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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  Worst car I owned - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By najju12 - April 18 - 10:10 am

  I dont know what people see in this car, but it is the worst car I have ever owned in my life. Family always told me to stick with toyota camry or Honda Accord, I wanted something different, and boy did I made the biggest mistake of my life. A hollow car with very bad steering and tie rod ends breaking every 10 to 20k miles. Its started to rust and good luck if you want to do some extra mods on this vehicle because it will make sure to either use stock products or it will make you pay arm and leg to drive around again. GM should be shamed of themselves and I will NEVER, EVER BUYING A GM FOR SURE. And anyone who want to take chances, good luck with disappointment. Youve been warned.

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  Awesome car! - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By volkerbradley - April 18 - 6:31 am

  Have had this car for about a month now. Topped off the gas tank when I bought the car and have not been to the gas station since. The styling is beautiful. In fact, I have been stopped by strangers on several occasions to discuss the car. The car is comfortable and has a solid feel while driving. The instrument panel is comphensive, the Bose radio sounds beautiful, having OnStar and the OnStar app on my phone is a real helpful feature.

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  Our 2nd Equinox. Great vehicle - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By alititude2087 - April 17 - 9:41 pm

  Traded in my 2010 that had 67,000 trouble free miles for a loaded LTZ. I have the 2.4 and after 10k the fuel economy has improved from 23ish to about 28mpg highway. I drive 30,000 plus highway miles per year and find the Equinox to be one of the most solid highway performers in the compact suv market. I find it well built and stylish.

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  Incredible little truck - 1992 Chevrolet S-10
  By sc_redneck - April 16 - 3:11 pm

  I bought this truck in 2010 with 126000 miles on it. it was still running like new at the time. It had overheating issues from offroading, but after they were fixed it ran like brand new. made the 1100 mile drive from SC to TX running steady at 70 mph and made it 450 miles on one tank. The only design flaws have been cosmetic (overwieght doors, window track issues). Incredbly easy to fix, customize, and do major repairs on. The truck is 20 years old, still has the factory motor and transmission, has 144000 miles on it and still runs like a champ. Easily the greatest financial descision i have ever made. I will replace the engine before i sell it (if the engine ever dies).

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  The more I drive this 2002 Z28 the more I love it - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By xxxfelix - April 14 - 11:36 pm

  I bought a 2011 Camaro 2LT with variable valve timing, twin cam, 4 valves per cyclinder direct injected V6 (state of the art), the advertised hp is 312. I also bought a used 2002 Z28 with the LS1 engine from the same dealer for a good price. The advertised hp is 310 for the 2002 Z28. But when I drive each car, the 2002 Z28 seems a whole lot more powerful. Elapsed time at a control track also proves the z28 is more powerful. I did some reseach and found that for the 1998 to 2002 LS1 engines, the true hp at the rear wheels on the camaro is more like 350 (same LS1 in the corvettes). The torque ratings were also dumbed down by GM on these camaros

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  Fun and Able - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By still_waiting - April 14 - 1:50 pm

  Theres not many conditions that I havent driven the old girl through. Much like most people have problems with the headlamps and taillights seem to go out more often then usual - but unlike most I havent had any problems with the tires. Breaks tend to whine on light stopping while its raining but that can be considered normal. Had it for quite a while now with a little over 64k on it almost all highway miles aside from some light racing on it. She can redline without worrying whether or not somethings going to blow or not. Great car, extremely fun, no real high maintnence, only complain is the 30mpg highway seems like a lie - around 24 average with cruise on.

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  Solid, Safe & Reliable - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By c_ram - April 14 - 12:01 pm

  After 3 years, I have followed the recommended maintenance schedule and had a great experience. We bought it for the safety (side airbag curtains standard & crash test results) & reliability and have not been disappointed. In response to the previos post, GM was bailed out by the government in March 2009 well after the 2008 Impala was designed, built and most likely sold. It is not responsible for your experience. Nor are the dealers, which are independently owned and operated.

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  everywhere and back - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By mycars201 - April 13 - 5:11 pm

  i was giving this car as a present from my parents in high school in 2006 it had 40k miles on it, and it was a good little first car, drove me everywhere i needed to go, im 6" ft so its not the biggest and i couldnt fit more then 3 people in my car. i went to college in Oregon and did very well in the rain, considering im from arizona and thats where the car had lived most of its life, i drove 3 hrs every weekend from the coast to portland back never let me down. the longest trip this car has taken was a 16 drive to san fran and was perfect, sold it 96k miles and only did routine maintenance, brakes oil change, never had to replace clutch, did have to replace soarks at 90k

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  2nd one! =) - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By simplyme - April 13 - 10:00 am

  1st was an 03 Impala LS Hit 300.XXX time for a trade in lol. got an 02 Had it for a while now, and its absolutely amazing just as well as my 03. comfort A+, hes quick, comfortable. and has never left me stranded, Havent had the security issue. gets 27MPG constantly, Homelink is amazing... traction control does wonders. my only issue is the heated seats go out frequently.. but Im cool with it, pardon the pun xD Pretty sure my next one will be a SS =) Def recommend this car.

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  Love it - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By alanlpa - April 13 - 8:59 am

  Have had the volt fdor 2 weeks now, gone 300 miles and not used a drop of gas yet The estimated milage is bogus, you get much more. this car is really built, i have had 2 Pirus prior to this a 2004 and a 2007, they are like tin cans compared to the Volt.