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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  American Pride - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Gary - December 31 - 2:49 pm

  Bought this 08 SS from a dealer, it was a demo model with 588 miles on it. Got a great deal on it. The car is excellent, fully loaded, extreme amounts of power, smooth, and handles good for a large car. I can easily get 29-30mpg on a smooth flat highway going 70. The car is built well and very solid and surefooted. Great car at a great price.

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  very satisfied - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By tony - December 31 - 1:37 pm

  This 3.8 v-6 Engine is well known to run over 300,000 miles which is why i bought it i have always owned Gm and have had almost complete success. I made sure i got the 3.8 cause the 3.4 was well known to have problems. i had a 1993 grand prix with the 3.4 with many problems. other than that, the other 6 GM cars Ive owned i have run well over 200k miles EACH. I do most of the work on my own cars and have only replaced an hvac temperature sensor for the drivers side in my impala in the two years Ive owned it (except oil changes of course). fuel economy is not as good as newer models but they reduced the cars size a lot on 2006 and later models. i am very satisfied. a malibu will be next.

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  Good Midsize Sedan - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By John in NY - December 31 - 10:47 am

  After 3 months and about 7,000 miles I have many good things to say about the Malibu. Performance is good and I didnt see a reason to get the V6. Interior cabin noise is very low for a four cylinder and very impressive (Chevy even uses laminated driver and passenger side glass). Steering, brakes, handling, all good. Interior quality much better than previous GM models. Soft touch materials and no more shiny plastic! I came from a Honda Accord and like the Malibu better.

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  2006 Monte Carlo Nice ride - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By John E. - December 31 - 10:36 am

  This car rides very smooth. Handles easy. Impressed with the gas mileage that we get around town. Lots of trunk space. Plenty of room to move around inside the car.

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  2009 Chevy Avalanche LT2 4WD - 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Bulldog - December 31 - 9:21 am

  We had been looking at a new truck/SUV to replace our 92 Blazer & 97 Chevy truck. The Avalanche was the best match for us, with 4 full size doors, hauling capacity and able to tow 5000 lbs of boat and gear. We got it on sale Labor day and have been having fun with it ever since. The ride is very good even with 4 big guys in it. Plenty of power for towing even up the steep Sunol and Altamont grades in the Bay Area. The 2009s exterior is much better looking now that Chevy got rid of all the plastic side panels and when back to matching deep painted metal on all sides.

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  True American Design - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By hatcman - December 31 - 7:31 am

  I bought this truck because it is simply the best design chevy ever came out with along with the infamous 5.7 power house. I think this truck is more reliable then my past too brand new trucks, no problems, and it rides so good. I have room for family despite it is a two door but a little elbow grease and you will get in the back. Anyone thinking of purchasing one of these you will be very pleased i think, and I just hit 182,000 miles this morning and its still trucking.

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  Monte Carlo, Reliable for the price! - 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By NawlinsNative - December 31 - 6:36 am

  Purchased in September, 2000, it has less than 25K miles on it. Other than maintenance, it has been perfect. Ten years of reliability. Will be soon passed on to our son in college in another state. We trust its reliability. The 3.1L still gets close to 30 mpg on hwy, 20 city. Just traveled to Ohio a few months ago. Smooth ride. Recommend this car for its value.

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  First Muscle Car - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By 2010 2SS/RS - December 30 - 10:49 pm

  I have just hit the end of the recommended break-in period (1500 miles) and I love this car more and more every day. I considered the similarly priced Challenger R/T and Mustang GT (both great cars), but fell in love with the Camaro. For such a heavy car, it is both agile and quick, and I enjoy pushing it in corners. I havent enjoyed it on a 70 degree day yet, but with summer-only tires, I have had no traction issues in freezing temperatures. Even in 2-4" inches of snow, it did not slip. I am waiting for the first oil change and warmer temperatures before I really open it up and try the launch control, but even with the engine not fully broken in, it is a monster.

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  Chevy not American! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By a unhappy Chevy lad - December 30 - 10:14 pm

  Well.. This being my first chevy and last. I never seen such a poor quality AWD when compared to Subaru and the pricing for the vehicle. Its body does not do justice in Rain, and actually works better in the snow. We have tried 4 different kinds of tires and made no signs of improvements. The material in the vehicle is very cheap, we cannot clean it out nor get it professional cleaned. We actually had to spend another grand and updated it with leather which has been great since. THIRD, two things.. ITS NOT AN AMERICAN ENGINE! SHOCKED! and it doesnt even have a REAL BATTERY. You cannot jump this, or jump another vehicle with this SUV. It has its good days but NOW I see why GM is falling!

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  2008 Silverado - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Jacob - December 30 - 8:53 pm

  I initially got into an accident and totalled a fully loaded Tahoe. I put 96,000 problem-free miles on the Tahoe prior to it becoming a total loss. I never considered happiness could be had in a pick-up truck until the rental company put me in a crew cab Silverado for 30 days. I had to have one. The vehicle drives very smooth and due to the fuel management change from 8 to 4 cylinders on the highway, the improvement in gas mileage is very welcome.