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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  Sorry I bought this - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By spikey - April 12 - 1:20 am

  Transmission jerks when it downshifts into first, and if I press on accelerator as its doing this, there is a bang something loose on driver side drive train. Every bump makes terrible reverberating bangs/thuds. Cruise control kicks off because rpm is too erratic. Rough cold idle, and will stall after 10 minutes. CD player wont play CD-Rs without swooshing sounds. Interior rattles are driving me crazy, especially from passenger door pillar.

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  NOX Needs Work, but still nice - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By NOX Wife - April 11 - 11:53 pm

  My husband got our Nox as a free employee car. We like it, but I wouldnt buy this if it wasn;t free. The seats are not comfy and the silver color on the dash comes off easily- looks very cheap. It drives nicely enough, but I feel like the windshield is too far away. The power plug for cell phone is under the cupholder (duh!) and all that dead space under the console is really hard to keep clean. This vehicle looks great, but we wish it had better gas mileage. Great storage in the trunk and back seat. I will be buying a Honda CRV soon... nuff said.

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  Great first vehicle - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By nlv007 - April 11 - 6:05 pm

  This was my first vehicle, and I have not been dissapointed one bit! Interior is nicely designed, it does great in the snow, and it has been very reliable. The only major repair Ive had to make is replacing the gas tank after it rotted out from too many Ohio winters. My Blazer does everything I want, and takes me everywhere I need to go.

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  Poor Seat Configuration - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Demers Family - April 11 - 4:53 pm

  I hate the configuration of the second row seats. The latch system is only on the second row on the middle seat and behind the passenger seat. If you latch the infant seat behind the passenger seat you are forced to vacate the whole 3/4 bench in order to flip the seat forward to let the back seat passengers in and out of the vehicle. Also since it is a 3/4 seat that flips forward the carseat gets caught by the large seat and if the toddler has their hand in the path it gets caught by the seat flipping forward. We have only owned the vehicle two weeks and this has happened to our baby four times already. The second row needs to be redesigned for better access and easier use.

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  2004 Chevrolet Impala Base Sedan - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By G Simpson - April 11 - 12:50 pm

  The Impala is a modern stylish sedan with plenty of passenger room, trunk space, and a responsive engine that accelerates when you need it, yet gets excellent gas mileage! I love my Impala and am thinking about trading my other car for another Impala.

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  Just OK - 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By weezmachine - April 11 - 3:32 am

  I bought it used in 2001 with 100,000 miles on it, and it now has 155,000. I know the motor was rebuilt before I bought it. Ive replaced the brake pads 3 or 4 times, new rotors, starter went out, new headgasket, window motors replaced twice, trunk leaks, door leaks, replaced the battery, speakers are shot...I could go on with the list repairs Ive had done in 4 years. Not to mention its rusting everywhere! What do you expect for an 11 year old Cavalier though? Its pretty reliable though and it was decent to me for 4 years but Im sick of putting money into it that I could put into car payments for a newer car.

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  Love It! - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Denise R - April 10 - 2:28 pm

  I absolutely LOVE my 2003 Trailblazer! It gives me more room than a car, yet still gives me the room of a pickup. On long trips, we can lay down one of the back seats and BINGO! Just enough room for one person to lay down and sleep while the other is driving. If we pull over, we lay down both seats and have plenty of room for both of us to have a quick nap. With the luggage rack on top, there is plenty of room for everything from groceries to football equipment, to sleeping bags and pillows. Our dog especially loves when we leave both seats down, because he has a mini playground when we travel. Smooth riding and great gas mileage for our hard earned money. Thanks Chevy!

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  Fun - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Vince - April 10 - 12:56 am

  A little pricy even on base models. Tow package should be installed on all models standard. A little taller than regular trucks is a plus.

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  06 Maxx LT - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Dave71 - April 10 - 12:23 am

  Just bought the Maxx last week, but loving it so far. Had a 2003 Malibu, and this car is way beyond the previous generation, feels like its built better. Looked at Impalas, but really wanted something smaller and the Maxx was right up my alley. Love the power. Rides and handles great, although the previous owner put performance tires on it, so Im not sure if I will keep them. Love the ABS and traction control being standard equipment. The interior space amazes me. Was looking to buy a bike rack for my car, and this eliminates the need, in fact could fit 2 bikes in it. Overall, very pleased with the purchase so far.

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  Love the Camaro - 2016 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Chris A. - April 9 - 8:25 pm

  Great gas mileage for a Camaro but have to decide if its worth the trade off with the V6 for price, but very satisfied with the 4cyl Turbo.