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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  Buyers Beware - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Jennifer Davis - March 21 - 4:00 am

  I have had a lot of problems with this car over the years. Researching a little I discovered that many people have had the same problems. The latest problem is the engine deciding to shut off while in the middle of driving. There doesnt seem to be any clear direction as to what causes this. Within the first 3 months of purchasing the car I started having brake problems. I had to get the brakes replaced within 6 months. The "DAB" warning shows up periodically (the dealership says it is not anything wrong and they just clear it). My CD player still doesnt work (2 replacements).

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  DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT BUYING THIS!!!!!! - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Poof - March 21 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this car right out of High School.I dint know what I was doing. This was all I could afford. The only smart thing I did was buy the extended warranty. If I hadnt I would of spent $3000 on fixing it. Gas mileage sucks. I had the rear main seal go, head cover gasket, leak in the fuel injectors, o2 sensor, alternator, oil pump, oil pump sensor, only thing that is still working great is the a/c and coolant system. I cant wait to finish paying it off in Aug 2003. This was my second cavalier and it had nothing but the constantly over heating. Im talking, going to work and find your coolant broke inside your car, leaking everywhere.

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  KING OF THE STREETS - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By kingvin - March 21 - 2:00 am

  LISTEN, IF YOU NEED A CAR THAT IS RELIABLE AND POWERFUL THEN GO TEST DRIVE THE IMPALA LS. I AM 27YRS. OLD AND THIS CAR BLOWS ME AWAY WHEN I START DRIVING. LOTS OF SAFETY FEATURES AND ROOM. GM DID THERE THING WITH THIS CAR. I HAVE PLANS TO GET THE SS MODEL WHEN IT COMES OUT.....

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  lve the Maxx - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Victor - March 20 - 11:50 pm

  Great car! I cant believe how fast it is and what great gas mileage 26mpg so far(1000 miles). I am already getting people staring or head turns as I drive by. For a stock radio it really works very well, love my sunroof and the one in the back for the kids. There is a lot of room in the car and it was just recently rated as 4 stars in crash tests!! I am going to get some chrome wheels and get it tinted.

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  Im loving my Impala - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By dlichtenhan - March 20 - 6:36 pm

  I decided at my age I needed to have a bigger car with four doors and American made. I actually felt a little guilty with all my European and Japanese made cars. I love my Impala, I am so impressed with the build and finish and the ride surpasses my expectations. I get between 23 and 32 miles per gallon which I am happy about and also exceeded my expectations. Hurray for Chevrolet.

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  Buy one if you can afford it - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By charlie - March 20 - 4:56 pm

  I bought this vehicle in August sight unseen. I went through Edmunds.com and submitted a request to multiple dealers. Overall, this is an outstanding truck. I opted for the Texas Edition package for this truck because I need towing package. There are only a couple of things I would change. First,GM should have put disc brakes on the rear, especially for people who tow. Second, the power windows are a little noisy as compaired to my previous chevy truck. Lastly, when I go over RR tracks, the tailgate sounds a little loose, but to be fair, this could just be to the exta stability built into the truck. But overall, this is a great truck and I have no regrets about buying it.

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  Hope it dont fall apart - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Lanny - March 20 - 9:23 am

  Traded a 05 Ext. cab Z71. Bad move! Have driven 1000 miles and it sounds like the front end of this Z71 may fall out before I can get it back into the dealer. Gas mileage is 14.5. 05 averaged 17.9 22 on highway. Has a serious lag when taking off from stop and when trying to pass. Is going into shop tomorrow.

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  Lower back isses and tall, Stay AWAY!! - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Scott Rossmann - March 20 - 2:38 am

  On this model do not get it. The manual seats have this funky ratcheting lever that raises the seat. Im 62" tall and now my head hits the roof as I enter and leave the car besides my lower back is killing me due to non-existent lumbar support. The goofy auto stop feature sometimes kicks on and feels like someone just hit the rear bumper. Needs some major work. Already complained the very next business day to get the Tuff F.U. from the dealer and sales department. They dont care at all, but now since they do when my feet go numb because of their crappy seat and causes an accident, they will be held liable!

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  Worst Chevy Ever - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By shopbum - March 20 - 2:13 am

  I have owned a lot of GM products over the years, and never have I disliked a truck as much as this one. It has been one problem after another. First the cowl was leaking into the cab, then the rear passenger windows would not deal, the the keyless entry locked me out on about 20 occasions...I could go on and on. Never again will I buy a GM after the worst time in my life.

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  1998 Chevrolet Lumina Base Model - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Jennifer15358 - March 20 - 2:00 am

  I bought it brand new back in 1998. Anyway, it has 133,000 miles on it currently and hasnt given me much trouble. The only thing that has went bad on the car so far is the water pump, which had to be replaced at around 100,000 miles. Its been a pretty reliable car so far. I travel a total of 90 miles a day, 5 days a week with this car, to and from work. And I never broke down or had a problem. But there is one negative thing about this car, that is it seems to burn oil, or leak oil because between oil changes(every 5,000 miles) I usually have to add almost a quart of oil. Other then the small oil loss, the car is built good and is reliable.