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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  excellent vehicle - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Julie R - November 11 - 9:55 am

  Comfort is out of this world. Everything you need is at your fingertips and easy to use. Enough room for the family and more. Wouldnt buy anything else now that I have owned this SUV!

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  EXCELLENT BUY!! I LOVE IT! - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Jpotter - November 11 - 9:44 am

  I absolutely adore this car! My husband bought a 2005 for me this past August. The only complaint I have is that one of the seat belts jammed up on us and we had to take it back under warranty to have fixed. But over all, I love the feel, the drive, the comfort and everything about this car! Gas mileage is not all that great, but anyone that buys a big truck like that already knows and shouldnt be surprised.

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  Nice Car - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Classic
  By RED - November 11 - 4:43 am

  Nice car few issues such as brakes have an 2004 classic bought an 2008 classic the v6 is powerful nice pick up and smooth ride. Fuel economy is very good almost the same as 4 cylinder.

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  97 blazer - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By dbowis - November 10 - 10:19 pm

  This vehicle has 145000 miles on it and is still very reliable and everything works.

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  Honeymoon Is Over - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By John Philips - November 10 - 9:11 pm

  I have owned my 2012 Cruze Eco since 2012 and it now has 75,000 miles on it. Until recently I did not have one issue with the car that wasnt covered under warranty. The car has also been recalled about 5-7 times, again for free repair and not for anything that ever impacted the way the car operated. Recently I had a pool of oil under the car and was told it was a broken oil line which connected to the turbocharger. This in my opinion is that infamous Chevy "quality" rearing its ugly head. Something like this should not fail in any car with my mileage. This repair was not covered under warranty (it really should be!), but was relatively inexpensive to fix, only $120. I have owned two Chevys in the past (late 90s/early 2000s) and had horrible quality problems. It took me more than a decade to get back into my Cruze, which I still enjoy. Its fun to drive and has some points to it that are much nicer than any other car in its price class. The electronic button that opens the trunk has also failed recently, so there isnt any other way to open the trunk except for the button on the key fob. Again, this is a quality problem that should not be happening to any car. My friend owns a 2012 Cruze and his button has also failed as well. Not covered under warranty, and the quote I got to fix it was $360. Its more of an inconvenience than anything else, and I elected not to spend (waste) $360 on a simple button replacement. The recall letters keep coming fairly steadily, but the ones I am getting recently ask me to bring the car in only if I should start experiencing certain problems. I am afraid that I have more quality issues on the horizon. Im beginning to question whether I should trade it as I am nervous that more repairs and out of pocket expenses are coming. Ill probably just drive it until thats not possible any longer. The fact is I have over 75,000 miles and it has run really, really well. I think that 100,000 miles will be easily achieved within the next few years. Well keep our eyes on it and see what happens.

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  Great Ride - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Mark Schneider - November 10 - 4:49 pm

  This is the second new Corvette I have purchased in my lifetime, the first being a 1974 convertible 454 (last of the big blocks). Needless to say the 2004 is a far superior car. The 2004 is by far the best car I have every owned and is truly a world class sports car. The paint job is flawless. The 6 spd transmission allows the car to get over 30 mpg on the highway which is better than a lot of 6 or even 4 cyls. The convertible top which is manual takes all of 15 seconds to put down and fits so well there are no air leaks or water leaks when going through a car wash. The run flat tires give you a great sense of security knowing you will never have to change a flat tire.

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  Chevy Cavalier - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By JoCar - November 10 - 2:32 pm

  This car took some steep mountains in VA and never fell below 50mph. Incredible for a 4cyl. Averaged 37mpg thru the mountains.

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  My First Muscle Car - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By droberts - November 10 - 1:38 pm

  This is my first V-8... Ive owned a Honda Accord, Acura Integra, and Infinti I30t... I was ready to try something radically different. The Camaro has been very fun.. I love the Power and the T-Tops. Doesnt have the build quality of the other cars Ive owned, but my other cars a lot more $$$ to buy. This car makes lots of odd noises... but if you push the gas pedal the cool sound of the V-8 drowns out all the other noises. Ive had one consistent problem with the car, which the dealer and other mechanics have been unable to resolve... the power is uneven on light engine load conditions... If It werent for this problem Id probably be in love with this car.

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  Great looks, performance and comfort... Im a fan! - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Curt - November 10 - 12:36 pm

  Im impressed with pretty much every aspect of the all-new Malibu. The styling is super appealing, at least in my eyes. I went with the 1LT with the Sun & Wheels package, Driver Confidence package, Leather (with 9-speaker Bose system) package, and the Convenience and Technology package. Let me say, the 1.5L Turbo is surprisingly peppy. And fuel economy is outstanding! I achieved 38.3 mpg over a 50 mile drive. And, in stark contrast to another reviewer here, Im throughly impressed with the stop/start technology. Its pretty much seamless. And in rush-hour, stop and go traffic I like the fact that Im not wasting fuel and pumping hydrocarbons! I often drive 200 - 300 miles a day for my job, and Im not totally fatigued when I get home at night. The new seating w/power lumbar is comfortable and supportive. Oh, an lots and lots of rear seat leg room, unlike the Malibu this replaces! OK... only one downside. Like I said, I drive a lot. And I find I have to fill the tank about every day and a half. I wish the tank was a bit larger, but I guess that would affect the overall fuel economy. Drive it. I think youll like it.

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  2010 LT2 RS WOW - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Terry McCann - November 10 - 9:56 am

  Very fun to drive. V6 is a very impressive performance for a v6. Over all Very impressed