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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  My Baby - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Dewayne Lee - January 8 - 1:42 pm

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  Nobody loves their cavalier like me - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Layla - January 7 - 11:07 am

  My grandfather bought this car back in like 2006. I dont know how many miles it had when my grandpa purchased the car for $3,000 but I have had the car for a year and a half and when I got it it had 188,000 miles on it and now has 206,000 miles on it. I love this car. I remember taking it all over the place when I was younger. I have never had any problems with this car whatsoever. No repairs other than a new muffler and exhaust pipe needing replaced. My car always starts and always gets me where I need to go. No problems ever except my headlights suck but that was caused by a collision with a deer. Great gas mileage. I love this car. Its about time for me to get another car since this one is getting so old and so many miles on it but Im having trouble with the thought of parting with my cavalier. My grandpa always had cavaliers and if you take care of them I swear they can go forever. We know a man down the road that has 300,000 miles on his! My cavalier is 3 different colors and has carpeted seats, I never thought I would love it this much but I do. GREAT VALUE I LOVE THIS CAR

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  Wifes Choice for her summer ride! - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By DBLUGRAS - January 6 - 5:21 pm

  Very few issues, active handling alarm due to underseat connection needing securing, but otherwise, this Vette with Z51 and LS2 w/ 6 sod manual has become as much fun as my Harley CVO, and gets about the same miles each year.

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  Awesome ride.. Lots of compliments.. - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Augie - January 5 - 10:27 pm

  This is a fantastic vehicle. Right after thanksgiving I had new tires installed. It had performance tires great for speed but not for winters in the Midwest. I have not had any problems with this SUV. I have driven it for more than 11hrs straight just gasing up and bathroom breaks. No issues at all. Transmission shifts effotlessly, no heating up. I have nothing to say about this gem. I bought it with 65k and now have 122k. Regular oil changes a must . Every month I am driving to a different state . Milwaukee to Chicago. Then Kentucky, Virginia, Buffalo, Oklahoma and back to Chicago and Milwaukee. No problem. I really dont see what issues people have . Either I was blessed with a great vehicle and know how to maintain it. Or just some people dont know how to take care and just wreck great vehicles. Or even just like to complain when given the chance..

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  2012 Sonic LT - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By D. Meeks - January 5 - 10:09 am

  Bought it. Love it!

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  Test one out for yourself - 2015 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Manny - January 4 - 7:15 pm

  This was my first car right out of college. AND I LOVE THIS CAR. I had driven a 2004 malibu classic with a 2.2 engine for the past 6 years and got to say the 2.5 engine was a pretty good upgrade in performance. I would admit the start-stop tech took a while to get used to, but with the upgrades to the starter and engine gaskets you will be safe from the constant on and off feature. I use this car everyday for work and look to keep it for some time.

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  good performer - 2000 Chevrolet Prizm
  By David D - January 3 - 9:58 pm

  bought at automall end of 2000 it had been in a rental fleet for the year, only owner, it is an automatic transmission mostly city driving at around 28mpg but very good highway at 65mph only (you can drive 75mph) gets around 35/38 mpg never had one problem with engine or transmission never added oil once my self just had regular changes around twice a year but only drive highway for 6 hours round trip maybe twice a month or so.... have replaced radiator, both front door inner handles, both safety belts for front seats, front breaks, and the usual belts and hoses also had to replace fuel tank as the pressure release valve on the top locked shut and the tank had already started to bulge .... had to replace fuel filter assembly, filter and pump in one assembly, and therefore costly. cassette broke and replaced radio too replaced dash gauge cluster lights too all in all Ive had great luck with this car but drive very conservatively in fact my mechanic says I have excessive carbon and should burn it off by accelerating once in a while the engine light is off and only came on for the fuel tank problem and catalytic converter/carbon problem problems I have put off lost one diode in alternator, slight leak in rack-n-pinion steering, motor mounts, car feels a bit loose might be front struts/shocks etc. all in all Ive had great luck with this car but bought it one year old and babied it ...... worst feature is the interior as the headliner is falling apart seats wear thin etc.

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  05 cav - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Bob - January 2 - 3:27 pm

  Its a good reliable car!

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  Interior - 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Jeffrey L wisniewski - January 2 - 2:22 pm

  No Good! Material is cheap. All four inside door open/close lever covers are cheap brittle plastic and fell off or out and had to be replaced!

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  Excellent transportation - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Peter Creary - January 2 - 2:05 pm

  Fun car to drive. Very guiet inside. In my opinion manual transmission is the way to go. Drove Las Vegas to Boston on a three week trip and return very comfortable. Im 6ft. tall.