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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  Proud Owner Of A 2500HD Silverado LTZ - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By DMan - March 31 - 11:20 pm

  I have owned this truck sense October 2008. Service has been performed as recommended. I have not had any major problems with this truck what so ever. Minor problems I have had are the belt noise due to the power steering pulley misalignment and the rear tire wear due to factory door sticker calling for 70psi for the rear tires. Dealer took care of all and installed two new tires on my truck. Dropped rear tire pressure to 60psi. No more wear, Love the 6.6 Duramax with the Allison. What a combination. Tons of torque, great performance for a diesel, and quite. Average fuel mileage 18.5 back and forth to work and 22.4 on my last road trip.(12/09).

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  A blast to drive - 1995 Chevrolet Corvette
  By themurph - March 31 - 9:52 pm

  I purchased this vehicle recently and dont know. I have waited so long to get a Corvette. It is fun to drive and the fuel economy is not bad. A great V- 8 sound with good low end torque and plenty of horsepwer to scream top end.

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  Family Use - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Truck Fan - March 31 - 8:20 pm

  Great truck. Great for family and recreational use as people or toy hauler. Other than being not being great in terms of MPG, great automobile.

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  Surprisingly pleased - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By wyrdguy - March 31 - 1:07 pm

  Ive driven this car for over 6 years now and am very surprised with its reliability and comfort. I wasnt expecting much with all the trouble Id had in the 70s and 80s with GM cars, but Id driven a Chevy Corsica for work and was impressed, so I decided Id give GM one last chance. I dont exactly follow the book when it comes to maintenance either and this car has been very forgiving. It now has 115k on the odometer and has given me few problems. The transmission needed rebuilding under warranty and I cant give the brakes very high marks, but other than that, its been great.

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  Life in Maxx - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Cobalt ss - March 31 - 1:23 am

  Excellent car with a lot of space, a good look and good performance for the price. A lot of persons said to me that they will consider a Maxx for their next car. No problem except traveling computer, but it was fixed now. I changed the tires for 4 Michelin Hydroedge and the car became more sporty to drive.

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  The Uplander is a good vehicle - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By BadBender - March 30 - 11:03 pm

  I have had this vehicle for over 2 months now. It drives very well, handles curves great and the stabilitrak does wonders when you hit a puddle on the side of the road. Is rides real smooth, you hardly feel the usual bumbps in the road. The standard DVD player is worth every penny as it keeps the kids quiet. Mine is a XLT with convience package so the rear assist has saved us from backing into stuff. The wife likes the hands free phone/on star feature, she can make calls with out fumbling with a cell phone. Have not had any problems with this vehicle as of yet. It drives well, gets good gas mileage and is exactly what we were looking for, a nive van for the family.

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  So Fun, Big, Handy, And give it time - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By MRAUDIOVISUAL - March 30 - 10:36 pm

  Truck is great, for those of you worried about MPG, i got to 13000 and finally started to see much Much better gas mileage. Very happy with the dealer, great looking truck, came with chrome bumper, fender,chrome rims, and its very sporty for a pick up, i love the 8 foot bed, as i can lay a full size queen mattress down in the bed flat. Haven t done any towing but have driven from Orlando to Nashville, and only stopped once, Didnt have any issues doing 65-75mph, just dont go above 75mph as the over drive starts to really hurt mpg. I get on average 400 miles a tank on 30 gallons, not to great or bad for a V6, i love my truck im 66 and i can fit in it just fine , GM is still a great company.

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  Very nice compact car but - 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Merona - March 30 - 5:06 pm

  At first I thought something was wrong and almost gone back to get another car. The engine stops at the red light is annoying...I would not buy it or recommend this car to anyone without test driving it for a period of days. You probably would not like the way the car constantly jerking during starting. Same thing with the 2017 Ford Escape. I rented for a week during California visit. It has the same stop start and the jerking is worst than the Chevy Cruze. Before you buy these vehicles, test drive them at least few days. Besides that annoying stop and start, they are actually very nice and quiet vehicles.

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  Awesome - 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By LAURA - March 30 - 12:53 pm

  I have owned my Monte for 2 weeks. I love it, love it, love it. Where are the handling problems I have read about? It handles like a dream. No abs is fine with me, I want the control. As far as hydroplaning, not once have I experienced that. This car is peppy, and I finally found a car that agrees with me and my pickiness.

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  All the ladies in my life have one - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Mr. G - March 30 - 11:20 am

  I bought the the first Equinox in 2005 for my youngest daughter attending college back east. My wife and 2 daughters liked its handling and interior room. I bought my wife hers in June 2006; and followed by another one in the second half of the month for our oldest attending college on the west coast. Now all the ladies in my life have a new Equinoxs.