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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  GM = GREAT MACHINE - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jopo - June 5 - 1:02 pm

  Having researched and read reviews on the Malibu before my purchase (still have a 05 Malibu Maxx with 90k miles and running strong) I am very happy with my Malibu purchase. The ride is quiet and comfortable and am averaging over 29 mpg on the 1900 miles I have driven so far. good job gm.

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  Built solid - 1995 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Plainfield Mom - June 5 - 12:46 pm

  I love this car, we are a family of 7, my truck hauls everyone and everything I need to carry, I bought it 2years ago and the paint is fantastic in black, still shinning and beautiful, my interior has all the originall parts, I did buy it from its only owner. With 150,000 miles on her, she now has 167k miles. He was a contractor, Ive only had to replace the front brakes and the wiper. I love the way it handles, the power, the smooth ride. We got 11" of snow last winter, the 4 wheel drive got me in and out of my space without shoveling. I have 3 teenage boys who love it so much they want one. We love our suburban

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  Improves with time - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Tom - June 5 - 12:04 pm

  Locale is west coast Canada. Bought ex-lease with 25,000 km for $16,000 CDN. Warranty trans replace, 6 mo. to track down engine misfire to sensor on crank. This is an excellent car once problems are solved (but make sure you have a warranty! Bretts in Chilliwack persisted in tracking down the problems). Comfortable interior--best seats for long trips to Oregon and California of any car weve owned huge trunk handles well for a car with such a soft ride (once I replaced Firestones with Michelin ZXs) engine does not use oil. I am giving this car to my son for a wedding present and well miss it, but I feel assured that he will be safe because its a big car with lots of metal!

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  Back pain from seats - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Frank - June 5 - 11:53 am

  I drove this traverse for the first time from NY. To Florida taking the family to Disney and was very uncomfortable because the head rest is bent forward and the only way to get the head rest to align at proper angle is by reclining the back of the seat to an over relaxed recline. Anyway the day after arriving my back went out and I couldnt even stand up. Vac ruined. Just drove the car yesterday for 20 minutes and my back hurts today as I write. Also dealer sticker says 17 -24 mpg we avg 12.5 mpg city- on Disney trip 2400 miles round trip we avg 16.7 all highway. GM is deceitful, buy Ford.

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  Great car - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Jacob - June 4 - 11:38 pm

  I bought my 2002 3.8 liter V6 Camaro just a few weeks ago and Im truly impressed. My last car was a 1995 Camaro V6 and I dove it from 207,000 miles to 239,500 miles. After I sold it, I knew I had to have another Camaro and the 2002 is even better than my 95. This 2002 only has 95,000 miles and it performs like a muscle car - a V8 muscle car. The styling is wonderful inside and out and the engine is very sound. I can tell this car was a good buy and Im going to be driving it for years to come.

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  So angry - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By krissy17 - June 4 - 10:23 pm

  Purchased this car brand new. A year later, the check engine light came on & the car wasnt running right. The dealer told me the coolant system needed to be replaced & kept the car for 10 days waiting for Chevy to manufacturer the parts. Since then, Ive had to replace the coolant system 5 times in 4 years. I just learned that it was never the coolant system - it was the engine. 76K hwy miles & I need a new engine because Chevy failed to correctly identify the problem. I also had the car flood when it rained. I replaced the starter twice as well. Thanks a lot Chevy for making such a wonderful piece of crap!

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  Theyre back! - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By MalibuLou - June 4 - 9:39 pm

  Got the 6 cyl, what a joy to drive! Have 5k miles on it already. No problems, all smiles. Handles great, very quiet, very quick, and I am getting up to 30 mpg hwy! I avg 25+ mpg! Bose sound system is superb. Not a single problem with it yet! Comfortable, supportive seats and plenty of leg room in the back. My wife (Ms. Minivan) even likes to drive it. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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  5th S-10 - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Dale - June 4 - 9:02 pm

  Like the crew-cab. good towing vehicle. I tow my 20 ft car hauler and 2800 lb race truck no problems. Once thing that helps this truck out with any cooling issues and power loss is to purchase a complete cooling fan system for a 98-02 camaro or firebird and install. take the belt driven fan clutch system off and drop the fans in and by an aftermarket thermostat controls. My works fine and Ive gained several hp doing so. This truck has 352,222 miles on it and it still runs good. no internal work to engine at all or really any other work done besides maintenance. She getting a little weak now but shes been run really hard. Driving till she dies

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  4th S-10 - 1999 Chevrolet S-10
  By Dale - June 4 - 8:50 pm

  Great truck, no complaints, no break downs, this truck had over 270,000 highway miles and nothing other than tires, brakes shoes, and fluids replaced. sporty look, and great color code for 99.

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  2nd S-10 - 1996 Chevrolet S-10
  By Dale - June 4 - 8:44 pm

  This was my second S-10. Great little truck, interior wasnt as nice as the later models but engine performance was good. No problems with the truck at all. parked the truck because I bought another and decided to do what Chevrolet wont do. I stuff a SBC 427 and Powerglide in it. To hell with fuel mileage, lets have fun, still racing her too