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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  2006 LTZ - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Edwards - August 17 - 1:23 am

  Just purchased the new Impala, every mile that we drive it we like it more. Lots of standard features on this car. The only thing missing is programable seat adjustments. Great ride and comfort and excellent Bose sound system.

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  The "zippy car" - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Geraldine - August 16 - 9:46 pm

  This car is fun to drive, lots of power, avg 26 mpg. Lots of room to haul skis, and other bulky object with hatchback access. Love heated seats, remote start, auto climate control, traction control is great in snow and ice. Accomodates large people with ease as my husband is over 6 and has plenty of room. The switch control shifter is great for mountain driving and great for hills and control on snow and ice covered roads. GM hit a home run with this car as far as I am concerned. Glad we got the LT model.

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  50th Anniversary - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Sandman - August 16 - 7:33 pm

  I got rid of my expensive to repair VW GTI and bought the 50th anniversary model for 08. I love this car as it is a real hwy crusier unlike the GTI. I realy like the idea of OnStar for emergencies and road service. XM radio I dont think I will continue at the price they want. I thought there were not going to be any commericals, but there are many. Mileage so far has been only 23 mpg, but it still needs to be broken in more. I would really like a conv. Impala or at least a red interior like I had in my first 1959 Impala hardtop.

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  Love this vehicle - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By rick - August 16 - 5:37 pm

  It drives really nice. Quiet, and very comfortable interior. I love the acceleration in the little 1.5L, and I get mileage higher than rated. The electronics are easy to understand, and the Bose speakers sound terrific.

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  Surprised and Pleased - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By GMjoe - August 16 - 12:43 pm

  I purchased this SUV as a replacement for a rapidly declining/dead Olds. It has really surprised me how much I like it. It is great on the road, I see 22 mpg hwy and 16-18 city. The interior space is ample and very usable. I find it more usefull than my GMC long bed for many applications. This is the first car I have ever purchased that did not have any entries in the option side of the sticker. I have since added a trailer hitch and have been pleased with the towing performance with my sailboat. So far not one problem. Knock on wood!

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  Two Montes - 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Mark Coucke - August 16 - 12:26 pm

  I love my 2007 SS Monte Carlo, we just bought it this month. We already have a 2003 Monte Carlo and since we liked it so much we bought another one. We like the fact that it has a V8 engine. Our first one had a V6 and we really love them for travel and theyre beautiful cars.

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  2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By mccuts - August 16 - 8:43 am

  This is a pretty nice car. My wife drives very short distances with it. So the city mileage is low - 14 to 17 mpg. On the highway at 65 mph - 29 to 31 mpg. My gripe with this car is repairs! After having the car 6 months the drivers side air bag (the one mounted on the drivers seat) failed. Then when it got inspected a tie-rod end was bad. And the leather cover on the drivers seat keeps pulling away from the side air-bag mount. The stereo system is very poor. It is an SS so you would expect something really good - and it is NOT.

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  Excellent Car - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By mellibean - August 16 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car thinking that I would just keep a year or two. It was a used car, but I love it. I usually drove Dodge vehicles and just lost my Stratus to a bad car accident. I have to say this car is wonderful. I intially thought it was a "Old lady" car. But its sharp even at its age. I have to say I lucked out it only had 15000 miles on it upon purchasing it. I think its a very sharp car. It had all the extras and even the rims are cool. I have had other Lumina owners say "wow" I wish I had all those options. It looks more like a Monte Carlo on the inside and it mentions that on the orignal sticker and the title.

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  Love this car! - 1996 Chevrolet Corvette
  By LT1 - August 16 - 2:00 am

  We are in our early 30s with two children and have been playing with the idea to do sth not quite sensible about a car for quite a while. Next to an Outback and an Odyssey we wanted a fun to drive weekend car and test drove Boxsters, SLs and M3s. The Corvette is quite different in many aspects, it doesnt feel as expensive and not as luxurious as the others but it has some sort of spirit others cant deliver. The performance - even the LT1 - will blow you away. If you want a fun to drive two-seater and dont want to spend all $ of your equity line, get a C4 Corvette. The targa top is a nice alternative, to save serious $ on your insurance.

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  Better than Ford Expedition - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By yoyohong - August 16 - 2:00 am

  I have own both and the tahoe has a better engine and build quality, though not perfect.