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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  Just middle of the road - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By slimjim - April 29 - 8:59 pm

  I have had my Malibu for 3 years now and I can tell you it is good all around transportation. It is just about the right size. Has all the right options. I have the LS so it has most of the toys I like having. One complaint I do have with the car is I had to replace the brakes and rotors with only 34000 miles and I blame that one on GM. So, knocking on wood, I can say this has been a rather trouble free car so far. I hope it stays that way.

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  Gas lover - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By ct - April 29 - 7:40 pm

  Love the truck but the gas tank is empty most of the time. I have 3.73 gears for pulling boats and heavy loads and the best mpg on the highway at 55 is 15.9. Not 20 mpg.

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  The Bed Rock of GM Value - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By MikeDeas - April 29 - 7:01 pm

  I was not initially impressed with this Impalas styling as I thought it was a bit conservative but inoffensive. But a closer look at the contents, prior experience with its 3.8L V-6 (older design) and a test drive converted me out of my 2000 Chrysler LHS which while roomier, and less prone to wind gusts, used 89 octane fuel (vice the 87 octane for this Chevy) and more of it. The Impala LS was also more tightly assembled and to date, Ive had not one problem. GMs current profitability problems certainly werent caused by this Chevy!

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  Love It! - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Sam - April 29 - 4:40 pm

  I just got this car about 3 weeks ago, and I absolutly love it. Its very quiet, has all the features I need and then some, and its just a very fun car to drive. I do have a few small complaints about it though, such as the blind spots, the low beams, and you cant burn a tire! (although I dont think thats necessarily a bad thing) The car itself is beautiful and I am absolutly in love with the interior, especially the "ambient blue lighting" The gas mileage does leave me wanting more, but I am biased, my last car was a 99 Sunfire which got great mileage, but wasnt nearly as much car as this one is, so I guess its an even trade. People have even come up to me and compliemented me on it!

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  Another mediocre GM car. - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Peter - April 29 - 3:34 pm

  Ive done all the preventative maintenance to date on my Cavalier. The brakes chatter most, but not all the time. Often cannot get out of 1st or 2nd gear without pumping the clutch. Dealer tried fixing that by overfilling transaxle a dumb idea. Electric windows are unreliable: sometimes they roll up, sometimes they dont. Power steering groans. Seats offer poor back support and have only two controls. No inside trunk release. Intermittent wipers often dont work. No outside air shut-off. No separate vent shut-offs. Cheap carpet. Engine stumbles, especially when cold, but good power. No passenger window or door controls on driver side. Dash warped squeaks. Cigarette lighter fell off into unreachable area of dash interior. Minimal instrument panel.

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  Extremely pleased - great for tall drivers - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ljski - April 29 - 2:18 pm

  Only 350 mi. on it so far. An excellent choice if you put high priority on fuel economy, a comfortable & quiet ride, comfortable seats, leg room, the capacity versatililty of SUV. Its a great highway cruiser offering one of the most pleasing & serene rides Ive experienced in a vehicle of this price. Its relatively heavy which, along w/ its high waistline translates into a solid secure feeling. But it wont wow you with its pep or its cornering (which are still certainly acceptable) Great front & rear seat room for 64" guy; headroom is good even w/ a sunroof. I chose it over RAV4, CRV, Venza and Sorrento. Seems good value if you can get at invoice w/ 0% finance and $1500 cash bac

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  Better than a Caddy for less - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By justy - April 29 - 7:05 am

  The most complete vehicle I have owned in years. Will trade for a new one if this one ever dies. Engine does well above expectations. Interior is like sitting in my own private entertainment center.

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  Love it! - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By texanspice - April 28 - 7:56 pm

  I love the new Trailblazers! Handles like a dream on corners. Room for the whole family. Beautiful color choices. I chose superior blue metallic. Great accents.

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  Trouble from the Start - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By loca - April 28 - 6:35 pm

  I got my Cavalier in Aug of 2000 and from the beginning it had a chirp sound coming from the driver side wheel..The dealership didnt know how to fix it. Everything else was fine with the car until 2003 when the transmission fluid and oil kept leaking. I would get it fixed and then 4 months later I am in the same situation. Right now it needs a new transmission and a new catalytic converter and leaked out both fluids. Im in the process of replacing it now. I would not suggest that anyone ever get this car. I know I will never buy another GM vehicle again.

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  Ok, but many problems - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Shawn Martin - April 28 - 4:22 pm

  The truck is neat in its design, but this makes it very, very large. Performance is poor (sloppy brakes, sloppy steering, handling and acceleration). I had mine back to the dealer six times within the first 9 months at which point I sold it to buy a different brand. Great concept, but GM needs to do a lot of work on overall build quality, interior design quality and performance (needs a little sport).