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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  Buy Midas Stock - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By MaliBLOWS - March 8 - 2:00 am

  The tales of the broken brakes are all too common and real. Ive had more than $700 in brake repairs. The lighter fell apart..literally breaking off like a cookie. Other pieces of the car are doing the same. Im a dealer and cant unload this thing. Worse buy yet.

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  Awesome beast !! - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By ED VOSS - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Handling and performance of the Camaro SS is awesome. This car is a beast, capable of over 150 mph and quarter mile under 13.5 seconds. It can rock n roll in the twisties, too. If you didnt get your factory hot rod 35 years ago, then the Camaro SS is the modern day equal. The SS shares a LS1 V8 with the Corvette, delivery 325-345 horses, The Corvette and Viper are faster, but for a whole lot less money, albeit equally high insurance premiums, the Camaro SS is a bargain.

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  Disappointing Gas Mileage - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Mark Ricca - March 8 - 1:00 am

  A fine looking car inside and out. The small block V8 engine is quick and powerful. The engine does not deliver anywhere near the EPA estimated and GM advertised gas mileage, even when driven ultra-conservatively on long trips.

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  Transmission issue & More - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Brittany Vallejo - March 7 - 6:23 am

  I bought my car brand new in May 2013. Within a couple of months I was experiencing the car lunging forward while at a stop, loss of power, and loss of acceleration. MPG has also been significantly impacted. I was originally getting 36-42 mpg highway, and now get 28-30mpg. I took the car in several times and had ALL recalls performed on the vehicle, including the transmission part. "Fixing" the transmission made it worse, to the point where when driving it would feel as if we were constantly being rear-ended, hard. Final in Oct/Nov 2015 ( I cant recall now), GM agreed to totally replace the transmission with a new one (not used). Guess what, this didnt solve the issue and Im to the point where I physically can no longer drive the car due to the pain caused by the constant surging and jerking the car makes. Getting rid of the car is not an option since the Cruze has flooded the resale market (thanks to Cruzes being rental cars), as my car is approx. $5-6k under water. I contacted Chevrolet directly to resolve the matter and they advised me that they are unable to help, and to work directly with the Dealership. The Dealership cant fix it, so now Im stuck paying for a car that cant be driven.

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  93 chevy astro - 1993 Chevrolet Astro
  By tazbuster - March 7 - 2:00 am

  As you can tell from the milage this van did not set in the repair shop often. This has been a car I could always count on and gives me 21 miles to the gallon on the hiway. I know thats hard to believe but I custom ordered it with a towing package and a lower ratio rear end with positraction. living in western new york (Buffalo) I have never gotten stuck in the snow.

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  Happy with Tracker - 2000 Chevrolet Tracker
  By ArcheryInstructor - March 7 - 2:00 am

  Gas mileage is superior to the Blazer that it replaced and the fuel injected engine is far more reliable than the old carberator. The Overdrive option is excellent and helps with the gas mileage and the ride is comfortable. Only concern is the back door that opens out and to the side so that it makes a difference which side of an object I stop on for loading and unloading or how close I stop.

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  My Blazer - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By chuck9999 - March 7 - 2:00 am

  Love it, would definitely buy another one.

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  Even used, a great car - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Maxx man - March 7 - 1:46 am

  We bought the 2004 Maxx with about 34,000 miles and actually have put less than average mileage since. However, the car continues to please with excellent performance, amazing mileage for a 6 cyl engine and good interior ergonomics. The front end design is the primary downside; the new Chevy front end styling (see 2008 Malibu) would really set this car off. Ill be in need of a new car soon (this ones my wifes) so I wish Chevy would wise up and produce the Maxx for the current Malibu lineup.

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  Better after the fact! - 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By G Marzett - March 7 - 12:25 am

  Dealer had to replace the engine at 50,000 miles,and replace the electronics in the dash at 30,000 miles. After those problems were fixed,my truck has been great!

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  Dont buy this crap!! - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Peeded off - March 6 - 5:06 pm

  2011 bought new..4 motors!! The factory and 3 used motors!! Fuel economy inaccurate as well!