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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  Great car but could be better - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By outlook - May 27 - 7:48 pm

  Love the car. The gas mileage is a disappointment.(My 96 Caprice with the LT1 engine gets better gas mileage. The head rest is too far forward as it rubs my head all the time. The mirrors have limited visibility

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  Nice Car,But Has Issues - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Mike - May 27 - 7:12 pm

  Bought the car with 36,000 miles. Rides Nice. Handles good. At 66,000 miles now and so far we had to replace intake gaskets (oil leaking into antifreeze) $650, water pump$200, steering $138 ( clunked when turning) and now p. C. M module in transmission $779 (shifting hard when cold or going up hill) and a wheel bearing! By reading comments from other people, all have had the same issue. Some not. Wow the impala use to be bulletproof

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  I loved this Impala! - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Impala lover - May 27 - 2:08 pm

  I put this car threw a lot! I bought in 2006 with 20k in 09 it now has 112,254k. It was my everyday car. I have been to houston austin san antonio louisiana and dallas with ease! I took this car through mud and grass. Very few problems. put about $2,000 in the car including up keep. great for rode trips with a bunch of people holds 6. I raced a dodge 1500 and won!

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  Running in Texas - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Tex - May 26 - 11:44 pm

  First Chevrolet since a 1989 Caprice Classic lemon. Pleasantly surprised by the quality of this car. Expected the 3000-6000 mile rattles typical of GM sedans, but they never appeared. To date I have 106,000 miles on the car and have done nothing but oil and filter changes along with air cleaner. On my second set of tires and still running factory brakes. Now with the GM problems trying to guess if I should keep this one or buy another. The thought of the government handling my warranty on a new car does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

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  A Blast to Drive - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Jake D - May 26 - 4:02 pm

  Recently bought my 2006 2LT and almost immediately took it on a 2,000 mile road trip. I highly recommend springing the extra $$$ for a LT w/sunroof. First, this vehicle is a blast to drive it took the switchbacks of Yosemite 20 mph over the speed limit (yes, Im bad) with no problem whatsoever. Fuel economy on the trip, which involve A LOT of mountain roads between CA and OR was 28.8mpg The negatives: I really dont mind the cup holders that others mention, but I do not like the type and quality of the materials used in the interior, pretty much all hard/cheap plastics, not worthy of this car. Im also already having to take it in to have the brakes looked at. Love this vehicle though.

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  decent value - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By petras - May 26 - 11:38 am

  I did not test drive other brands, so I dont know how this one would compare but with gm rebates/incentives its a good buy, good acceleration, good ride and fairly quiet, with auto trans. getting around 29 mpg combined city/hwy, poor rear vis. in the coupe version, esp with spoiler, so far with 5K mi., no reliability issues, check with your insurance co. re: premiums, may be higher than you expect, esp. for the 2 door version..

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  Great SUV - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Great SUV - May 25 - 11:33 pm

  I bought this second-hand and owned it for about 6 months. This SUV rivals those that are priced 2 and 3 times as much. Quiet and powerful engine and smooth and quick transmission. Great ride and fun to drive. The exterior and interior are both stylist and functional. Great value for the price. Go get one.

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  Typical GM quality - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Former GM loyalist - May 25 - 9:26 pm

  This car is VERY comfortable to drive. Peppy, roomy (love the movable back seat.)yet not cumbersome in tight spaces. Very nice size for a family car. The center console is pretty awkward. The window controls mounted in the center is still confusing after 3 1/2 years owning this car. Those are my only complaints about the design. But the quality-my goodness I have had innumerable light bulbs burn out, locking differentials break, break rotors ruined at 40K miles. Maybe Im spoiled by my Honda Civic-but all this repair work on a car with less than 50 K seems a bit much.

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  hope its a reliable car !! - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By anthony - May 25 - 9:07 am

  I loved this car when I seen it, I loved the style and size/shape, I really wanted it in White with black leatherette interior seats but no extras, my salesman did his best to find one to no avail, he told me in a 500 mile radius from Rutherford, nj there was only 2 aveos with leatherette seats and both cars were loaded, oh well, not a big difference in price, my only concern from past experiences is, if it has a lot of extras, if they break u gotta fix them! I love the dark red with beige leatherette seats I finally got, but all the extra bells and whistles intimidate me, the car doesnt have much pickup when accelerating and theres some dings that I hear in the back that I have no idea where its coming.

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  At 100,000 Miles....................... - 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Bill60532 - May 24 - 10:00 am

  I bought the car when it was 2 years old with about 20,000 miles. Car ran well, good power and torgue from the solid GM 6 cylinder. However, as noted by one other reviewer, at 100,000 all heck has begun to break louse. Problems with breaks, locking up for no reason. Now, it appears I may have to replace the transmission. Note, the hard shifting you feel is the start of bad things, and should be corrected. GM 4 speed automatic is not as sturdy as thier 3 speed. Potentail cost of a new trans, about $2,500.