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:

• 

  97 Chevy Cavalier - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Kirk M. - July 21 - 12:55 pm

  Im 16 and this is my first car. When I first got my car a year ago I loved it to death and never had a problem out of it. But then this month everything has gone wrong with it. It started to overheat continuously and so I pulled over to check the coolant and there was none in it, so I added some. Then the next day it overheated again and there wasnt any coolant in it. So I drove it back home and tried to turn it off but the engine wouldnt stop running. We unplugged the battery and that didnt work so we messed wtih the alternator and it finally quit running. Then I had to have it towed in because it wouldnt start. Then I found out that the coolant was going into the engine so now it will cost $1000

• 

  Great overall - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Mike - July 21 - 10:11 am

  I take it pretty easy and regularly get 55 mpg. Has decent pep and great exterior look. Roomy inside but interior could have better finishes.

• 

  Kens Trail Blazer - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By KennyJ - July 21 - 9:40 am

  Equal to or better than any of the cars, SUVs I have ever driven. Exception is the SL Mercedes ontight corners and turns. Fun to drive

• 

  Supercharged Sport Truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By SuperCharged Sport - July 21 - 8:06 am

  I love to drive this truck! It has a Radix Magna Charger, Volant Cool Air Intake and an aftermarket MAF sensor. Needless to say it is very fast, pushing around 500 hp. Looks much better than the Ford and Dodge. It gets about 19 mpg on the highway and 15 in town, If you take it easy

• 

  Total Truck - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
  By Graham Bowman - July 21 - 2:00 am

  This truck drives and handles like a car.Very comfortable on long trips towing a thirty foot trailer.

• 

  Surprisingly solid so far! - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Sabrina in L.A. - July 21 - 2:00 am

  I recently purchased the Aveo and find it to be amazingly solid for an economy car! The ride is smooth on the street and the highway, and I feel safe in it. The Aveo is superior to the Kia Rio when it comes to its design, both inside and out. Kia may offer a longer warranty, but you wont feel like youre driving a reliable car at all. Its a zippy, sporty car and if the Honda Civic had a little sister, the Aveo would be it.

• 

  I love this car - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Rickey - July 21 - 2:00 am

  This car has all the features I wanted and some I didnt know I needed until I used them. Like heated seats, what a great option! The stereo controls on the stearing wheel and ON STAR are great features and add to the safety factor. But best of all I think this car looks great, drives like a dream and trouble free.

• 

  My excellet small car - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Ramon Valdes - July 21 - 2:00 am

  I like everything in this car. It has the right size. The best feature is mileage, it makes from 29 to 30 mph in the city and about 35 to 37 in the highway. It is very easy to drive. I had one years ago and it was my best car. Now, I changed a big car for the small one Cavalier because it is better than any other car I ever had.

• 

  Its a great car - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Novak - July 21 - 2:00 am

  We were looking for something small with good gas mileage, and most of all comfort. also a large trunk area. With the back seat going down we got that. We found everything and more that we were looking for in the Cavalier. I think it is the best kept secret in the Chevy line.

• 

  LS Sport Coupe IS safe - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By rclieb - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Great handling little car... fun to drive.. responsive, fast and so far very reliable.. and forget the crash test nonsense, we got rear ended by an SUV and the car did exactly what it was supposed to do... it protected the occupants.. our body shop was very impressed with the way it folded - as it was designed to do - and protected us.