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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  Great Car - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By TMO - July 3 - 10:00 am

  Stylish, fun to drive car that has just enough stuff and cost about $10,000 afetr haggling with the dealer. I love the interior and the 5 speed is realy great.

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  Impala SS - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By RD5 - July 3 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned my Impala SS for one month and have 675 miles. It runs great, no lag from the supercharger and handles very well. The brakes are great, got 24.2 mpg on my first tank.

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  Love my Monte SS - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By 06 monte ss owner - July 3 - 9:20 am

  A wonderful car for under $30,000. The V8 is powerful and quiet when driving. I love all the room in the backseat and in the trunk. This is the only sporty 2 door I found that was big enough for 2 children.

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  new in Nashville - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jbech - July 3 - 4:50 am

  So far I am very happy with all aspects of the vehicle. Fun to drive.

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  Problems from the word go - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By hatemyventure - July 3 - 12:52 am

  Our van has had problems from the word go. Within two months our driver side window had problems going up and the interior roof liner began sagging. The window, we were always told was due to sand in the track. This is not the case.The liner we were told was a known problem but the engineers dont know how to fix it. Two years and two seasons of owning our van, our condenser for the air conditioning went. We were told it was due to a bad weld but chevy refused to fix it because we were past the warranty in miles. They did offer to fix a head gasket that we were not aware was problematic. In the end before our two year ownership anniversary the van needed $2300 worth of uncovered work.

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  Great but Disappointing MPG - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By brucebolen - July 2 - 6:56 am

  Great looks, quality interior, comfortable and quiet ride, adequate power. Sound system and use of switchgear totally OK. Great back seat room. Build quality seems solid except chrome door trim along windows. LTZ has great features but lacks homelink. Memory on drivers seat needs more automation (button has to be held down while it moves, easy to hit the wrong button). Gas mileage not anywhere near advertised and 600 mile range is a total joke. Best case with soft, steady pedal is 29 highway at 55 mph, have really tried hard to get more by coasting, no hard passing, easy acceleration. Gas tank can take 2 more gallons after (legal) auto cutoff (we cant fill our own cars in Oregon)

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  Great Car - 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By CL Watkins - July 1 - 9:00 pm

  I bought mine a SS Superchaged black on black w/ everything but the XM, which I added myself later in May 2004. It was actually hidden in the back of the dealers mini-van lot and I was shopping for the SS Supercharged Impala, but did not like the "INDY" stuff all over. The car is excellent, great fuel economy, with power, style, comfort, and a little attitude. I have found websites w/ all sorts of extras. I am very familiar with power and the Monte is OK, not blistering,but great highway acceleration. Great car.

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  I love this car - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By BrianOHu2005 - July 1 - 7:22 pm

  I bought my car a little over a year ago. This has been the best car Ive ever had. It gets great gas mileage, is fun to drive, fairly comfortable, and it has an amazing amount of room inside for being no bigger then it is. So far, it has also been the most reliable car Ive ever had. Althought I would never shop at this dealer again, I would buy this car again.

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  A fair car for the price, BUT. - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Chaps Joo - July 1 - 6:45 pm

  I bought a three-year old car. Now it has 65K miles after driving it for 3 years. The gas pedal is reponsive enough since I have been utilizing it at high RPM. The steering is fairly good up to 85 MPH. Comfort? Are you kidding? It is a compact car. I am not sure about its reliability. It had three times of mechanical maintenance except oil, tire & spark plug changes. 1. The engine light kept on due to carbon built inside the engine chamber. I use Octane 87 gas. 2. The alternate became bad. 3. I replaced the whole A/C compressor and related system (costs over $800). I am expecting more repair works sooner or later. If you want a used Cavalier, please think it again.

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  Disappointed with Chevy - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By myuplander - July 1 - 6:23 pm

  The door locks on the Uplander are programmed to open when you shift into park. Chevy claims this is a safety feature and cannot be changed. Any mother with children will know that this is in no way a safety feature. It is ridiculous to suggest that doors unlocking are for my personal safety or for that of my children. Women with children are the primary users of minivans, and we need time to gather our children and belongings when we stop. We hope to do it in a safely locked car. Women with young children will worry that both doors will open at the same time letting their children free, to go in both directions.