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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  Dream Truck - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By TrickyRicky - January 11 - 10:53 pm

  Ive owned trucks since 1980. Fords, Toyota, Chevy..and without a doubt this is the nicest riding, roomiest, and responsive truck Iv ever owned.The paint is great, no orange peel, and the lines with the clading make it fairly bulletproof. The weight distribution is so good that in most snow, I dont even use 4WD. If you are on the fence about buying one of these, and are willing to pay for a 6000 lb moose, do yourself a favor and buy one of these. It has a tight turning radius and is nimble and quick for its size. You cant see well out the back window, but its not as bad as some reviews make it seem. You get used to it. I love this truck. I tried to find fault with it but I couldnt.

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  Great quality car - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Mary - January 11 - 1:40 pm

  The interior is very good quality, material on seats very durable. I drove this car as a rental and then bought it when I needed to get a car because I liked it so much. I saw other reviews where they needed brakes after 15K miles, but I just got the front ones replaced at 43K, and the back ones are still OK, so I dont know. Only thing is the intake manifold gasket had to be replaced at 43K, which is sooner than normal on most cars, and I dont know the reason for that but apparently its common.

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  Great car - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By grecio - January 11 - 2:00 am

  Great car for my lifestyle: horses and business. One of the best cars Ive own. Truly two personalities

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  Great car - 1990 Chevrolet Celebrity
  By lgillett - January 11 - 12:11 am

  Purchased with 160,000 miles, now has 290,000. What a great car!! Very reliable to this point.

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  Avalanche - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By erlejohng - January 10 - 5:58 pm

  Ive pulled all kinds of loads, travel trailers, cargo trailers, and car haulers with combined loads up to 19700 lbs and it has handled them with ease. My wife likes to drive it as it drives like a sub. It is also great in being able to carry six passengers and folds down real quickly to haul 25 sheets of plywood all enclosed. The tonneau cover storage bag is a joke. I had a stainless ladder rack built and built storage into it for the covers. I get about 11 mpg pulling trailers and up to 16 on the freeway empty. Had two troubles, a pressure switch had to be changed and the r. rear axle flange had to be tightened back up three times. If it was destroyed, I would buy another today.

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  Comfort, size, economy - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jay Jay - January 10 - 1:58 pm

  Third Impala I have owned-very comfortable leather buckets. Ride is smooth and predictable, larger six provides enough power and fine economy on the highway (30+ mpg). Overall mixed driving gives 22-23 mpg. Everything works the way it should, no surprises-Wouldnt recommend if you are looking for a tire burner or rally vehicle-this car is solid, dependable and comfortable to drive.

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  Nickle and Dimed to Death - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By John - January 9 - 1:17 pm

  I have owned a 1996 Lumina LS for the last 8yrs. I have replaced the following since purchasing. Water pump, alternator, fuel pump, driver- side power window motor, and ignition assembly. In addition the 3.1 V6 engine has a problem where the Intake manifold gasket fails every 30,000 miles. I have replaced this twice ($1100 each time). This item should be subject to a recall by GM but is not. I highly recommend you avoid this vehicle. You will spend a fortune on repairs.

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  We like it! - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By CPTBK124 - January 9 - 10:00 am

  We traded our 2003 Ford Expedition for the Maxx for better fuel mileage. After driving the Maxx for almost 12,000 miles; our family enjoys the ride, comfort and most importantly the fuel economy. We still miss the Expedition, but we are reminded we made the right choice when we are at the pump.

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  The car is beautiful - 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Shell - January 7 - 6:30 am

  I love my new car, it is very comfortable. That was the second reason I bought it, first being the overall looks. Mine is black beauty. Only complaint is I am only getting 13 mpg in city.

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  Hate to see you go... - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Elaine Braden - January 7 - 4:07 am

  I love my Suburban. It seems to work for erverything except fuel economy. I have enjoyed my car for five years. I expected to keep it longer. At this time the reliability is not doing well. At 90k I lost the transmission. I have felt extremely safe in this large vehicle.