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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  2002 Cavalier LS - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By alrosu - April 22 - 10:00 am

  So far so good. Ive had 2 oil changes so far, one at the dealer and another at a local place in town, and both have overfilled my oil by at least 1/2 a quart.

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  I am sold - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By JimboH55 - April 22 - 10:00 am

  I have been a suburban buyer for years. I went to the dealership that I always deal with. Drove the new suburban and was ready to purchase. For the heck of it my bud who I deal with all the time ask me to test drive the Avalanche. I was sold once I got into it. Had all the comfort, power, and drove better than the burb. The next day I returned to purchased the Avalanche after driving them both again. Trust me the looks will grow on you.We have had some very strong storms this spring in MO no leaks. If your a burb user like I was. You use the back half more to haul cargo than passengers. Need to look at the Avalanche.

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  Love my Chevy!!!!!! - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By big daddy - April 22 - 10:00 am

  Its everything I ever wanted in an SUV. I love this truck more than I love my wife!

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  Cute Sporty Car - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By VJF - April 21 - 11:13 am

  Bought used with 30,600 miles. Have had the car since 12/13/05. Drove in rain/snow/ice mix first day. Handled well, felt secure with traction control. Like the look and handling of the Maxx. Drove over 400 miles during the holidays with cruise at 70 and got 32.5 mpg. Have difficulty getting comfortable in the rock hard seat. Have only two electric adjustments. But the pedals and steering adjustments do help. Three adults in the back seat amazed at leg room even tho a little tight on seating and were impressed with sunroof and spacious interior.

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  2017 Trax - 2017 Chevrolet Trax
  By Mylene G - April 21 - 9:29 am

  I bought a brand new 2017 Trax 5 weeks ago. It has 15 miles on it when I drive it out of the car lot. About 2 weeks ago the engine light came on. I took it to the service center and I was told the vent valve was defective so they had to replace it. Ok not happy about it but ok it was fixed. However 4 days later the engine light came on again so I took it back to the service center. This time I was told its a canister failure. WHAT THE HELL!!!! This is supposed to be brand new and we are replacing parts already. I havent even received my license plates yet and Im already at the service center every week. Not very happy at all. It does have cool features and I like the interior. They told me it is "safe to drive" while waiting for the part needed to get it fixed this time.

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  Back in America - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Johnny - April 21 - 7:16 am

  Selected an LT for a company car, having driven two personally owned Nissan Maximas the last several years. I drive for business use and put approximately 40000 miles a year on a car. I had a choice of two Dodge products, a Toyota Camry, and the Impala. Selected the Impala mainly for color choices and enjoyed a rented 06 while in Seattle. After one week and 1200 miles later, I have been pleasantly surprized by the quality and comfort of the car. Its not the sporty car Im used too, but not bad.

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  I love this car! - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By D. Hintze - April 21 - 1:16 am

  This car has been my dream car for the last 3 yrs. I have been so happy with it. It handles like a dream, and is very easy to drive. I drove a Chevy S10 Blazer for 8 yrs. Gets great gas mileage. It is just a wonderful car. Now my husband is wondering how he is going to get me sleeping in the house again!

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  TrueTruck Guy - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Truck Guy - April 20 - 8:26 am

  I use this truck as a sales vehicle. It is driven over 40,000 miles per year. I have only had it since October 2009 and it has been great! Very comfortable on the road. 22-23 mpg hwy. Ride and handling is great for a truck. NO other truck gets this good MPG HWY. 5.3 V8 unloads on HWY seems to help MPG. Added dual exhaust.

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  Awesome car--looks and performance wise! - 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By blmackin - April 19 - 10:00 am

  I absolutly love my car. Its sporty looking and even though it is 8 years old, it still turns heads and people compliment me on it almost weekly. Its comfortable to drive and has all the features you could want. I put alot of miles on this vehicle and have had minimal problems. The only drawback to this vehicle is that if you have a problem with it..its expensive to fix.

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  How to fix headrest - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By hugeholstein - April 19 - 10:00 am

  Just wanted to let people know that I was not going to purchase this car because of the front headrest being so far forward until I realized that the back headrests dont reach as far forward. I just switched the front and the rear headrests and the problem was solved. Hope this idea helps others out. Too few miles to review the rest of the car.