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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  What happened to the gas mileage? - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Charles - November 6 - 2:33 pm

  I love driving this car. It has a great ride to it There is plenty of room inside and I get compliments on the car all the time. I feel the inside could have been more spruced up, but the only problems I find are the way too low cup holder and armrest and the cheap looking pull out cup holders in front and back. I like having the window controls on my right and I find the entire stereo system teriffic. I love XM satelite radio. My only real disappointment is the gas mileage which was one of the main reasons I decided to try an SUV rated at 19/25mpg. I am getting anywhere from 12.5 to 15 in city driving and a not too bad 19-21 on the highway.

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  HHR Is All I hoped It would Be - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Jim Kerbow - November 6 - 1:13 pm

  I have been very inpressed and delighted with my HHR 1LT. I knew that I had to have it since I first saw one on TV last fall. I had had a 1995 Suburban for the past 10 years and loved it, but the gas mileage and size got to be a problem. The only problem that I will be addressing with the service department is a very loud pop in the speakers sometimes when I start it, and sometimes the remote starter system doesnt work. I feel sure that these can be resolved. The vehicle is everyting I thought it would be.

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  Electrical problems - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Terry - November 6 - 8:30 am

  Cant beat the 8.1 Allison combo for pulling and towing. Ride is rough. I had electrical problems. It would just die and fail to restart for 5 min. to 3 hrs. then run fine. Never did get it resolved.

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  Great American Car - 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Russ - November 6 - 1:26 am

  This is a great car, I would buy another in a heartbeat. The power of the 3.4L V-6 is great and it still gets great gas mileage. The ride is extremely smooth and quiet, like a luxury car. The interior is very comfortable and has held up well. The trunk is larger than any other car I have ever seen.

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  Chevy hits it big with Equinox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Jimmy - November 5 - 7:06 pm

  We bought the AWD Equinox in June 2004. It is a solid vehicle and a joy to drive. My wife needed a vehicle that she could depend on as she drives across a mountain to work. The Equinox has met and surpassed our expectations, expecially in snow and bad weather. I was driving a 4 wheel drive Chevy Tracker behind my wife in the Equinox and I was sliding more than she. Now we find out the Equinox has a 5 star impact rating for front and side collions. We are very happy with the SUV!

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  So far, so good - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By longtimegmbuyer - November 4 - 12:33 pm

  Performance: only problem is its not so great in stop and go traffic, because gunning it isnt an option. Getting on the highway and driving in open traffic is great. A blast to drive, with the power and handling. Fuel economy is less than desirable, especially with city driving, but to be expected with a big engine. Really not even close to claims. Sharp looking and smooth ride. Luxury & sporty without the cost. Not many issues with build quality or reliability, but before the brake recall it was slow to stop and the shaft replacement was common (had it done twice, 1st time didnt take). Little concerned with warranty coming to an end and this model being the first year for this engine.

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  My Monte carlo - 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Monte96 - November 4 - 3:53 am

  I bought this car from a private seller when it had 100,000 miles on it. That was 8 years ago. I bought this car in November and made a trip to from North Carolina to Wisconsin with it in December. Then we also drove it to Florida twice. I have had intake manifold gaskets replaced twice, but luckily my husband did that himself. I had a problem once with an ignition wire broke and we had to tow it to the dealership to get the "code" to know what was wrong, after trying everything we could think of. Overall, I LOVE my Monte Carlo. It has 213,000 miles on it right now. It is also in the body shop because someone hit me. It is a very sturdy car, withstands damage well.

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  Wow... who knew ? - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tmt33kp@gmail.com - November 4 - 3:22 am

  Decided to trade in my 2014 Rav4 with 79,000 miles and was looking mainly at a Cadillac. After kicking the tires on a few, the salesperson called me back and told me about a demo with 3,000 miles on it and it turned out to be my "new" vehicle: a champagne colored Malibu LT with the Convenience and Technology package. No one was more surprised than me. First off, I must not be watching or paying attention to tv commercials that feature this car because I had never heard about it until it was brought to my attention. I checked the consumer reviews for the good and the bad and nothing I read scared me away. So I went and took a test drive and was immediately impressed..... by the ride. Previously owned a Lincoln Continental that gave me the most comfortable ride Ive ever had. Until this car. To call it a smooth a ride is an understatement. You should just try it. The seats are comfortable with lumbar support; all kinds of adjustable and with the tilt/telescope steering column... I have no idea why people would write a review stating it is anything short of good - if not great. Get the seat exactly wear you want it prior to taking a test drive and you will see what I am talking about. Blind spots? I used the side mirrors and while a blind spot monitor would be nice, I have had no problem in city or highway driving with blind spots. If nothing else, I guess I can thank the reviewers who mentioned it as it does have me double check :) By the way, Im 510" tall and if I wanted to, I can adjust the seat high enough to hit my head.. or lower it to ride gansta style if I was a younger and stupider man trying to impress.... well, no one is really impressed by that. Acceleration is smooth but you will not drag race with this car. But is has plenty of get up and go from the stop. On the way home I passed a semi on a two way country highway road and it had no problem going from 50 to a quick passing speed and there was still plenty of power left had I needed it. The verdict? For a sedan with all the space... absolutely comfortable.... good to great gas mileage....has great street appeal.... and all of it for in my case, under $23,000.... well, it pretty much sells itself. I just knew nothing about it and I would like to think I keep up on things... but this one (almost) got by me. By the way, a shout out to Heiser Chevrolet in West Allis, WI .. agreat group of people who did more for me in three hours then their competitors did in 3 days. Literally.... if you are in the area and looking... stop by there and see how it feels to be treated like an interested consumer.

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  Highs and Lows - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By NASCAR3 - November 4 - 2:00 am

  I have had my montel carlo ss for one year now. I am pleased with the car. Im a big and tall guy and its very comfortable. I have taken several road trips in the car. I have had only one problem with the car in that the battery went dead after only one year. It was most likely just a lemon. Overall this is a great car to own. I have decided I wanted a truck and I am stuck with this car for awhile because I paid 27k for it and trade in value is 16k. Great car, just doesnt hold its value.

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  bad experiance - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By richard - November 4 - 2:00 am

  the monte carlo is a nice looking car, but I have encountered a great deal of trouble. The paint is defective, My hood had to be repainted three times for them to finaly replace it. my abs modulator has gone out. the car has been worked on three times for having a hard start, and the problem still exists. the dash has been repaired and/or replaced at least three times.