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:

• 

  Great Truck - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Bobby - January 2 - 1:43 pm

  This truck is better than advertised. I cannot say one negative thing. It will flat pull a house off its foundation.

• 

  What a gift! - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Eric - January 2 - 11:30 am

  My wife and I just received a gorgeous 2002 Pewter C5 "Base" with the AT as a gift from my father-in-law. The past six years he drove it less than 2500 miles. I was never too sure about Corvettes in the past because the ones I had ridden in were older (pre-C5) and felt like a car without shocks. Not this car. The ride is so comfortable I could use it as a daily driver. As it is, I am greatly enjoying this car. There was about $2,500 worth of deferred maintenance, but with a clean bill of health and only 120K miles, this car is in remarkable condition. Not a single ding in the body and the paint is flawless, which says a lot about how GM took care in the factory paint process. The drivetrain is the most responsive of any vehicle I have ever owned, and the handling is very tight. There are a few minor rattles (I would expect this for the age and mileage) and the drivers side window is frozen in the up position, so tomorrow I am taking it to a friend who has done a lot of work on GM vehicles. Apparently the window problem is common with Vettes. I am also doing a complete brake job all around, as I am told that rotors on Vettes arent worth turning, so I have bought all-new parts. Will see how challenging this process is. The Bose sound system is very good, even by todays standards. Be aware that a common problem with the drivers seat is that it is subject to the seam splitting in the door side corner closest to the seatback. Will cost me about $100 to fix, not too bad. Also, the plastic housing of the bottom seat cushion typically separates some over time from the seat bottom cushion. Its not really repairable, and I am told that the sport seat holds up better. As far as maintenance costs go, everything is more expensive than the typical passenger car. Mention that it is a Corvette, and the parts cost is double. But in comparison to other cars in this class, it is a great value. Built-in cup holders are scarce - there is only one that I have found in the short time I have owned this car. I plan on getting another "portable" one for the passenger. So far all the electronics on this car are working flawlessly. My car came without keyless entry fobs, so I was able to order two on e-bay for $25 for the pair, and it only took about 60 seconds to program them myself using the owners manual. This was a pleasant surprise considering that many cars require you to go to a dealer to get fobs programmed and can charge you a substantial (more that $50) amount for such a simple task. As far as overall value, this car is a great surprise and the re-sale values are pretty good. Low-mileage (less than 50K miles) go for over $20K, and some with the same mileage as mine and the same excellent condition and good Carfax are $15K to $20K.

• 

  I love My Maxx - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By mediagrl - January 2 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased my 2004 Malibu Maxx LT last week. A lot of features that are found on luxury sedans came standard on the LT; heated/power leather seats, remote start, rear sky light, and lots of safety features. The Maxx shares the Epsilon platform with the Saab 9-3 so it has a tight, tuned feel. The 210 HP-V6 engine gives the Maxx some power off the line.

• 

  A lot of car for the money... - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By szerfas - January 2 - 10:00 am

  We replaced our 98 Malibu with this new Maxx. There is an impressive amount of car here for the money when combined with all the rebate. This car is very quiet, responsive and powerful. The construction of this car is much more solid then anything GM we have seen before. Our biggest complaint is some initialy quality issues. We had a squeaky lift gate (dealer has not fixed), and an innacurate gas gage (dealer fixed by replacing tank). I find the reviews including edmunds dont give enough credit to the power with great gas mileage on REGULAR fuel, with the cost of gas very important to us. There are a lot of good ideas in this car and amazing amount of technology.

• 

  04 LS Impala - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By GTB82l - January 2 - 10:00 am

  Just bought one and loving it so far. Fast, smooth acceleration, great handling, luxury ride. Interior huge compared to my old Camry and our other car, a Maxima. Kids are in heaven. Trunk Tony Soprano would love. What other car can comfortably seat 6 adults AND all their stuff and get 32 MPG on the highway. This car is the value proposition.

• 

  Awesome SUV - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By otapias - January 2 - 10:00 am

  Have driven this vehicle for close to 3,000 miles and I am really impressed by the build quality, not a rattle or squeak. Except for the not-so-large gas tank (its actually 13 gallons max), I would describe this SUV as perfect in every way. The drivetrain is smooth and flawless. With some lightfooted driving my gas mileage is close to 20 MPG during my daily commute from long island to downtown manhattan. GM really did their homework on the suspension design, its supple and handles beautifully. The only glitch so far has been an intermittent appearance of the check engine light, which goes away after using 89 octane fuel. So far alternating fill ups with 87 octane the light has stayed off.

• 

  2004 review - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By goshad - January 2 - 10:00 am

  love the acceleration and reliability. Fuel economy is better than I thought too. One big problem is that the roof flexes when traveling at highway speeds. Also had noticeable wind noise from rear window that dealer had to fix. Wish the interior was more lively, like the white face Dodge dials or Fords new interior.

• 

  Suburban - 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
  By 123456789123456789 - January 2 - 2:00 am

  The Suburban of our family is the one we rely on and hauls the family and groceries. The mother of the home drives it and she thinks it is the best car out their.

• 

  2000 Malibu - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Dmanns - January 2 - 2:00 am

  The brakes are the big problem. Front brakes will constanly need turning as they warp(too much pressure from chassis design). Cold engine tick can be cured with new teflon coated pistons. Problems with the heat/ac/ventilation control, usually need replacing.

• 

  Pretty Good Effort - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Gump - January 2 - 2:00 am

  Excellent Effort. Chevy got it pretty close to pefrfect this time. Good build quality, great design (interior and exterior), better than expected performance, and absolutely awesome ride quality. My vehicle of choice to drive (there is a Mercedes sports car in the driveway) everyday.