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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  Smooth and quiet - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Brandon - October 16 - 1:00 pm

  Poor quality inside and out, with a lot of plastic. However, its a comfortable and quiet car thats easy to drive in any weather.

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  Must have been built on a Friday - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By CTO1 - October 12 - 2:00 am

  I think this vehicle was assembled by drunken monkeys. The side view mirrors move to a different position each time I get in it. The radio station changes for no reason at all. I had seven items to be repaired at the dealership at the 30,000 mile point. The emergency brake sometimes does not engage. At highway speed, the roar from the poorly fit window molding is so loud I can hardly hear the radio. This truck has been at the dealership for maintenance for over 100 days! Was waiting for parts for over a month...The dealership then tells me "it was MY FAULT for buying a brand new car that there are no parts for yet"

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  never again - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By JMAN - October 10 - 10:00 am

  I BOUGHT THIS CAR THINKING I MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE 36K MILES LATER I AM TRYING TO GET SOME WHAT OF MY MONEY BACK TO BUY SOMTHING FOR LONG TERM USE THE CAR ISNT HOLDING UP BROKEN RADIO 3X SUSPENSION IS SHOT THE BAKES ARE GARBAGE THE CAR INTERIOR MAKES NOISE WHILE DRIVING AC TURNS ON AND OFF HORN BROKE AND THE RADIO IS STILL BROKE BECAUSE CHEVY SERVICE IS SO BAD I DONT HAVE THE ENERGY TO GET AGRAVATED ANYMORE

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  2005 Colbalt - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By lynette - October 8 - 8:50 pm

  The clutch failed on this vehicle at 2,850 miles. Found that cruise control did not work after picking up from clutch repair and the transmission seemed to "clunk" into place after each gear change after repair. Returned to dealership and after "bleeding the lines" the car will shift gears although not smoothly. The plastic pieces on the interior of the car are warping and the "door" to the trunk button has been replaced twice. After the cruise control was replaced the plastic panel in the passenger leg area "popped off" and will need to be replaced. Fun to drive when running, but I cannot afford to be at dealership every week for repairs.

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  52k silverado - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By peteparts - October 7 - 10:00 am

  leather interior has the worst seats in the world, most uncomfortable to sit in. The rest of the truck is great. Not impressed with onstar and let it go. Fades in and out of service.

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  Gas mileage - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By joe320 - October 4 - 12:29 pm

  Overall am pretty happy with my Equinox. Although I am very disappointed in the gas mileage.... the best I have seen is 26mpg under interstate conditions. I have owned 3 Chevy v6s that have gotten better than that on the hwy...the one I traded for this vehicle was a Venture Minivan. and it got better than 28mpg under the same conditions..... I was hestitant to buy the 4 cylinder but did so because of the advertised mileage..... Consequently disappointed ...would have bought a 6 cylinder had I known!

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  steering, ball joint, - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Gil - September 9 - 12:10 am

  I purchased this vehicle new and the first year was great. Power, handling, comfort, no repair. Then it started. I now have 90k miles, I replaced the rack and pinion steering column at 70k, the struts at 78k, the ball joints at 90k. The cruise control started giving me problems at 50k miles, goes off by itself. The shifter automatic stopped working right about the 50k miles range. I drive like a little old man, careful and slow and I maintain this vehicle at every squeak. I wouldnt buy another one.

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  2000 Chevrolet Malibu LS Sedan - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By kb2uoe - September 3 - 10:00 am

  Rides nice, basic transportation and reliable. No great shakes on the fancy stuff, even though its an LS.

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  not happy - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By sonny - September 2 - 2:00 am

  its a gas saver but we had the equinox for at least 3 months. The headliner sagged then the transmission is out for the 1st time. Now we got the equinox back from the shop it took 2 weeks for us to get it back, no more then 5 hours later back to square 1 with the transmission.

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  Still Dont Like It - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Enterprise D - August 20 - 11:50 am

  Forget the 16mpg city & 22 mpg highway they say I would get, I get 12.3 city, 12.5 highway. Without the air on add .1 mpg. If I wanted a car I would have bought one. No cigarette lighter, but has a vanity mirror on the driver side. Guys dont use a vanity mirror, we use the rear view. Im back driving my 88 GMC 3/4 ton extended cab 8 bed 350 - get 20 mpg. Need to put out a step stool for some passengers to get in. Sits way to high, making it hard to get my tools out of the bed. Poor visabality right front fender (wiper in the way) I liked my 2003 1500 Chevy much better.