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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  Awesome - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By RULIN COBALT - May 16 - 11:30 pm

  This Cobalt I have is such a dependable, sporty car. Wherever I go, I cant help myself but to put the pedal to the metal with it. Its just awesome.

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  I Love My Chevy Cobalt! - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By susan kreger - May 15 - 2:10 am

  This is my 3rd lease with Chevy and this car is my favorite by far! I got a 2005 Chevy Cobalt LS with a stick and the car gives 150 percent. Its fun to drive, looks very sporty and the car never disappoints me. I get lots of complements on whoever sees it and each time I get in the car to drive it (no matter where) I am excited. The car is awesome!

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  Full Monte - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By third - May 12 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. Bought it new (and loaded) almost 2 years ago and have had nothing but fun driving it. It is comfortable, reliable, stylish, has a great ride, low interior noise, great stock sound system, power when needed, good fuel economy......what can I say...I love this car and will keep it for a long time. Way to go Chevy!!

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  D-Max Diesel Rules! - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By RobnCar - May 12 - 10:00 am

  The 6.6L DuraMax Turbo Diesel w/ Allison 5sp 2500HD is the best truck Ive owned. It will out haul and out tow the others hands down. We had a 96 Suburban w/454 and this diesel makes that look like a toy. We were able to tow a 55 Chevy uphill with the windows up and A/C on at 70MPH and the truck acted like there was no trailer there at all. What a brute! I forgot to mention the 20MPG highway! What a great truck! Id buy another in a minute...

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  Silverodoes are the best - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Bo Hoelscher - May 12 - 10:00 am

  This truck is the best I have ever drivin or bought. The chevy trucks are the most reliable over dodge, ford, or any other brand. Chevy is number one.

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  A Dream Car - Impala Sedan 3.8 L V-6 - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By gwydionoak - May 6 - 10:00 am

  My car is technically an Impala sedan, (I didnt want to spend the extra money for the LS trim) but it has all of the safety, performance, and comfort features of the LS - 3.8L engine (a must), ABS, Trac control, Information center,etc, as well as Onstar and XM radio. I have never figured out why Edmunds gave this car a bad review. It is a SUPERB road car...solid acceleration, braking, and handling, very comfortable ride, great fuel economy for its size. It is everything that is good about American cars with none of the bad. Ill be keeping this car for a long time.

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  Great Truck!! - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Trailblazin - May 6 - 10:00 am

  This truck is great. It is a good value for all the goodies you get. Fun to drive. Very powerful. and an over all good vehicle.

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  Clarissas Tahoe - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Clarissa - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I recently bought a 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe. I love this SUV. It drives comfortably and is very nice looking. I have had it for about four months now, no problems or regrets whatsoever.

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  The Greatest Truck Ever - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By OhioTexan1 - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I am satisfied with every detail of my new Chey Silverado. If I had to do it all over again, I would purchase this truck again.

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  Great so far! (update....still great!) - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Chris - May 6 - 5:46 am

  We purchased the new 2016 Chevrolet Malibu LT-1 with the Convenience and Technology, Leather, and Driver Confidence packages in December of 2015. We have loved the car in the six months we have owned it. We have put nearly 6000 miles on the car (including a trip through the mountains of Colorado to the Grand Canyon) and have averaged nearly 33 mpg overall. We got 38 mpg on our 2500 mile round trip vacation. The ride is extremely quiet and comfortable. The seating is great (I am 65) in both the front and back. There is plenty of room in the trunk for our trips to our baseball tournaments. The exterior gets stares everywhere we go -- love the body style. The engine acceleration wont knock you back in your seat but it is fine for our driving habits. It also does very well in the snow and rain and gripping on the highway. The safety features are awesome! Lane assist, front, side, and rear warnings, blind side warning, etc. are definitely worth the upgrade. Our complaints are small but include a lack of storage for coins and sunglasses, a lack of dual climate controls, and no memory settings on the drivers seat. We are now at approximately 10,000 miles on our car (after 11 months) and we have averaged 32.5 mpg with a combination of city and highway driving. Our best was 41 mpg of straight highway driving. We still love the car with no new complaints. One of the best parts is that there are not very many 16 Malibus on the road even after a year on the market. My wife gets compliments on the car nearly every where she goes.