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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  DISAPOINTED - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By bill archer - June 30 - 2:00 am

  DRIVE TRAIN, NOICE AND TRANSMISSION UNSATISFACTORY, DEALER AND FACTORY UNABLE TO FIX, MADE EXUSES THAT THE BANGING AND METALLIC NOISES ARE NORMAL. FUNNY, FORD HAS A TIGHT TRANNY AND 4X4 LINKUP.

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  This truck Sucks - 1996 Chevrolet S-10
  By brianlane - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Chevrolet shipped these trucks with a bad head gasket and some other problem that causes thumping noises. The 2.2L has no power. My old 88 (sold to a friend) is still running strong at > 250k miles. At 150k Im having to rebuild everything.

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  Three Times a Loser - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By 3 times a loser - June 27 - 2:00 am

  We bought this car new with the hopes that the third new GM vehicle that we purchased might make it past 80,000 without major repairs. Our hopes were once again crushed, as before it made 80,000 miles the transmission went out costing $700 to repair, two weeks later the engine started leaking coolant into the crankcase through a blown head gasket which cost another $800 to repair. GM just cant seem to get it right. Too bad, as this will be my last GM product.

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  Underpower - 2015 Chevrolet Express
  By alex - June 26 - 10:23 pm

  Im a father of four, we love traveling sometimes on really long trips. Most of the times our travels are done in our Dodge ram 3500 while towing a toy hauler. But when not towing our trailer we drive our Town and Country which is by far the most roomiest and comfort minivan that i know of. I always liked the Express van and i always wanted to drive one of them. I had the opportunity last weekend when we had 11 soldiers going up for training. I was the driver of course, at first i was very impress with the interior and locations of switches etc. However, as soon as i was trying to speed up to enter the freeway i realized how under power it was, i mean it reminded me of my old Tahoe mostly engine noise but no speed or power. Wind noise was pretty bad i couldnt concentrate as the noise was so loud it was hurting my ears. Some of the buttons specially the ones on the left side of the dash are just not ergonamic. The steering was hard after a four hour drive, turning radius is ok so i have no complaints there. On the way back i was too tired to drive so i ended up switching seats with someone else. I ended up sitting on the second row seats, big mistake i shouldve just suck it up and continued driving. The back seats are just so uncomfortable i wanted to open the doors and just off.

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  Nothing Compared - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By retlem - June 26 - 10:00 am

  I just traded my 2003 Nissan Altima to get this one because my payments were too high. This car feels like Im driving a boat. I miss the custom leather interior in the Altima and the very stylish ride. Also the gas in this car goes down twice as fast than the Altima.

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  Shouldve Bought 99 Acura Integra GS-R - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By JMC-19 - June 24 - 10:00 am

  The first thing that comes to mind when i think about my cavalier is, clutch....the clutch in my ls sport grabs so high and feels like its already starting to go (and i know how to drive a stick).The other thing that comes to mind is brakes. I just rolled 3000 mi and my front rotors feel like they need to be cut. I will give Chevy a hand for the new ecotec engine though, because it is a lot smoother and quieter than my old 2.2L. And good luck if you change your oil at home, b/c you have to take the intake tube and air box cover off to get to the filter! But the filter is very nice , b/c you only have to drop into a cylinder.

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  I deliver pizzas in it! - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Stephen Bynum - June 18 - 2:00 am

  I deliver pizzas in it. The only problems that I have had in the 2 years that Ive had it is that I had to get the EGR valve fixed at a cost of $268. I buy used tires for $25. I keep the oil changed every 1000-1500 miles instead of 3000, because I drive it 30000 miles per year since I bought it. Besides that, it is a good car, but the fuel prices is why Im going to sell it in a few months.

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  no chevy ever again - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Houma La - June 18 - 2:00 am

  I had my malibu for less than a year and had the brakes fixed 3 times. It ran hot several times. The dealer put two motors in it in less than 6 months. The heads were rebuilt about 6 times. The radiator was repaired 3 times. The lower intake valve and water pump were also repaired, and I finally had enough and gave it back!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Hope its good - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By ppineda - June 18 - 2:00 am

  Had Toyota or Honda vehicles all of my life. Since we have baby coming soon, we thought wed get into a bigger vehicle and something with towing capacity since the tent is not going to cut it anymore. I have my fingers crossed and I hope i didnt get into a mess with this new vehicle. So far, 1200 miles or so, and no problems other than paying for gas. pp Oregon

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  Worst car ever - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Driver1 - June 17 - 7:43 pm

  This is a terrible car. The looks are beautiful, but looks can be deceiving. Several rattles throughout car and horrible wind noise through windows. The back panel vibrates when the back speakers are on and it sounds like blown speakers. I drive about 1000 miles per month (95% highway) and the best I can do at a constant 60 to 65 mph is 22 mpg. Had the car in for warranty problems twice now and Ive only had it for 5 days. In that 5 days, have put 1400 miles on it and have decided to trade it off on a Nissan or Toyota. Have had a new GM car every 2 yrs and have watched GMs quality consistently decline. Its time for change. GM is history.