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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  Best bang for the buck! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By McWilly - December 9 - 10:00 am

  I love it

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  I was robbed by GM. - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Kim - December 9 - 1:10 am

  My husband talked me into getting this car. What a nightmare! I have to take it to the dealership for warranty work about once per month. There is something loose in the dashboard. Twice the rotors had to be resurfaced. The brakes still drag. Power steering only functions about half of the time. Service does not know why. Sunroof leaks. Squeeks and rattles everywhere. The roadnoise is deaftening. Starter keeps turning over after car has started. It drives like a 5 year old car. The only reason that I keep the thing is the $8000 difference between what I owe and trade in value. If I can find an aggressive dealership, I will unload this lime ASAP.

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  Frustrated - 2004 Chevrolet Astro
  By CC - December 8 - 12:36 pm

  The size of this van cannot be beat. I LOVE my Astro Van, but I have had the van in for warranty work 9 times for what we thought was the transmission, which was replaced, the accelerator was stuck, and a variety of other engine- transmission problems. I am still in a rental and waiting for a diagnosis. I owned a 1992 Astro and had 150,000 miles on it and never had a problem. Mixed feelings if I would ever buy another.

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  Good Value... - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By heavy "G" - December 8 - 3:49 am

  Upgraded from a Cavalier so the extra room is awesome! Like the big car feel and the extra 2 doors. The ride is nice & smooth at normal driving speeds, having On-Star and the Chevy computer advisor are also nice features, great car for the money...

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  Big Car on a Mid-Size Budget - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Michael & Kathy - December 8 - 2:53 am

  We commute short distances but like to take multi-state road trips. The Impala fits in the garage and budget but flies down the highway without any strain. XM radio and OnStars navigation are great over the road tools. Finding an E-85 station is particularly cool using OnStar. The hidden storage under the back seat is nice for the lap top rather than in the trunk. All the trip computer readouts are nice when the scenery gets boring. We also considered the new Malibu but tiny things like the 2-zone A/C and power passenger seat ruled the day. A couple of small items would have been nice, memory settings for the seat/mirrors and a wider choice of wheels. Thank goodness for TireRack!

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  Purchased New - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By cashe32 - December 7 - 9:30 pm

  This van has taken the kids to school and made many trips to the grocery store as well as the yearly vacation. It serves its purpose. It has never had anything major go wrong, HOWEVER it has been filled with small annoying little problems since it was a year old. The brakes squeal, the power door locks has failed, the headlight lens have fallen out, the battery has leaked, the rear power windows failed, the weatherstriping on the sliding door fell off, it has been recalled at least 5 times and the power slide door failed after 6 years (it was $2000 to repair, we opted to pull it shut). Ill go with Honda or Toyota next time, better build quality.

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  Unreal - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By ELEANOR - December 7 - 9:08 pm

  What an experience! Just picking up this beauty at the dealership was an experience. Had to go to NY to get this baby, was too much over list here in Miami. Drove car straight through overnight back to Miami from NY to avoid snowstorm. This is the car I have been waiting for my whole life. Had the 1969 427 with trips - brand new when I was young. What a difference between a 69 with the SAME 7 liter displacement and this new beauty. Dont know how they got the mileage from this new LS7 engine, remember very POOR mileage on my first Vette. Got so many stares and looks and the SOUND is INCREDIBLE! Every stop during trip home, found people standing around admiring the car. SOOOOO HAPPY!

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  Nice Reliable Car - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Tyler - December 7 - 5:51 pm

  I just bought my Malibu August of 05. I have been driving it ever day since I bought it and I am loving it. I am suprised by the amount of powe the 4cyl has. I am a college student and the with the MPG is awsome. I have take several trips with the car and have never had a problem. Passing cars is no problem with the 4cyl.

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  Awesome Van! - 1993 Chevrolet Astro
  By Mel - December 7 - 3:43 pm

  This is my 2nd Astro both have been great! This one now has 200,000 miles and going strong. Typical minor repairs have been done over the years. Nothing out of the ordinary. Hubbys NEW car has had more repairs in 1yr than mine has had in 5! I get great mileage too on this van. about 24 on the highway 19 in town.

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  My First American Car....a Winner! - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Jay Bee - December 7 - 1:50 pm

  Very nervous about purchasing my first American car, but heard very good things about this model. After 3 weeks, I am very pleased with my choice....inline 6 cyl. runs like a dream, whisper quiet, with similar gas mileage to the much less powerful V6 in my Rodeo. Interior appears simple and functional and attractive to me...exterior looks great and turns heads. Biggest sell is plenty of interior room for 62" 225 lbs. driver!