles on it. I love it. It is very roomy, comfortable, and excellent on gas. I love the XM satellite radio and the remote starter. This car will last for a very long time as it appears very solid and reliable. I cant wait to see how it works in the snow.