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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  Under rated new car - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Murfmor - July 25 - 10:00 am

  I have seen only a few reviews of this new Malibu Maxx and none do justice to the car. The car is fun to drive. Very responsive,well designed and perfectly detailed. It is a very roomy car inside and the wheel base at 113.6" is longer then my Buick Park Ave. The electric steering ,rather than hydraulic steering assist gives me good road feel and the four wheel anti-lock disk brakes give a sure straight stop. I am getting 24 mpg local driving and 34 mpg on mountain trips at high speeds. With some Chevy discounts and including sales tax I paid $19700 for this car and clearly am very pleased

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  MAXX - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jackqaone - July 25 - 10:00 am

  I drive the malibu MAXX LT, a well constructed and appointed car..lots of room, mileage is good ( better than my Honda), and the power is more than adequate...the car is one of GMs gems and should set the standard for midsize sedans with a hatchback all at a cost far below the Japanese cars.

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  LOVE IT!!! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By B in big D - July 25 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is great! My wife and I love our new Chevrolet Equinox. We wanted a vehicle with more space for the money and we found it.

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  Good job GM - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By JonMatt - July 25 - 10:00 am

  I had to have one. I had a 03 Trailblazer but this is a good bang for the buck. Looks like the high end Lexus and BMW sport utes.

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  6.0 Liter Powerhouse - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Andy J - July 24 - 2:36 pm

  06 Silverado 1500 with Vortec Max package. I purchased this truck in Feb. of 08 after being T-boned in my 99 Sierra. I had been looking for the bigger 6 L. motor to pull my work trailer for a long period of time before the accident. Luckily this gem popped up when I really had to buy. I fell in love at first drive. The motors power really is something else. It responds immediately at any speed when even light pedal is put down. Mileage with this motor is great. It actually puts my old 5.3 to shame. I average 13 city(Downtown Minneapolis: True stop and go) and @ 50-55 MPH: 21 MPG/@75 MPH 18MPG. It has all the bells and whistles. Great for towing. Love it!

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  Simply Awesome - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Ungksta@aol.com - July 22 - 4:53 pm

  Incredible handling, better fuel economy than my 99 Trans-Am that had 80 less horses! Exterior design is a personal choice, but when I look at it, I cant see anything that doesnt flow perfectly. The "controversial" lights light up the road so well, that when my low beam was out (delivered that way) I didnt notice until someone pointed it out to me. (GM fixed it immediately...no problem since.) This is my first Vette, my dream car, and it seems like a dream still. The improvements from the C5 might seem minor to some, but to me it has jumped quite a bit, especially in class. You can tell Chevy did a ton of homework on every intricate detail. Run-flat tires work incredibly well...flat :-)

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  Best ever owned - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bob - July 22 - 9:23 am

  I purchased a Aveo 3 months ago was so impressed I decided to buy my wife a Malibu. Talk about being surprised. This is the best vehicle I have ever owned. Im 51 and have owned many. Fit and finish are as good as any Lexus and Toyota, Honda. Let me say this the ride is wonderful. The interior is just the best. The four banger is more than enough power for me. Handling is great. Ten in my book.

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  Great Road Car - 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By wyocolo - July 20 - 1:43 pm

  Ive put 18k miles on my Monte in seven months and it has been the best car Ive owned. I bought it because I needed good gas mileage and after all the incentives and rebates last summer, loaded it was cheaper than a fairly stripped Civic. Every day I drive 70 miles round trip and I average 28MPG which I think is great considering I live at 9300 altitude and work at 5000 so its either going up hill in passing gear or down all the time. I have had no problems or repairs and its a very comfortable car to drive. If your concerned about its ability to handle snow and ice, get the traction control option and as long as the front end doesnt start plowing snow you will be fine.

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  Awesome Truck! - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By eviroman - July 20 - 5:50 am

  Being in government services and having to travel all over Texas, Ive driven many trucks. Ive driven Ford king ranch, Lariat, Dodge. The two fords and Dodges had horrible gas mileage as well as ride and reliability. This is my first Chevy and Im very impressed with the ride and quality of this Truck. I would like to inform you that I own an environmental company that does very well, Im nowhere near cheap and being in my vehicle long periods of time so owning the top of the line in trucks is a must for me. A-Z about this truck is awesome!!! I towed what I thought to be 5k pound trailer only to later find out it weighed 9k pound and not even noticing it.

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  "Seniors" comfort - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Minnette - July 19 - 10:00 am

  We love our Maxx. It is low enough to the ground that we dont have to climb up into the seats as we did in our SUV. We travel alot and the hatch makes packing so easy. The sound quality of the radio is superb and we love XM SAtellite radio. It was installed when we bought it; otherwise we probably would never have tried it. We love it! Can listen to CNN, Sports, all types of music channels, and even the old radio shows like Jack Benny and Amos and Andy.