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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  American dream - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By racerx-c5 - July 12 - 1:34 am

  The car is pretty much flawless. I have the beautiful magnetic red/ with a tan top, and tan interior color. Totally awsome. I get oooohhhs and ahhhhsss where ever I go. I got an automatic transmission- but should have got a 6 speed so my wife couldnt drive it.

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  Great Little Car! - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By JOHN RAMP - July 11 - 9:06 pm

  Remember what youre buying this car for. Shes a great little economy car- nothing fancy, but she still gets a lot of "thumbs up" on the highway from teenagers and old folks. The 1600 4- cyl scoots pretty well considering I have an automatic. I travel a lot of highway miles and keep it around 70mph constantly. Consistently get around 34 mpg. Not even close to my old Festivas 44 mpg, but this is a much better built car. It has tons of storage when the rear seat is folded down. Best $11,000 car you can buy.

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  STAY AWAY - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By JOE A - July 11 - 5:40 pm

  I recently rented a 2005 Cavalier on vacation and can honestly say it was one of the worst cars I have driven. The car itself was in fine condition with approx 22,000 miles so I cant blame the cars problems on the rental company. Where do I start...lumpy, uncomfortable, poorly contoured seats, bathtub seating position, quirky/non intuitive/poorly marked/dated controls, many squeaks and rattles, unattractive dash/interior, poor material quality, jiggly ride, poor stability control on the freeway. However, gas mileage was good. Overall, if I had to live with this car as a daily driver instead of a rental, I would trade it in. Stay away.

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  Disappointing (Borderline LEMON) - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By dandrews - July 11 - 5:08 am

  Just under 4000 miles. Transmission, radiator and converter replaced (three times in the shop, one more and its an official lemon). The transmission started acting up with less than 500 miles on the vehicle. Almost caused 2 accidents. New one works wonderfully so far. PCV valve is whistling on acceleration, needs replacement (per GM service bulletin). DVD player makes clicking sound in speakers when accelerating. Intermittent problems with radio and power sliding door. Rear seats are heavy and awkward to remove. No power liftgate option. Middle windows on side doors do not open. Only ONE built-in child seat on ONE trim level. Without headphones, everyone listens to DVD.

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  Good truck - 1990 Chevrolet S-10
  By sb - July 11 - 1:51 am

  Man, this is one of the best trucks ever. I have 367,000 miles on the original motor and transmission - great power.

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  drivers seat uncomfortable - 2016 Chevrolet Volt
  By deaconbluz@sbcglobal.net - July 10 - 10:18 pm

  There is no adjustment for lumbar support. I got such a good deal on the car, I convinced myself the seat would be good enough, but with any extended drive I Notice the lack of lumbar support. Also , in the position I am most comfortable, the steering wheel blocks the digital readout for speed, so I have no idea how fast I am going. Visibility is poor in all directions. The ride is smooth and quiet, acceleration is decent, and I love not using gas.I ordered a small inflatable pillow for my back, hope that solves the comfort problem. I take my dog to the beach a lot, so I like having a hatchback and folding the rear seats down.

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  What a Fun Ride - 1995 Chevrolet S-10
  By Kayle Drucker - July 10 - 8:28 pm

  This truck was my fathers truck before I got it at 16 yrs of age. It is a very dependable truck, even with a teenage behind the wheel. have 127,000 miles today. Just have the normal maintenance on the truck. I would recommend this truck to anyone. If you buy this truck get the V6 5 speed manual, that is where the fun comes into play. Hate to sell and will miss my truck but I do require more room to fit more people.

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  auto engine stop/start - 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
  By joe sammons - July 10 - 5:02 pm

  I traded for the equinox because it has a power lift gate. It also has dark glass in the back doors and lift gate that you cant see thru at night. It has a backup camera but its too bright. I cant see anything on the screen at night, but it,s OK in the day time. The reason for the low marks is the new feature called AUTO ENGINE STOP/START. I was not told about this feature. If i knew about this, I would not have traded for this equinox. This is the dumbest thing that I ever seen on a car. You pull up to a 4 way stop and the motor dies. When you release the break the motor restarts about a half second later. This is wrong to have something like this feature added to the car and not tell anyone about it. I know that it will cost big money for starters and batteries after the warranty runs out.

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  Disappointing Mileage for 3.4L - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By retsoor - July 10 - 3:28 pm

  Overall this 04 Impala is great! Its a good solid car and comfy to drive. Disappointed with fuel mileage. Top mileage for this 3.4L has only been 27.3 MPG. Besides everyday use, I use it to haul kayaks and bicycles . Had spoiler and alloy wheels installed. It has never let me down, though. Had a 2001 base Impala that was horrible. It spent more time in service department than on the road. Feel 04 Impala was overpriced but got a $4000 rebate and good price on trade-in. Yes, I would buy another base Impala. No car is perfect.

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  Great Car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By OMAR - July 10 - 12:30 pm

  I work as a salesman at a Chevy dealer. I get to drive all the new cars. When I looked at this car, I was like "nice". I drove and and was impressed. So I ended up buying it. I drive about 70 miles a day so good gas mileage is important. Which this car is getting 25 MPG in country roads. Ive owned it for a year now and am satisfied.