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:

• 

  Change the brakes and check the oil - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By wdowns9 - June 26 - 10:00 am

  Replaced brakes 3 times in the first 15000 miles, had rotors turned twice once at GMs expsense. The next time the dealer refused to do anything so I went to another. They turned the rotors for me..no charge. Transmission went out at 41000, major overhaul no replacement. Went out again at 44000 no replacement. Dealer replaced my rotors, brakes and did a bunch of other technical bulletin work without any problems. Car runs well but Im always suspect of the transmission after its two previous failures.

• 

  Fun - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By BABS - June 26 - 8:19 am

  Incredible car. Fun to drive, powerful. Great gas mileage considering performance and incredible stopping power.

• 

  Chevy HHR - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By TB - June 26 - 7:52 am

  I knew it was time for me to get a new car although I did love my old one. When I saw this in an ad I clicked on it and knew it was for me. I love the cargo space, the way it drives, just eveything about it is great. I am so happy with this little kept secret!

• 

  I love my Chevy - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By ilovemychevy - June 26 - 3:17 am

  I highly recommend this car great gas mileage, great for single people, great to go to and from work in.

• 

  Great Car - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Ed - June 25 - 9:10 pm

  I have owned the car new since Feb. 2004. Have very few mechanical issues and have loved everything about it. Very comfortable road car and great power for a 6 cyl. MPG has been great, take it on road trips often and the AVG. MPG is almost 31 in and out of town (I dont reset the avg very often. Actually tried buying another new one two years ago but for some reason GM doesnt build them any more. Great family vehicle for the kids, and with the hatch and fold down seats (front and rear) turns into a "truck" when I need one. Only issue I have had is with the electronic steering (Saab) and have had it repaired.

• 

  Compact Luxury - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By CobaltDad - June 25 - 5:30 pm

  My daughter drives this car to school - around 40 miles roundtrip. So far she is averaging 30-31 MPG with the trip to school on rural roads and just everyday driving in town-no freeway driving. We are pleasantly surprised considering all the bad press the Colbalt gets in many reviews for its "poor" gas mileage. We have 6942 problem free miles driven and have had only 1 (ridiculously expensive) oil change at the dealership. We are very pleased so far.

• 

  Buy an Impala - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By Linda Greb - June 25 - 3:42 pm

  We have owned our Impala now for about 4 years and we love it. We have not experienced any major mechanical problems. We have a 3.4 cu. inch engine which I wished had a little more pick up. It gets great gas mileage. We would defiantly go out and purchase another Impala.

• 

  Luvin the Trailblazer - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Zak - June 25 - 1:27 pm

  Great vehicle. A decent amount of room for all your stuff and plenty of power to get it where it needs to go. I had some initial problems with the tachometer sticking when held at a constant rpm. Fourtunatly it was covered under warranty. I also just had to put a wheel bearing in it which was kinda pricy. My vehicle has 60,000 miles on it and I was the second owner. Im assuming the first owner beat the crap out of the thing and it still drives as smooth as glass. I baby my cars so I think it should last me a good while. I love Chevys and its because they know how to build something thats tough.

• 

  returned to chevy after 43 years and 5 bmws . - 2017 Chevrolet Impala
  By JDO4394 - June 25 - 1:06 pm

  very impressed with the impala premier, nice ride, great looks, and every bit as well built as my 530xi bmw was and 20,000 dollars cheaper you cant go wrong.

• 

  Good truck but problems - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
  By mars - June 25 - 9:00 am

  Overall the truck has been good. But 5 injectors and drivers seat adjust mech (under warranty, but still truck is down) instrument panel cluster is a joke. Whole companies are devoted to rebuilding IPC on all makes. So once again truck is down while you get to pay $500 for a rebuilt defective IPC. (GM has announced they will pay for this but we have seen no money). OnStar was good for unlocking doors and diagnosing ground faults on several glow plugs. Once the "free" runs out it is easier to hide an extra key. OSs peace of mind comes at a cost. If you can afford an expensive truck then be prepared for expensive upkeep. It is a good and powerful work truck