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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  My Green Monster - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By EE Geek - June 17 - 1:54 am

  Bought it new after lots of research. Wow! what a car! Gobs of horses - much more than GM specs. Excellent fuel economy - 30 mpg @ 80-85 mph (18 city). Great handling, yet doesnt wear tires very fast (40K miles per set of Z-rated). Cheap to maintain and absolutely no quality problems. Seats are the most comfortable of any car Ive driven - 16 hour trip will not cause neck or back pain. Lots of features for my $22,300: ABS, Monsoon CD, cruise, fog lights, AC, power everything! Excellent dealer support. Mystic Teal color is a cop repellant - never had a ticket in 7 years. Great looks that arent dated. Best engine of all time (LS1). Please bring it back GM!

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  Great Family Vehicle With Good Looks. - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By jenandjonm - June 16 - 6:23 am

  We bought this car for more room while I was pregnant with my second child. We originally wanted a SUV, but not the gas milage. Hubby sugested a Suburu wagon, but I think wagons are ugly, ditto for mini vans. Husband and I are both tall and needed leg room, plus rear leg room for occasional adult passengers and those huge child car seats. The Maxx was a great find. Im always getting compliments on the styling and people are curious what it is. The handling is great, especially at slow speeds in the parking lot. Plenty of power for those curvey hilly roads and freeway passing. All with great gas milage. It gets about 30-35 mpg on long trips, and 25 in town.

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  Super Bee Colbolt - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Matthew - June 16 - 3:05 am

  My Cobolt is a Canarie yellow 2008 sport with 162.000 miles on it and in mint condition..Stickers from the factory are still on car frame..It is a five speed standard..My entire life I have owned muscle cars but I will tell you that this car will do what u want it to without any complaints..Regular maintenance is the key ..All I have had to replace are brake pads and 1 clutch..Yeah in some models there have been some upsets but if you can grab a 2008 sport 5 speed..Take it

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  Would rent, Would not buy. - 2015 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Adam - June 16 - 2:47 am

  I had a 2015 Malibu as a rental for a week. I drove approximately 300 miles during the week I had it. The positives are that the interior is relatively quiet and comfortable considering the price point of this car. There is sufficient power there, but it is difficult to access/control because of the drive by wire throttle (more on that later). The brakes are capable and the car holds the road well on twisty/hilly terrain. It feels confident and easy to control at highway speeds. Gas mileage was OK. The computer informed me that my average was 26.1mpg over the course of my time with the car. Mostly city/suburban and a little highway driving. The most glaring issue I noticed immediately is how hard it is to see out of this car, both front and back. All new cars Ive driven seem to be this way, however. The large A-pillars make it hard to see around a corner and the large C-pillars make it hard to see what is behind you when backing out of a parking space. The windshield mounted rear view mirror may as well not even be there. It is useless unless what you are trying to see is precisely behind the car. Anything to either side is obscured by the C-pillars, which creates huge blind spots. The materials on the interior can be described as "cheap" to be kind. The plastics are hard and the texture is not pleasant to touch. My rental had the worst feeling steering wheel of any car I have ever driven. It felt like petting a crocodile. I understand that this is an entry level economy car and dont expect anything to be wrapped in leather or trimmed with wood, but Ive driven econo-boxes from the late 90s with better interior finish than this car. The worst problem I have saved for last. It is the horrendous throttle feel given by the drive-by-wire system. This is somewhat hard to explain, but it feels like the accelerator pedal is more of a suggestion to the engine rather than a direct translation of what my right foot is doing. The worst is when backing out of a parking space while going uphill. I would push the pedal, nothing happens, push some more, nothing happens...until I have it nearly to the floor and the car suddenly lurches out of the parking space. Instead of an even, predictable gradient of power, its either all or nothing. It is almost as if there is a 1 to 2 second delay between pedal input and engine response. It is most noticeable in city driving in situations when you need a little bit of power instantly, like when making a left hand turn into oncoming traffic. I was nearly involved in an accident due to the delay. Its only about a second or two, but when someone is driving toward you at 40mph, one second makes a lot of difference. This did not inspire confidence and I dreaded any time I had to take this car near a city. Once on the highway, the throttle problem is not so bad, but it is still hard to figure out how much to depress the pedal in order to achieve the desired results. I found myself over accelerating, or accidentally cutting someone off because of the vague feel to the accelerator. At its best the throttle is vague, annoying and unpredictable. At its worst, it is downright dangerous. This car was tolerable as a rental, but I would never buy one. By the end of the week I couldnt wait to get back into my old car.

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  Very good first car - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By cjeanine - June 15 - 8:58 pm

  Ive only had this car for about a year, and it was my first car. and I think for it being my first, I did pretty darn good. Its good on gas, and very easy to drive. The headlights turn themselves on at night, then off when the car is turned off, so I never have to worry about forgetting and leaving them on. The only annoying thing I can think of is that it doesnt always accelerate as fast as I want it to. Overall, a great, cheap, reliable car.

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  Fun, Fun, Fun - 2005 Chevrolet SSR
  By L.A. - June 15 - 11:02 am

  I have always enjoyed convertibles, however, this one tops all of them. It is exciting to drive, draws attention, and performs like a dream. The design is especially one of my favorites things about the SSR, not to mention the engine. And, you have the entire trunk to haul items around in. This one I will keep for more than three years.

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  Best all around car Ive owned!!!! - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Happi Car Owner - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I think the dealer trapped me :) My van needed to go in for service, and they gave me a 03 Monte for my rental! Thats all she wrote! I had to own one, so I made the purchace. Its handling for a car its size is incredible! Its performance is outstanding! The style is head turning! Its just an overall great car!

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  My second monte - 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By VMX_PanicRev - June 15 - 10:00 am

  My first Monte was a 98 LS. I put 130,000 city miles on her before trading. In that time I went thru 4 sets of tires, 1 battery and 1 alternator. It was good enough to mak me trade for another Monte. I hope my luck holds out with this one. Great car so far ;)

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  TOO MUCH FUEL - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By STROKER - June 15 - 10:00 am

  LOVE THE TRUCK HATE THE FUEL ECONOMY.IM AVERAGING 10 MPG. THE WORST FUEL CONSUMING TRUCK IVE EVER OWNED

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  Minor Flaws - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By TAT2 - June 15 - 10:00 am

  Other than the typical problems (squeaks, creaks and rattles) that most people get from Chevy, have few problems. Yoke was bad (free fix), the tailgate handle broke (free fix), and 4WD push button was recalled (free fix). Recently had recall on tailgate supports. Mileage not what I hoped, but is 5.3L 4WD V8 with over sized tires - 16 isnt bad. AC awesome, even in Arizona! Never a problem with overheating, pulls trailer with 4 motorcycles w/o even noticing. Plenty of room for 4 adults, comfort acceptable on long trips. Upgraded exhaust and intake for performance, great improvement. Rear doors are too hard to get into though.