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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  life saving - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By thomas - June 2 - 11:03 pm

  I want to thank the designers of the 2009 Chevy Malibu. We were in a bad car accident today and the car saved our lives it handels car accidents very well. We got tboned and everyone we shaken up but ok. It is just an amazing car overall

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  HHR - Best car for the money!!! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By RedGeminiPA - June 2 - 8:16 pm

  When I first saw the new HHR on Chevys website, I loved it! Once I knew they were starting to arrive at dealers, I started looking on Chevys site to locate the one I wanted. I finally found it, a 2LT in Sunburst Orange Metallic, gray leather, sunroof, roof rails, running boards, 17" high polished wheels, XM radio, 260 watt Pioneer premium sound w/ 6-disc in-dash changer. Sticker was $22,875... and what a package for the money!! Chevy hit a home run with this one! Ive put over 1,000 miles on it within the past 2 weeks!

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  Good car for getting around - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Connor Sweeney - June 2 - 9:09 am

  I have had this car for almost 6 years now and got it with 72,000 miles on it. I now have around 158k miles on it. Here is a list of Pros and Cons Pros -Interior is good looking -gets around 22-25 mpg (in town) -stock speakers are nice and loud Cons -The turning radius is terrible where it handles worse than a truck -the parts inside the vehicle are all cheaply made so they break quicker -seats are a little uncomfortable for longer rides. The seats fold inward where it creates a divet where the back seat and the butt seat connect (not good for lower back) -no lumbar support. Here’s what I’ve had to fix so far -all new door lock actuators (prices at $350 a piece professionally) -turning signal knob -catalytic converter and exhaust manifold -tire rods multiple times

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  Impressed - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By bill - June 2 - 2:20 am

  We have had this vehicle for about three weeks now and we are thoroughly pleased with the quiet interior, ride and all over appearence of the car. Had our first extended highway trip of approximately 200 miles and attained 30 miles per gallon, which was what I was hoping to get. If this car is as reliable as our 2005 Impala has been for the first 52,000 miles then Chevrolet has another winner. This will be the 12th Chevy that we have owned and I havent had a bad one yet even the ones weve kept for 14 years or 200,000 miles on the remainder.

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  highway cruiser - 1996 Chevrolet Impala
  By smith - June 2 - 2:00 am

  This is our vacationing, interstate cruising, mountain climbing muscle car. When you push on the accelerator, it goes. Reliable super performing vehicle. Funny to watch people in front of you slow down, move out of the way thinking you are a police cruiser. My son has spoken for my car.

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  Transmission & Wiring Disaster - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By disgusted - June 2 - 2:00 am

  Automatic transmission problems one mile from dealer after purchase new at Lou Wollam Chevrolet. Dealer unable to fix after 8 visits. Went to another Chevrolet dealer who told me the vehicle was unsafe to drive. This dealer replaced the transmission under warranty at 3000 miles. Numerous problems with wiring shorted out causing complete failure to operate.

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  Underrated Minivan - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By TheKidd - June 2 - 2:00 am

  I have been shopping for a minivan for the last 6 months. Ive done tons of research, test drove many vans.When I drove the Venture I was sold. Chevrolet has done a poor job of marketing this vehicle, I think it is a more sturdy and solid vehicle than the Dodge and Chryslers I drove.

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  No attention to detail - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By Jkurth - June 2 - 2:00 am

  Attention to detail has been sadly overlooked. I have had nothing but trouble with the elictrical system of this vehicle. I found the problems to be caused by the rear tail light assembly(s). They were not put together correctly at the factory and leaked water. Worse yet, I have had it in the Chevy dealer(s) multiple times for electrical problems. Each time I brought it in, they would charge me for repairs of the various electrical subsystems, but the problems would keep coming back. I found out the break lights were causing the problem getting a warning ticket. I took the breaks apart and found water and corrosion damage!

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  chevy a great looking and driving SUV - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By ho - June 2 - 2:00 am

  a good feeling at driving, looks good, enough room for 5 but for often driving with family a van is better.

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  awesome open top - 1999 Chevrolet Corvette
  By hurryup - June 1 - 2:00 am

  This car offers the most performance bang for the buck. Excellent everyday driver.