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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  Thanks Edmunds for the Deal - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By RegRock - March 10 - 10:08 am

  I saw the car on Edmunds at a low cost and only 11,000 miles. Still cant believe the value for an incredible car. Darcars of Marlowe Heights honored the Edmunds deal and I purchased my dream car within 2 hours.

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  Impala GAS (SS) - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Gary from Dayton - March 10 - 3:26 am

  I was in the market for an SUV and I wanted a foreign brand. I felt a loyalty toward American cars so went to a dealer to look at a TrailBlazer. I saw the Impala SS, test drove it, and was hooked. I forgot how fun it was to drive--it all came back to me when I touched the gas pedal. This was the CAR. I am not a fan of leather so I was happy to find a black Impala with cloth. I also have a 2005 Accord V6 coupe. The mpg listed on the sticker is 29 HGWY, my Impala is listed at 28, a one mile difference, but that is as close as the Honda can come to the Impala. OnStar, remote start, power,ride. I would like to use reg gas in it though.

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  Caprice Classic Love it! - 1992 Chevrolet Caprice
  By schlots - March 10 - 2:00 am

  Purcased this car on an estate auction with 27,000 miles in 2001. Best car I have ever owned! Luxury, reliability, great to drive, and best of all, very economical.

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  Made it to 137,000. Time to move on. - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By Major Brock - March 10 - 2:00 am

  120,000 Headlight Lens fell off. 137,000 Replace in take and rear wiper does not operate. Wish it would have gone longer. All good things must come to an end.

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  a class of its own - 2004 Chevrolet Astro
  By mandoman - March 10 - 2:00 am

  mr. Edmunds-- as anyone who has owned an Astro Van can tell you, it is in a class of its own--true mid-size--I just bought my 4th one in 18 yrs. All have had over 200k mi.on them. I still own my 96 (in add. to my 03) with 260k with no major repairs. I have had a chance to see 1st hand , the Astro outperform, in almost ALL respects, the so called competition. GOD save the Astro !!

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  A GREAT CAR - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By INEZ VANDYKE - March 10 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE MY VEHICLE, IT IS VERY COMFORTABLE TO DRIVE. ITS BEATIFUL CAR, DRIVES GREAT IN HIGHWAYS, GOOD ON GAS. I LIKE THE SLIDING DOORS, ESPECIALLY WHEN MY HANDS ARE FULL.

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  2007 crew cab - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By brett - March 9 - 1:40 pm

  This is a great truck inside and out. Beautiful interior design with a smooth and quiet ride. DIC is great and very simple to use.

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  I take it back - 1993 Chevrolet Beretta
  By DTblueSS6moslater - March 9 - 2:00 am

  When I first got my beretta gtz with the quad 4 4 cylinder moter I was absolutely in love with it, It was great, fast and good on gas what more could I want. Man was I wrong not even 6 months after I bought it the engine went bad, real bad. I have talked to dozens of other people that have had the same experience. If you find a car with the quad four engine run far and fast. stay away it will only lead to heartache. long story short I paid 2500 for my gtz in less than 6 months put 3000 into and ended up selling it to the junkyard for 50 bucks. STAY AWAY FROM THE QUAD FOUR ENGINE OR I PROMISE IT WILL COME BACK TO HAUNT YOU .

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  Not So Xtreme S-10 - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Not So Xtreme - March 9 - 2:00 am

  I owned this 2001 S-10 Xtreme for a little over two and a half years. First off, this car got horrible gas mileage, about 15 city and 17 hwy. The build quality was not so great. The handle on the third door broke after about a year and a half (not covered by the standard warranty). The driver’s side seat belt clasp stopped working. There were multiple squeaks and rattles coming from the dash and side paneling. Finally, the chip resistant paint the car salesmen told me the truck had turned out to be not so chip resistant. It seemed like any little speck of dust that went over my car while driving on the freeway took out little bits of the paint.

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  2001 Astro AWD, what an inprovement - 2001 Chevrolet Astro
  By fourwindgsd - March 9 - 2:00 am

  This is the second Astro I have owned, the other being a 1995 AWD that was a maintenance nightmare. But the Astro is so ideal for my needs that I traded for the 2001 AWD. What a difference! So much more thoughfully laid out, seats are MUCH lighter (still no picnic) to remove. The driver controls are thoughfully laid out easy to reach and control. The response to driver imput is much improved and better power when its needed. The rocker arm mouldings are a nice addition and make the van more attractive than the 1995. I am very happy with my purchase and expect to continue with the Astro/Safari for yet another one.