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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  GM customers deserve better - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By warren - March 1 - 4:46 pm

  I get around 15.5 mpg. Its comfortable to ride in. Wiper blades were shot after less than 20 hrs of use. Exterior paint scratches easily. For what I paid I am not happy. GM got more for thier money than I did. Putting new wiper blades on a new $34,000. dollar truck irks me to no end.

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  Very Dependable - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By steeler3 - March 1 - 8:46 am

  I bought this truck new in May of 01. I currently have 276,000 miles on it and it runs like a top. I get 17+ MPG. I regularly change oil/filter and fuel filter and keep tires rotated. Ive only had to replace the fuel pump once (although the fuel gauge was bad for the last two years). Ive put two sets of brakes, two alternators, two ujoints, one catalytic converter, two window motors. Overall, this truck has been great. Keep in mind: 276,000 miles and still counting. Recently gota a speeding ticket and officer wrote "08 Silverado" (Thats how good it looks)

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  GREAT TRUCK - 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Dan - March 1 - 7:31 am

  Only got it two months ago. Very pleased so far. Taken a 1400 mile trip and everything was great. Very comfortable. Great mileage for full size truck

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  It aint stellar, but it delivers the goods - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jay from Philly - March 1 - 2:34 am

  Would have given 3 1/2 stars rather than 4. My wife had been sinking all of her money into another car she had gotten before we got married and when the transmission went we finally junked it and looked for a new to us car. The 2000 Chevy Malibu LS was available in a corner used car lot and I went to check it out. Cons first: The styling is bland and the interior is all cheap plastic and fabric and the radio is crap. Pros next: The car started up right away and handled very well for a boring 4 door family sedan. There was a surprising amount of pep in the engine. The trunk holds more than expected and the the cheap interior is pretty roomy. My wife loved it and we bought it the next day. She drove that car for 4 1/2 years and put 50,000 miles on it on highways and potholed city streets. We had to fix the drivers power window, pull the remote lock when the Service Soon light came on, replace the serpentine belt, replace a melted tab that kept brake lights on, and changed the battery once. Other than that the car was only in the shop for inspection or oil changes. It handled snow just fine and we trusted it to carry our most precious cargo, our children. We finally needed a bigger car when the children grew, but it was still running when we sold it. Our old Chevy Malibu didnt owe us anything. Its an underrated car.

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  Metro mania - 1998 Chevrolet Metro
  By Jay Pope - March 1 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Metro. I got this 1998 2 dr used and have been a bit disappointed at the lower mpg as compared to my 4 dr 93 GEO. Still, with winter cold starts and a commute of only 7 miles city driving to work, I got over 36 mpg. Hope to get 40 mpg with the warmer weather. Wonderful car around town. Fun to drive. Easy to maintain. Resale value is about 100% so far.

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  My great little cavi - 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By venusL13 - March 1 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car used and have owned it myself for almost 5 years. This car has been nothing but wonderful. Repairs have been few and all milage appropriate. The car handles beautifully and is fantastic in the snow. The car has over 100,000 miles on it and is still going strong. I would highly recommend this car.

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  Not too great... - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By brandon30263 - March 1 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this 2003 S-10 for 8 months, Ive had it in the service shop over 9 times... Tranmission shifts really hard, and big delay when slowing down, then speeding up.

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  not perfect, but still pretty good - 1996 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Submech - March 1 - 2:00 am

  This is my 2nd Suburban and Im pleased with it. Its comfortable for my 63" frame, roomy for my family and their friends, and a great all-around vehicle. The Vortec 5.7 is a reliable engine developing sufficient power for towing a mid-size pop-up camper with fully loaded cabin. Fuel economy varies with speed and throttle finesse, but ranges from 12.5 around town to 21 on the hwy. See "Suggested Imrovements" for my complaints.

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  Reliable car - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Donald stavish - March 1 - 2:00 am

  I have had no costly repairs to talk about

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  Best Vehicle in 3 classes - 2004 Chevrolet Astro
  By trsmith - March 1 - 2:00 am

  If your looking for a SUV, truck or mini-van this is it except better. Its all of the above. Plenty of room for cargo and people. It tows up to 5000 lbs(AWD version)and seats 6 people without feeling cramped, 8 for those short trips. The LT version provides a luxury feel to this "mid size Van". I never driven a more stable vehicle on snow,water and ice (again AWD). Our initial intention was to buy a larger SUV (smaller SUVs are no comparison) and when we looked at overall interior space, power and fuel economy we became ASTRO owners and yet saved about 10,000 dollars.