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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  As good as the imports - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By al - February 23 - 5:36 pm

  Purchased my new Colbalt in Feb. Already have a 2004 Saturn ION and even though I like the ION very much it is no comparison to the Cobalt. This car is solid inside and out no squecks or rattles and a great attention to detail. Without a doubt the most quiet economy car I have been in. GM keep up the good work America will eventually figure it out.

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  Junk - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Junker - February 23 - 9:53 am

  Been in the shop 8 times. Ruined 4 Serpentine belts, One Altenation, One Idler pulley, Engine Misfires, Tranny bucks and jerks, clutch pedal dosent return all the way all the time.

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  I Love My 2000 Chevy Truck - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By My 2000 Chevy Truck - February 23 - 5:53 am

  We mostly use our truck to pull a 30 foot Cabin cruiser boat. It has proven its self over and over again, pulling a 11,000 pound boat up some very steep,and wet boat ramps. We also pull a 25 foot camper with it. If we hadnt hooked it up and didt see it in the rear view mirror, you would never know it was back there. Our truck has proved to be every thing we had hoped for in a truck. All though a might harder to park than our Blazer, my wife had rather take it shopping.she likes the way it puts her up higher than most vehicles.

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  Malibu 2004 - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By CCarey - February 23 - 2:00 am

  The car is a lot of fun to drive. It feels like a more expensive car and handles the road extremly well for this rpice range. The features really enhance the fun in the driving. the car is extremely quiet on the road and has a great tiught well built feel to it.

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  2500HD to Tow - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By RR49 - February 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought this truck to tow a travel trailer, weighing 8500#. It is the 6.0 liter with 410 gears. Response is excellent very confortable to drive long hauls.

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  BEST 4X4 in 25 YEARS - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By R Magnotti - February 23 - 2:00 am

  I have owned or leased chevs or GMC 4X4for the past 25 years and this is the best one.

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  Impala LT-3.9L-Nice ride - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Matt Lark - February 22 - 5:16 am

  I just purchased a 2006 Impala LT with the 3.9L engine. This car is suprisingly quiet and rather quick for a V6. The car gets up and goes and Ive been able to reach 29MPG on long highway trips(if you keep it at 70). The LT package with the optional 3.9L engine also includes the 17" wheels and real dual exhaust. This package makes the car look rather nice. The interior is great and the auto start standard was a good idea. This car is superior when compared to Accord, Camry, Altima and Ford 500. The LT-3.9L can be purchased for under 24,000 which makes it a great value as well.

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  Works great for a specific segment - 2017 Chevrolet Traverse
  By TraverseReviewGuy - February 21 - 9:22 pm

  Had my 2015 Town and Country in the shop and had to rent a vehicle for the week. Closest thing they had that was similar in size was the 2017 LT Chevy Traverse. The vehicle has TONS of room, and overall was a very smooth and comfortable ride. Im not sure why people are complaining about the acceleration. If buying one, I would go into the purchase decision knowing that I am buying it for safety and cargo capacity, not acceleration. With nearly 300 HP, it accelerates just fine. No, you wont blow a sports car away, but it will handle basic driving tasks just fine (i.e., city driving and passing on the highway). That said, the vehicle falls very short in terms of modern technology, as well as some basic amenities most family oriented vehicles seem to have. The center console seems intrusive and not really functional. The cargo door does not automatically raise or lower itself, and there doesnt seem to be a way to control this from the drivers seat either. The center entertainment console looks like it is a 1st generation console; possibly from the early 2000s. The gauge cluster gives you trip information and mileage, thats it. No distance-to-empty, which even our 2011 Sonata (base model) has. The rear view camera seems a bit slow to respond, but works okay. Climate control seems lacking, though is very effective. For example, there are climate control knobs for rear passengers, but if theyre kids (in our case), they cant reach them. In our mini-van they can reach them fine. No dual-zone controls for the driver / passenger either. With that said, the air-conditioning and heating works excellent. Overall, I cant imagine anyone buying this SUV unless they were only concerned with cargo capacity. Unless you step up to the Premier level, the vehicle is simply out-classed by competitors (my opinion).

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  Dream car - tempered by reliability - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Bob - February 21 - 2:23 pm

  Buying a new 2005 Corvette was a long awaited "dream" event for me. My initial excitement at owning and driving a car that not only looks great and drives great has been severely tempered by the fact that the car has suffered repeated reliability problems (mostly on the same issue) that have left the car in the shop for over 30 days in the first 1700 miles of ownership. Hopefully this will be resolved and I can actually start to enjoy my new vehicle for the reasons that I bought it for: looks and driving excitement!

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  Excellent car - 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By bigguy - February 21 - 10:00 am

  Never had a problem with this car, never been in the shop except for routine maintenance. Better gas mileage than listed, sport suspension lets it handle great.