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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  1998 C5 "WOW" - 1998 Chevrolet Corvette
  By tony c - October 14 - 2:00 am

  I purchase the car new in 1998, it now has 28,000 trouble free miles on it. Never been back to the dealer except for some minor recall mods. Simply the best car I have ever driven. It gets me from 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds, gets almost 30 mpg and rides like a caddy. It even has room for two sets of golf clubs!

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  Great truck, needs brakes - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By - October 14 - 2:00 am

  I must admit, I havent owned it long, but a very good vehicle, EXCEPT for the brakes. Between the increased pedal travel till somewhat firm and a mushy pedal beyond that, creates continual uncertainty of having enough room in front of you to stop. Probably because of the 4whl ABS. The dealer checked them out and more than one person at the dealership said "thats the way they are, you have to get used to them". Otherwise it has a drive train which (so far) has been dependable and gets very good gas mileage for its size (16-18 hiway).

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  2006 SS Impala - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By jack - October 13 - 12:46 pm

  I recently purchased a 2006 SS and I have to say that I have been impressed. This SS is a blast. This car is not a BMW or some make that costs 2 To 3 times as much. It is a very competitively priced car that will do 150+, gets 25+ MPG and will out accelerate just about anything in its class 0-60 MPH. If you want to pay 40- $60,000 for a foreign car that will do this then great, but for my money, this car is has big bang for the buck.

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  Transmission gone @ 448 miles - 2016 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Disappointed - October 13 - 9:14 am

  Was disappointed--BUT dealer has redeemed! This is a cute SUV, but I had the LT, 6 cylnder exactly 2 weeks and the 3, 5, R drum in the transmission went. Prior to the car dying at a busy intersection without warning, I had gone through 3 tanks of gas in 2 weeks (dealership states because of the transmission?) I smelled gas when I would use the remote start. Rear view backup camera was foggy at night. Remote buttons on key were so hard to push it was difficult to turn on the remote start or open the doors quickly. HOWEVER, I have been in touch with the dealer and they will swap out the car for another new vehicle of equal value. I am very satisfied with that outcome and I am willing to give the Equinox another chance!! Thank you!

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  Impala 1996 - 1996 Chevrolet Impala
  By greenboy - October 13 - 2:00 am

  What a car! I own two 1996s, one black and one black cherry!

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  overall, a good car - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By cathy t - October 13 - 2:00 am

  This has been a good car for me, with just one problem: I have put TWO new alternators in this car! (A fault of Chevys, I believe, as a previously owned Chevy--different model--had the same problem.) Other than that, keeping up with the maintenance has been the only expenses. I believe it is a good safe car and it is comfortable to drive

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  *Stunnin* - 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By joby - October 12 - 2:30 pm

  This is a great driving car. It has a smooth ride without the noise of the road. It has plenty of room both in the front and the back, not to mention the trunk is huge. Most of my friends are rather big and non of them have trouble fitting. I get an average of 18.5 mpg (city/highway) with a K&N air intake but I dont drive much on the highway. I ran a 14.3 @ 100.7 mph at the track when it was stock which was better then my friends stock mustang gt. I have picked it up to 140 after getting tuned and the bigger breaks helped slow this big car down. It dynoed at 287 whp with 264 pounds of torque. I am really impressed with this car and Im sure anyone else who owns one would agree.

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  My Review - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Ken - October 12 - 12:13 pm

  Overall a decent sedan. A good family car that has good interior features. In all fairness, I am a truck person but the high gas prices influenced me to buy a sedan.

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  Moved up from LS to SS - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By J&J - October 12 - 10:00 am

  We had the 2000 LS and when it was time to trade in the car (we lease) we decided to jump to the SS just to see if the power was as they claim. It is! We have upgrades of the stero system, love the on the steering wheel controls, side air bag, anit-lock brakes, the traction control was fantastic in our mountain winter condtions - want that again! Have the milage, temperature, etc. readings on this one, fun but not needed. We plan on getting another SS in 2006.

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  2003 Monte Carlo - Love it - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By landerson - October 12 - 10:00 am

  I DRIVE my Monte Carlo. I love my Monte Carlo. I commute daily and I drive in a city during the day. The car rides great, looks awesome. It is sporty but also is like a full size car in comfort. I purchased an LS but plan to trade up to an SS in about a year! Great buy