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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  Wait till Chevy works out the bugs! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By dwilk1 - July 23 - 2:16 am

  I have had my LTZ already for almost 6 months and it has been at the dealer 4 times. Air bag lights, 4 wheel drive sensors, tire pressure sensors and the latest was the wipers for this week. Truck runs great when it wants too. Gas mileage is very poor. Forget it on E85. Even worse! I actually get better gas mileage on my full size Chevy van with a load on it then my Tahoe. If you have children, flip 4 the model with a bench seat on the 2nd row!

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  Good but could be great - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Leigh Z - July 22 - 10:00 am

  After spending a month with the car, I am beginning to really like the car. For everyday commuting it is very comfortable and gets very good gas mileage. What it isnt is a performance beast that makes me want to take it out for the hell of it and just cruise around. For a SS moniker car I expect it to outperform the average sedan from Japan. Sadly, it just does not cut it under the hood.

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  Chevy Spark - 2016 Chevrolet Spark
  By Kim Peran - July 21 - 5:28 am

  Love my new car. It is pretty comfortable for such a little car. I am 511 and still have plenty of head room. There is plenty of storage space in the back and I am getting great gas mileage.

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  Colorado proves to be a surprising ride! - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Gil H - July 20 - 11:40 pm

  At the time that I was shopping for a light duty truck I was impressed enough with the Chevy Colorado to take a chance at first glance. Sure there was a lot of history with US trucks in as much as how reliable they were compared to their Japanese competitors. For once, Im happy to report that I was right (thank goodness!) in my initial assessment of this impressive vehicle. After 63,000 miles my truck still rides fine, has been hassle free and has made me a believer. Its been just what Id hoped itd be and a bit more. A no-nonsense, get me there-and-back, reliable truck. Its not as fancy as most the others but I have to say Im really happy with my purchase.

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  Should be faster - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By corvettekid - July 20 - 8:05 pm

  I purchased a black 2002 auto transmission Corvette with 33,000 miles on it (I wanted a manual, but my left knee is too messed up). I love the car, but it seems like she loses power after hard acceleration a few times in a row. Also, I think the voltage regulator is bad cause sometimes it drops down to 12.3 when I am driving and it also jumps up and down a lot when I step on the brakes. For the car having 350 HP it doesnt feel very fast to me except for when it is first started in the morning. Other than that issue, I totally love the car. I get compliments on it all the time. I love how the sport seats hug me during fast turns. I would definitely buy another one.

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  Good Car - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Aveo2007 - July 20 - 2:40 pm

  Overall driving experience witht this car has been good. A little slow on pick up when going up inclines but other than that I have no complaints.

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  Better luck next time - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By two timer - July 20 - 3:09 am

  So this is my second Malibu since I started driving. Ive had a Hyundai, Nissan, a Mazda, and the two Malibus. Wrecked the first one, bought this because I liked the first one so much. However, in the past six months Ive had the water pump and the taillights mysteriously go out, didnt know that could happen. For the most part Ive been pretty happy with it up until now, torn between, fixing this one or getting a new car. $250 is my quote for the taillights, not even sure if that includes the dash and console lights that dont work as well. All in all a great car as long as I dont go out at night.

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  NO 04 THIS IS A 74 - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By JOEYNKRISSY - July 20 - 12:36 am

  THIS IS A CLASSIC 74 IMPALA SS CAST IRON TANK WITH A 4BBL 350 4BOLT MAIN BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE NOW A GREAT AMERICAN MADE ICON AND WILL MOVE AT CLOSE TO 140 MPH DUE TO THE SIZE AND FOR A CAR SUCH AS THIS WHO CARES ABOUT GASS AND FOR THOSE WHO WORRY ABOUT SMOG THIS CLASSIC EMITS HARDLY ANY BUT IN REGARDS TO THE NEW IMPALA THEY ARE REALLY NICE AND FUN TO DRIVE GOD BLESS THE U.S. AND BUY AMERICAN

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  Close, but no cigar.. - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By KenD - July 19 - 7:03 pm

  I have 2 issues with this vehicle, and neither can seem to be cured by GM or the dealer. First, the car just wanders all over the road. You need to constantly adjust the steering wheel to keep it in the center of the lane. and up until the first snow storm in my area, I didnt have any other issues and would have lived with the other, but when we had our first snow storm, the windshield wipers showed there problem. For some reason, and I cant understand why no one else seems to notice this, is that the passenger windshield wiper wipes the water right onto the view of the driver, and seems to fall right between my eyes. I get a headache everytime I drive the car. Not a good selling point.

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  Lot of car for the money - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By ladyscot - July 18 - 12:10 am

  We believe the Impala is a good car at a good price. We considered Saturn, Nissan Altima and Honda Accord but the Impala just seems like more car for less money than any of those. It is too early to judge long term quality and gas mileage is not what others have reported but we are happy with our purchase so far. Seems as solid as the Cadillac we traded and has much more room inside. Only gripe so far are the seats which are not padded enough. Nowhere near as comfortable as either the CTS or our 2005 Impala.