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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  Better than I figured it would be - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By robert henry - July 17 - 2:00 am

  Best performing car I have ever owned.3.4 engine is ok and it gets 30 mpg.Seats are not that great but ok.Handling is nutral with no bad traits.I have never reached the limit of this car at above average speeds.It starts and goes and I have had no problems other than a bad tire, Even the tires are covered by the factory but I paid for my replacement rather than mess with them. Great paint, There are no bad things to say about this car

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  Disagree W/ Edmunds Review - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Hershey - July 17 - 2:00 am

  The 03 is the best. Not sure why Edmunds feels this car is old. If you look from a pract point it rcvd new fascias,eng in 03,trans is new design. The int. not as cheap as you say,as for the rest of the car, just so much you can do when something works. Why is it that when imports changes fascias Edmunds hails as comp redesign,when U.S. manf does it is insgnfcnt,car is still old design? Elantra is worse,I drove both. Only feature that beats Cav is the 100k war,doesnt help resale. If you read the small print you cant sell it out of your family doesnt help resale. Do a REAL test,drive each w/30k. You find why the CAV CONS RATING is high.

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  2003 chev cavalier 2dr there GREAT!!!!! - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By nutshouse - July 17 - 2:00 am

  I REALLY LOVE THE WAY THIS CAR DRIVES,IT,S EXACTLY WHAT WAS LOOKING FOR,I DID;NT EVEN DRIVE THE CAR BEFORE I BOUGHT IT,BECAUSE IT LOOKED SO GOOD! EVERYTHING WORKS GREAT,GOOD STEREO SOUND REALLY DRIVES VERY WELL,HANDLES GREAT,I HAVE NOTHING BUT GREAT THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THIS CAR!!!!!!

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  I love my trailblazer - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By James Odom - July 17 - 2:00 am

  It is a beautiful SUV to look at, Chevy couldnt have made it look any better. Plus the options you have to suit your needs are unbelievable. Chevy hit it right on the head with this one!!

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  It was okay - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jacob Standridge - July 16 - 5:47 pm

  Great looking car, very large. Dont buy unless youre okay with having an extensive and frequent repair schedule. Cheap quality interior makes for annoying road noise and a lot of rattling/vibrations. Within the last year Ive spent nearly $3000 fixing oil leaks, faulty door lock actuators and extensive maintenance.

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  Sport - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By JohnS - July 16 - 1:56 am

  So far, so good. Like other reviews, I am also pleased with the leg room in this car for the driver. The back seats have little room when the seat are all the way back though. However, this car ended up being perfect for me. Although the sport costs a bit more, it was well worth the upgrades: better stereo, wheels, tires, sunroof, auto-gnition, etc. Acceleration is great too.

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  2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 V8 - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Kaitlin - July 15 - 2:43 pm

  I have a 2000 Chevy silverado with 146,000 miles on it. I had a few things go on it. I use this truck to pull a 2 horse bumper pull trailer. Its been good to me. I put in it a rebuild trans had a few things here and there. Now its having a few issues with going in Reverse. If this truck was a 2500 I would keep it. But I live in a hilly area and it struggles with the load to get up the hills. I live Chevy and I like what they offer. This truck been good to me for my needs.

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  Every mans dream - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Wes s - July 12 - 8:47 pm

  Runs excellent, looks awesome,new tires garage kept,low mileage

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  Ive had them all - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Brian - July 12 - 8:43 am

  I have owned several Fords and just traded a 2004 Ram hemi for the Silverado. Very happy so far, averaging 19.1 mpg after the 1st 1K miles. Not sure what took me so long to get the Silverado. I bought the 2 wheel drive model due to all of the hiway I drive. Everyone thinks it looks like a 4 wheel drive. It came with traction control, should be fine in winter.

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  I was looking for an Imapla - 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Open New Mexico Road - July 12 - 3:46 am

  I was looking for an Impala, but the salesman introduced me and sold me on the sportier sibling, the Monte Carlo. 85% of the 114,000 miles are highway miles...good miles. The 3.8 engine is as strong as the day I bought, and except for two recalls, only had to replace the drivers side power window toggle switch. Still gets good gas mileage, 30 mpg in the city. It was also comforting that I did not have to trade it in when I had to put two car seats, on teenager, and a wife into it. It actually had more seating space than my wifes S-10 Blazer. Has the original paint, no problems except for highway debris. I would love to buy a 2008, but going to keep the 2000 until she cant go no more