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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  Love my Chevy HD. This is one bad boy. - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Gary - May 12 - 2:53 pm

  I love this truck! The 6.0 litre is powerful and smooth. With a locking differential and 4.10 gears this baby hooks for a 2wd. The one big complaint is bad MPG I average 12 to 13 no matter how I drive it; city or hwy. As far as its intended purpose it huals everything I want with no effort! Including, but not limited to cornering at 60-65 with a big heavy trailer and tractor very little sway and with the HD trans and cooler it never gets over 160 degrees with a load. Interior very spacious and well laid out. The suspension is tight and rides a little rough with no load but who cares its a HD.

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  Satisfied - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Denor - May 12 - 6:10 am

  I have a 2007 LT3. Car looks good, nice interior, good build quality, handles well. 3.9 engine is smooth and offers very adequate power. Gas mileage is disapointing. I had a 2003 with 3.4 engine that would get well over 30 mpg on hwy and mid to upper 20s in town driving. LT3 with 3.9 gets 16 mpg in town aND 25 on hwy. Also wind and road noise are excessive.

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  Very Nice Car for the Money - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By David - May 11 - 5:42 am

  I have had this car since March and have put 17,000 miles + on it. I have had some interior vibration and rattles in the dash that seems to be poor design, problems with the adaptive cruise control being disabled for no reason and had that unit replaced. There have been issues with the sun roof privacy screen/shade locking up resulting in the sun roof not working and had to have it reprogramed at the dealer. While these issues are annoying overall the car is fantastic. The ride is excellent both city and highway. The gas mileage is outstanding 24+ in town and 33+ on the highway exceeding the published mpg ratings. The interior space in this car is excellent as well. I would recommend this car.

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  Great value! Great ride - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By mondo1748 - May 11 - 2:00 am

  Im a Chevy fan now. This car is affordable yet it has the power to move when you need to and rides just as good as a Caddy. I would recommend getting the LT package. The upgade to leather seats with sunroof and other LT add-ons comes cheap and gives you alot of bang for the buck I have driven this car to work on terrible roads under slushy and wet conditions. The traction control along with the hadeling made the car an easy ride. I barely feel the pothole patch work road I cover everyday Chevy Pulled out all the stops on this car. This car gives safety features that most others dont even offer also. Congrates Chevy on a job well done.

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  My new Malibu - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By John fields - May 11 - 2:00 am

  I use this car for "around town." It has a hugh trunk space that fits 4 sets of golf clubs and assorted gear with room to spare.I have a bigger car but I feel just as safe in the Malibu.Pick up and speed is geat especially with the V6. The car magazines mention the "plastic interior but I see no differencce in the plastic dash on my friends Toyota.I have the LS that has all the comforts and extras found in the more expensive cars.I have put 2200 miles on it so far with no problems.

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  Fun to Drive - 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Dennis M - May 11 - 2:00 am

  Great looks good ride nice get up and go. Crank up the 200amps enjoy the ride.

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  Disappointed - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Coloradoman - May 11 - 2:00 am

  I bought this truck instead of a Dakota which Id test drove twice because it was a new design and Ive always fancied Chevys. All I felt since my first trip on the interstate was regret for not buying the Dakota. My 2nd trip to the shop for "minor" problems concreted my remorse. A note to all other people considering this truck.. The Colorado was released to put life back into their compact truck line and to directly compete with the Dodge dakota. The are batting .500. It is better than the S- 10 but still no comparison to the Dakota..

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  POWER! but at a price - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By strati - May 11 - 2:00 am

  we needed one big car for the fam. home projects and a kid on the way. the tblazer seemed to be perfect! HUGE power, good amount of room, and a reasonable price. but the interior comfort really leaves a lot to be desired, the audio system isnt very good at all, and the mileage (understandably) is poor. but whats dissappointing is that the 4x4 switch becomes inoperative in the cold. guess when i need the 4x4 to WORK?!

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  Better than my past 08 Scion xb - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By swartz - May 10 - 3:33 pm

  I was able to trade in a 08 Scion XB after seeing an 08 orange HHR panel wagon. The drive was smooth. Wish I had purchased it in the first place. The Scion was very limited in color selection, had lower MPG, tough to see stop lights, only one back up light, even with a pioneer stereo the sound was not as good as the HHRs. Buying American was nice. I just love the HHR!

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  my review - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By HXS - May 10 - 10:00 am

  The only afordable car that fits me (64", 215#) and my family of four. Very comfortable, great gas mileage.