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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  Awesome car - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By nards4 - September 24 - 2:00 am

  great sports car for the money. love the car it gets a lot of attention and has all the power in world.

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  Would be good - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Jon Smith - September 23 - 2:00 am

  Would be good but the car just keeps having problems, IAT, HUBS go out, Slave cylinders go out multiple times and then contaminate the clutch but That problem starts with the master cylinder which is usually repaired wrong at dealers for cost cutting-they replace the slave not the master cylinder. almost cost my life in an accident! Trans went out, Radio went out twice the replaced one was remanufactured, not NEW under warranty. speakers go out, throttle cable rusted and would make the throttle stick or not move-thus no driving or very high revs. The car would be great if GM wasnt so Cheap! and that intake manifold design is crap.

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  Not happy with GM - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By sharon - September 23 - 2:00 am

  I have only owned my equinox ls awd for 2 yr in the first 6mo the stabilitrac went and the abs sensor went the windshield wiper motor in the back went, fix it all and now it will not pass state inspection, emission problem and the stabilitrac went for a sec time, I also have electric problem in the drivers side door what else can go wrong GM should help we the taxes payers help GM, I will not buy GM vehicles again "very unhappy".

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  GM better do something! - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Jadotima - September 23 - 2:00 am

  Ive been a loyal GM guy for over 20 years. That I believe is coming to an end. This Suburban is the biggest piece of crap I have ever owned. I have a 2003 Gmc Extended Cab with 225,00 miles on it never once has it burned a drop of oil. I would drive it to the moon and back before I would even consider driving this 2007 Suburban 300 miles. Unbelievable, You cant even touch the 4wd control so hot, I held my hand on there for 3 seconds. Get a shock every time you step out of the Truck to add oil. Just makes me sick. I think FORD is calling my name. Never thought Id say that. GM can have this Suburban back, or fix the problem NOW!!

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  Love it - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jeff - September 23 - 2:00 am

  GM nailed this one. Rides like a dream. Gets great mpg avg 35 mpg at 69 mp. I drive mostly highway miles. The trunk needs to be bigger other than that. Very happy.

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  Good value grocery getter - 2005 Chevrolet Classic
  By Mr. Wall - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned my Classic for 2 years now and put 25k miles on it. Averages 26- 30 mpg combined city/hwy driving, 32 mpg on road trips with two adults and luggage. For only $6900 it has been a great car. No mechanical issues. Has a huge trunk and plenty of interior space. The dealer I bought from had a 2001 Corolla with over 100k miles for the same price. Im glad I went with the newer, lower mileage Chevy. The Ecotec has been very reliable. Looking forward to putting another 100k miles on this.

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  If You Are Short Read On - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By LoveChevy - September 22 - 2:00 am

  I am 5 2". I have the seat all the way up and almost completely forward. The steering is QUICK. Driving a GEO Prizm for many years was very different. Blind spots left and right passenger. As you can see I dont drive much but I have been told it is a car that can rack up the mileage and is still very dependable. Drove from PA to NM and it was very comfortable.

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  Awesome Car - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By JS - September 22 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car to drive recently bought this car. It is very fun to drive and I have ad nothing but great times in this car. I took this car from Philadelphia to New York City with some friends( 104 miles) and we started on a full tank of gas and using cruise control we got to New York City with approximately 3/4 of a tank left so its great on gas. There have been no problems at all with this beautiful car. Remote start works well and truck space is awesome. There is a safety precaution when there is severe wet weather it sounds like a a loud muffler but it protects the car from flooding the undercarriage

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  No more - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By No more - September 22 - 2:00 am

  We bought this car because we wanted a sporty family sedan. The car looks great in the red with the large wheels but thats really the only upside. Weve owned over 30 vehicles over the years and this has to be the worst. Problems started right away. Door locks stopped working, the CD player stopped working, the ABS/ traction control has had problems 2 different times. Of course now that everything is fixed it has a pretty substantial coolant leak. Maybe we got a lemon, but this car is truly a disappointment. I think were done with GM. Our 06 fusion has been perfect through 80k miles and this car has serious problems with only 40K miles on it.

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  Excellent SUV - 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Joey Dorsey - September 21 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Tahoe from a friend who had it since new, after numerous offers, he finally agreed to sell it to me. Probably the best $3000 I ever spent. The truck has 205,000 miles and still drives like a dream, and to call the 4 wheel drive powerful is an understatement. All and all this is my favorite of all the vehicles Ive owned.