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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  OK car, poor mileage, uncomfortable... - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By erik_j_72 - April 9 - 10:00 am

  The seat is very uncomfortable. There is no lumbar support and I could not recommend this car for long trips. The seat only adjusts two ways: front-to- back and seat-back angle adjustment. The road noise and tire whine were very quiet, even at speeds around 75 mph. Ride quality was acceptable, although many small bumps on the highway that other cars had no trouble with caused the Impalas steering wheel to jerk and jitter. There was ample trunk space and rear seat storage space for my equipment. After a quick trip to the gas station the gas milage was a measly 18 mpg, absolutely HORRIBLE for 100% highway driving.

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  Equinox but not equal - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By abethecat - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Terrific Value. My first domestic vehicle in 20 years. I compared BMW X3, Volvo XC 90, Lexus 330 and Acura MDX. Although the interior is not the best appointed in the class, the exterior is a grabber. I loaded mine up to be fair with the competition. With my GM supplier discount I paid $24,455 and got $1000 truckfest rebate. I like the no hump in back for kids to get in and out easily. Fuel economy is better than average, but I was suprised my insurance co. rated it a 16. I am looking forward to take it on vacation and see how it does on a longer ride. Maybe GM is on the right track to bring back the aging yuppies!

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  New SS Impala - What are you waiting for? - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By garsarno - April 9 - 5:46 am

  Just purchased the car on 1/27/07. A real performance family car. Comfortable, roomy, an ideal business vehicle with the flip up rear seat bottom cushions for luggage/briefcase storage without marring the leather seat. Large trunk / fit and finish very good. Standard remote start and XM satellite radio / OnStar.

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  dont buy - 1997 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tn - April 9 - 2:00 am

  this was the first car i ever financed,thought i was getting a great deal, within the first month my anti- theft system locked up, and my power window/lock switch broke. i went through 2 sets of brakes, one day it wouldnt start, had it towed to chevy dealership were it sat for 4 days i couldnt get them to look at it. my husband ended up fixing it in the parking lot himself. 1 week before i traded it the emegency brake got stuck i could still drive it but every time i pulled out it made the dinging sound. the bad part is i only owned it 1 year.

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  Auto Transmission... - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By TreyT - April 9 - 2:00 am

  I saw a lot of comments about the auto trannys in these reviews and figured Id try to help out with auto trannies and possible problems. The 4L60E is a great transmission one of the best...HOWEVER, many people dont realize the transmission fluid needs to be completely flushed about every 20k miles...also getting rebuilds from a top notch GM rebuilder that has all the latest fixes is crucial. A mild shift kit will also help increase the logevity. A transmission cooler also helps a LOT. If the fluid flushed (not just changed) every 20k the transmission will go 100+k easily...unless you just beat on it.

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  Chevy Trailblazer EXT Family Transporter - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Go Spartans - April 8 - 11:26 pm

  This vehicle replaced our Chevrolet Venture Warner Brothers model mini van. They both had pros and cons. The handling of the SUV is better and the acceleration is better. The roominess with the longer wheel base is limited by the folding rear seats. It is nice to set up higher, but when you have little kids it is harder for them to get in on their own. Over all I enjoy every time I get to drive the Trailblazer. My neighbors like it too.

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  Great used car - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Brad - April 8 - 11:04 pm

  I bought this car for my daughter in 2015, and I just started driving it myself this week. Might I say that she drove it HARD for those two years. It currently has 177,000 miles, and is running great. Good gas mileage. I havent had any of the troubles that the other folks are talking about (yet). I do all of the maintenance on all of my cars, and so far have only had to tackle the typical stuff (rear struts, new tires, EGR purge valve, muffler, thermostat, etc). Gotta say the thermostat is a real bear to change on this car. Did so, and put in a slightly cooler one to hopefully avoid the intake manifold gasket problem. I am very happy with it.

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  3/4 ton HD SUV - 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
  By j leishman - April 8 - 2:00 am

  Pulls a 7000 pound trailer great, very versatile as it carries 4X8 sheets of material. Burns not a drop of oil at 107000 miles. Every feature still works good.

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  Great fun car - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By drkoz0123 - April 8 - 2:00 am

  My Cavi was my 2nd car. I was looking for something sporty, reliable, and more safe than my previous car to go back and forth to college. Currently have 64000 miles. Only had a few problems but nothing major. One of them was recalled 2 years later and GM has been great to refund then money. Its great on fuel. Does OK when its really cold, Ive been stuck without a vehicle because it was too cold a few times. Seats are a little uncomfortable and bad for very tall and/or larger people. Needs more cup holders. Needs a better stereo system which I changed. The seat that folds down in back is great to haul stuff. Seems to dent and scratch easy.

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  Nice vehicle - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By schwinn - April 8 - 2:00 am

  The Blazer is fun and easy to drive. I feel it should get better fuel milage considering a silverado gets about the same yet is an 8 cylinder not a 6. This is my second blazer and a common problem is the failure of the balljoints. The engine and tranny are strong and power is there when needed.