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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  Dissapointment - 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By stup62 - August 17 - 7:23 am

  Have owned this car since July, 2005. Am very disappointed with Chevy. So much so, I am switching brands. I have had Chevys all my life, but never owned a piece of junk like this car. Have had the battery replaced, the power steering pump and belt replaced the steering shaft replaced, (now needs it again), the drivers side seatbelt replaced. Replaced the junk goodyear tires at 24,000 miles, were wore down to the tread bars. Not happy with this car. Wouldnt recommend Chevy to anybody.

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  Malibu Maxx-- GOOD! - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Fulloutpwr - August 17 - 1:00 am

  So far, no real regrets or gripes! Starts everytime I need it, gets me 29 MPG average... needs tint and thats about it from the factory. Wont have it more than the next year, but so far very satisfied!

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  Hot Radio/Drive Train Problems - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Debi - August 16 - 11:38 pm

  I have owned my Tahoe since December 2004. From the first day, both radios have been extrememly hot. So hot to the point you cannot keep your hands on them. Now for the past 3 months, the transmission slips, sometimes it sticks between neutral and drive. Sometimes the transmission kicks into drive, then slips back into neutral. This has been a horrible experience. The dealership cannot find any transmission problems. I have no idea why it is doing this, but, I am ready to end this Tahoe nightmare.

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  Probably saved my life - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Samuel Jordan - August 16 - 9:59 pm

  Hit a car head on @ 70 mph bashed the right light and the rim was bent. I put a spare on, and drove her another 600 miles back home. The engine still works awesome, but the frame is a bit bent up. The engine on this girl is wonderfully reliable, but problems I had included brakes, A/C, stupid cupholders, and an alternator (its a Chevy). If you buy from the right person, this car is truly a great machine, hands down. Good mileage, drove cross country several times with her great handling, good speed. If you buy from some stupid teen or shady dealer, youll have problems like any other car, I suppose. I have a bit over 100k on it, and it is still going strong, in spite of the accident I had.

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  BEST 4DOOR EVER BUILT......... - 1994 Chevrolet Impala
  By DMASON - August 16 - 5:05 pm

  THIS 4 DOOR FAMILY CAR IS ALL A 4 DOOR SHOULD BE. HAS MORE THAN AMPLE HORSES AND PLENTY OF SHOW. NOTE THE AMOUNT OF YOUNGER ADULTS THAT OWN ONE NOW, WHEN ORIGINALLY 85% WERE OWNED BY PEOPLE 50 AND UP. KINDA SPEAKS FOR ITSELF DOESNT IT. BMW AND MAZDA AND FORD HAS NO ANSWER IN COMPARISOME WITH ANY OF THEIR 4DOOR VEHICLES UNLESS YOU PAY FOOLISHLY.3 IMPALLA "SS" OR 1 BEEMER? NOT THAT HARD A QUESTION IS IT. OH YEH, DONT FORGET THE DOLLAR LOSS IN % OVER TIME . CHECK OUT THE RETAIL ON THEM ALL AND SEE WHO LOST THE MOST $ IN VALUE!!!!!!!!!

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  GM still remains no 1 - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Terry - August 16 - 3:05 pm

  Unlike some of the critics, I like the feel and smoothness of the ride. I dont expect a Nascar ride, ie, not a lot of speed. It has enough pickup to get up to the speed laws. Got a good employee discount and better yet no hassling. It turns good at corners. So far, and too soon to tell, it has no mechanical problems. So I would recommend giving it a try. GM is not all that bad, foreign cars have their quirks. Gas mileage is as good as any car depending on drivers habits. Tires are good, but you may want better if you drive a lot in snow. Like the drivers hooked mat, keeps from moving around back of pedals.

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  good truck - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By kckoch - August 16 - 10:17 am

  I drive alot of highways to and from work. I take care of the oil changes every 3000 miles and the mechanic says it is in good shape to reach 200,000 miles. The only nagging problem is the security light comes on once in a while. They want $3-400 dollars to replace the security system. I prevents the truck from starting once in a while and I have to wait 20 minutes for the system to reengage to start the truck. Over all it has been a good truck fo me!

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  95 Vette dark red 115,000 mi - 1995 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Joe - August 16 - 5:49 am

  Cons:Clear coat on wheels, peeled in 2004 and had to be recoated. Excessive moisture in the air, Vette will not start. Water pump went out. Replaced water pump, and all the wiring. I had to replace 4 distributors over a 12 month period. It still sometimes will not start. Pros: I had all new plugs and wiring done high quality. The performance was noticable. MPG went from 20 - 22, to 25 - 27 mpg. It has always been fun to drive, and what a pleasure it is on long drives. Sound quality is still good with the Bose Gold. May update later. I am deciding on what tires to replace it with, I will drive it all year long. Other than starting problems, the car is awesome.

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  Need to fix wheel bearings - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Melissa Sutherland - August 16 - 4:37 am

  I love the car in general. Good gas mileage, great factory stereo system, very reliable. I travel a lot, so I love that I can rely on it. My only complaint is Ive only had the car a year and had to replace 2 wheel bearings. Otherwise its a great car.

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  Watch maintenance expenses on older cars - 1995 Chevrolet Caprice
  By R - August 16 - 2:14 am

  Opti-spark ignition causes tune up to be $500+ in parts, and 8hrs+ labor. Good thing its got a 100K mile recommended tune up interval. Electronic speedo display prone to failure. AIR pump (smog control device) fails on nearly every car. Interior door panels (esp. drivers) prone to falling apart. However, in spite of this, I absolutely love this car. Drive it 31 miles each way to work, with about 21 MPG highway, for a full size car with 155K miles on it.