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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  Better luck next time - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By two timer - July 20 - 3:09 am

  So this is my second Malibu since I started driving. Ive had a Hyundai, Nissan, a Mazda, and the two Malibus. Wrecked the first one, bought this because I liked the first one so much. However, in the past six months Ive had the water pump and the taillights mysteriously go out, didnt know that could happen. For the most part Ive been pretty happy with it up until now, torn between, fixing this one or getting a new car. $250 is my quote for the taillights, not even sure if that includes the dash and console lights that dont work as well. All in all a great car as long as I dont go out at night.

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  NO 04 THIS IS A 74 - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By JOEYNKRISSY - July 20 - 12:36 am

  THIS IS A CLASSIC 74 IMPALA SS CAST IRON TANK WITH A 4BBL 350 4BOLT MAIN BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE NOW A GREAT AMERICAN MADE ICON AND WILL MOVE AT CLOSE TO 140 MPH DUE TO THE SIZE AND FOR A CAR SUCH AS THIS WHO CARES ABOUT GASS AND FOR THOSE WHO WORRY ABOUT SMOG THIS CLASSIC EMITS HARDLY ANY BUT IN REGARDS TO THE NEW IMPALA THEY ARE REALLY NICE AND FUN TO DRIVE GOD BLESS THE U.S. AND BUY AMERICAN

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  Close, but no cigar.. - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By KenD - July 19 - 7:03 pm

  I have 2 issues with this vehicle, and neither can seem to be cured by GM or the dealer. First, the car just wanders all over the road. You need to constantly adjust the steering wheel to keep it in the center of the lane. and up until the first snow storm in my area, I didnt have any other issues and would have lived with the other, but when we had our first snow storm, the windshield wipers showed there problem. For some reason, and I cant understand why no one else seems to notice this, is that the passenger windshield wiper wipes the water right onto the view of the driver, and seems to fall right between my eyes. I get a headache everytime I drive the car. Not a good selling point.

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  11 year old Astro van w/ 135k miles - 1996 Chevrolet Astro
  By Kalei Baker - July 19 - 5:41 pm

  My friend gave this van to me 12 months ago, it had to be towed 3 times and it took about $900+ of repairs to keep it running. Ignition coil burned out = $280 repair. Spark plug wire shorted out = $190 repair. Fuel pump failed = $420 repair. Any repairs under the hood will be high labor due to the design that makes it difficult to access (via panel between passenger and driver leg area. The passenger exterior door handle broke off. When it runs, the 4.0L engine is moderately powerful. At 11 years old and 135k miles, repairs should be expected. I am selling the van, ASAP. I am much more satisfied with my Ford Excursion with 7.3L turbo diesel, which can also seat 8.

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  Very annoying problems with the 07! - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By andb - July 19 - 3:50 pm

  If you dont want the price of leather, skip the 07 Suburban! We traded in a 02 Suburban that we loved and got a lemon. The fabric seats attract lint and hold it even through a vaccuuming with a $600 vaccuum. We have to vaccuum and then use a lint roller to even get close to getting the seats clean. We purchased fabric because we were so satisfied with the Chevy fabric in our 02 Suburban and 05 Chevy pickup. The 07 is a step in the wrong direction! At 64", I also have a problem with the location of the 4wheel drive knob. I knock it and turn it on everytime I get in without realizing it. Our 3rd row passenger seat has also had the knob for flipping it forward broken twice.

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  Bad Luck - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By aria49 - July 19 - 10:12 am

  I have had the worst luck with this car. Three months after I bought it, it began to stall out when I would start it after not driving it for awhile. (The mass airflow sensor was faulty.) On a road trip my timing belt snapped resulting in needing to totally replace the engine. The most recent thing to go wrong with this car is that the hood latch was faulty resulting in my hood being bent beyond a cheap repair. (Had to replace the hood, both quarter panels, paint them and finally replace the hood latch.) Everything that has gone wrong with this car was an expensive fix. The other issue I have with this car is it gets less than 30 mpg highway.

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  05 W/T Silverado - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Jim - July 18 - 3:00 pm

  Bought new as a commuter truck. Great gas mileage and reliability. 24 plus MPG HWY. Excellent service at nearly 70,000 miles. Original brakes- tires -shocks. Just grease and oil changes here. Truck was $13,206 new. Dirt cheap to buy, operate, and own. Great resale if I decide to sell.

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  Dream truck - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By volnole - July 18 - 1:58 pm

  From the minute I first saw an advertisement for an Avalanche, I knew it would be my next vehicle. It has never disappointed me in the four years Ive had it. On long trips it is absolutely ideal, with plenty of room for luggage as well as our three dogs. The ride is smooth, leg room is plentiful, and it handles like a luxury car. I would recommend buying an Avalanche to anyone whos ever thought of getting a large SUV.

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  Zippy The Turbo Sonic from Anacortes WA. - 2015 Chevrolet Sonic
  By Yours Truly - July 18 - 1:15 pm

  I researched fun to drive hatch back cars for months. I HIGHLY considered a VW Golf or GTI. I thought for sure, I had to have a stick shift to have any joy. Then I read the reviews of The Sonic which mentioned it was fun to drive. They were not kidding. It is a blast! The cheaper trim interior was not for me. I bought a used LTZ. It has heated seats, remote start, blue tooth, and of course lots of air bags. This is a little thing, but the right arm rest, I really dig. You will notice the attractive motorcycle inspired lamps and touches. I dont feel like I am sitting too low, but still fell like I am getting a driving experience with the road. I do not generally accelerate fast and average 34.1 mg on normal roads, hills, and state high way. My only gripe is the touch screen my link. Yes, I listen to loud music and it sounds good, but I need an actual volume dial not some screen to touch. I want to turn up the dial (I am over 40 might have something to do with it)! I bought a used 2015 with less than 15000 miles and saved on bundle the depreciation. So every time I see that GTI go buy, I think about the money I am saving and the fun I am not missing out on.

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  I love my HHR! - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Shelly - July 18 - 6:45 am

  I got rid of a truck I had that got 12 miles per gallon and an SUV to get my HHR LT with the 2.4LT. The gas mileage is awesome. It is so fun to drive. Got the white exterior with the chrome package. I get lots of compliments on it.