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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  My 06 Cobalt LS - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Chad Wood - March 17 - 5:00 am

  I have had this car for 5 months now and love it. It is very sporty, and stylish. It moves pretty quick, and gets great gas mileage. It has a pretty good sound system, for a factory setup. I like the idea of the driver information center, which is easy to use. I havent had any problems so far. It has plenty of legroom even for us tall people. My sister has an 05 Cavalier, and it has absolutly no legroom at all. It is a major improvement over the Cavalier, and better looking too. I would recommend this car to anyone, looking for a sporty car thats good on gas.

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  Fantastic car - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By dale earnhardt editi - March 17 - 12:10 am

  I bought this car new and took it on a trip down the east coast to Florida and back. Had a Lincoln Town Car prior to this one. Loved the way the car rode and handled especially through the mountains. Averaged about 29 mpg for a 3500 mi. trip. I also have a heavy foot, Im an old racer and still like to go fast. Buried the spedo coming out of Winston Salem about 3am. Hard to believe for a six! I would have liked a little more HP to blow off the Mustangs. Im 69, Ive raced drags, stocks, motorcycles. My scooter has 145HP and weighs 525lbs. I know about performance and power and I love this car! I cant believe GM discontinued it. All you had to do is drive it and youd buy it.

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  Built to take it - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By z71gripper - March 16 - 9:03 pm

  I drove my Z71 for 120k miles and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Might be the best vehicle I will every own. I remember everytime I got behind the wheel I thought it cant be this good everytime. It never let me down. For one stretch of near 10k miles I didnt reset the full mpg meter and the gage leveled off at 18.7 mpg. That was excellent for a 5.3L Never did a repair other than a couple of minor jobs under warranty. Reliability was superior to any.

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  Gas Mileage Awful - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Robert - March 16 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I bought a 2011 Equinox after spending weeks looking at crossovers. Build quality is top notch and the ride is like floating on a cloud. The only complaint I have is the gas mileage. Most of our driving is in town so we expected it to be on the low end of the range but 15 mpg in town is ridiculous. Highway mileage runs about 26 mpg, which is so-so. After 2000 miles we get 17.4 mpg average. We are both grandparents and dont race around the streets like its Indy.

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  equinox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jneen - March 16 - 1:43 am

  I loved the Equinox the first time I saw it. The test drive sold me. Very smooth ride, lots of room and comfort. Handles highway and local driving, with no problems at all.

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  HHR Rocks - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By petreydish - March 15 - 3:06 am

  Fun car to drive. Los of looks from others. Handles great. Nice stereo setup. Great gas mileage. Not much of a center console, but 2nd glove box built into dash is very nice. Purple color is very attractive.

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  Still Love it, love it, love it - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Casey - March 15 - 3:03 am

  I wrote back in Nov. of 09 singing the praises of the 2010 Equinox. I havent changed my mind. I took my 700 mile trip and the Nox performed fantastic! I got 29 mpg on the highway. I expect that it will improve with time. I understand there is a recall on some 59,000 Noxs due to a problem with the HVAC system. Im hoping I wont get notified that I need to take my Nox to the dealership. So far, everything is going great and I expect it will remain the same. I still think the Equinox is a wonderful SUV, and I have many family and friends that love the styling and looks! Great job Chevy!

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  I wanted the best and I got the best! - 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Tony G - March 12 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for 15 months and I havent had a problem with it. This car has only had normal maintenance done to it by me. This is a smooth riding car, sporty and fun. The car drives like a champ. Some of the best features are the dual climate controls (my wife says that we can never buy a car without this feature), huge trunk, 3.8 liter engine and the accessability of controls (steering wheel and center console). If you are looking for a good reliable car this is it. Just remember to give it proper up keep and find one that was taken care of and its a car to enjoy for a long time. Enjoy the pleasure of owning this car.

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  Well Improved! - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By BKuz - March 12 - 2:00 am

  I have owned a 93,96,98,99 and 2001 Cavalier Z24s and by far this 2004 is the best! Very much improved!Faster smoother engine and sportier handling. Gas milage great, 28 and 29 combined city/hwy. Brakes improved,workmanship improved.Low wind noise,richer paint finish,even has solar ray glass,others had cheaper glass. A lot for the money! Forget Honda and Toyokey! My nephew has a civic and has nothing but trouble with it.Plus they smell like sulfur!Plus they are 1 and 2 the most stolen cars.

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  04 Malibu makes driving fun again! - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By JayClark - March 12 - 2:00 am

  I love my new 04 Malibu. It really makes driving fun again. I get a lot of compliments and looks from everyone everywhere I go. They are all surprised that its a Malibu, because it looks like a more expensive car. Beautiful car for the price. No need to by a $30,000. plus vehicle when Malibu has everything for less, including looks.