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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  Good Purchase - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By jkp - August 5 - 7:32 pm

  Happy with the purchase. No major issues at 81,000 miles other than four- year-old OE battery dying at 60,000 miles (it was old,) and getting the steering shaft lubricated. Very enjoyable car, sporty enough for the money. Glad I bought it.

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  Sad but true - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Stacey - August 5 - 3:17 pm

  The Trailblazer lives up to all the issues and recalls stated. I still have a tempermental AC, the driver door hinges have broken their weld (in shop for 5 days now) Has anyone heard of this? (Chevy not concerned about this at all) the motor has a "click" sound, and I will never own another domestic car again. I have always been loyal to Chevy, but its time to part ways. Id sell, but gas prices are preventing that now!

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  One of the best small cars - 1999 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Josh - August 4 - 7:54 pm

  I was surprised when I first drove this car. For a 1.8L 120hp this thing sure has some pep to it. It is fun to drive, economical and super reliable! The dealership said they repaired the drivers side door handle once and it just broke again, so the door handles are super cheap. The A/C is cold and cools the car fast. It handles well, and is highly recommeded to all! Too bad they stopped making it!

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  Good car, likes gas though - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Phil - August 4 - 3:43 am

  This has been a great car, It handles nicely for an SUV, and it runs like a champ. I love the V6 and 4WD, and the leather interior is awesome. Its my black beauty!

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  2005 Malibu - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By CPenn - August 4 - 12:54 am

  The Malibu was not built to last. The brake system should be retested on the 2005 Malibu basic sedan. Some of the interior parts started falling apart. The passenger flap visor fell off the second week of our purchase. The drivers side floor panel is too close to the gas pedal. It constantly became loose if it touched too much. Took a trip to the Washington Zoo from Richmond, Virginia and the ride was smooth, but the drivers seat started getting uncomfortable after an hour and a half of driving.

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  Love it, but major problems - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Pat - August 3 - 7:46 pm

  I love the looks of the car inside and outside. Still gets looks and compliments. However, I have had major repair problems. They began at 68,000 miles when the transmission had to be replaced at a price of $2,800, the entire ingnition system at a price of $700.00, heating thermostat which cost only $30.00, but had labor of $300.00, and lastly a wheel bearing at $200.00. Items that do not work properly are the turn signals, that only work when they want to, the steering wheel that has a vibration and now recently the window switch is going out on the drivers side. Driverss side seat heater quit working at about 50,000 miles.

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  Love to drive it-just dont hit anything - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Paula Morra - August 3 - 4:55 am

  I am the second owner of my 2000 Malibu LS and I love it. The multi-adjustable drivers seat makes for very comfortable driving. It is a 6 cylinder so has good pickup and the engine runs quietly. The interior is nice and has extra storage in the console. However, the front end of this car has been wrecked twice, once by my daughter and once by myself. Both times we were traveling under 25 MPH. The other cars involved sustained very minimal damage. The Malibu however, sustained an awful lot of damage for the impact it incurred. The front bumper is plastic, therefore damages (falls partially off) very easily, along with some other parts of the front end, both times topping $3000 in damage.

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  OK, but no big trophy - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By Dale Dzielski - August 2 - 5:20 pm

  When we drove it off the lot we had problems. The tire was bad to begin with, the OnStar antenna was missing, the lug covers were missing. We had messages coming up on the dash several times for brake sensor problems. The air conditioner went bad in only over 20K miles. Cargo area is nicely converted from 6 passenger to open hull. Didnt like the turn off switch for backing warning. My daughter turned off the warning because it was beeping and my wife backed into a wall. I believe there was a recall for the automatic doors. We seemed to constantly have something wrong with it. Rides nice on interestate. Washy handling around curves (live in WV). Overall OK, but not the best auto.

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  Great Sports Car - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Austin - August 2 - 2:23 am

  I bought this car 5 years old, it only had 25k on it. Have owned the car for 5 years and I have done the recommended service on it and it has lasted along time. The car now has 182k and still have original transmission and engine. The car still drives like new. Also this car has a lot of power compared to other sports cars and the trunk is huge.

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  Car for the kids - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By pd - July 31 - 1:45 pm

  We bought this for our kids to share, getting 29 miles per gallon. Its very safe and solid, so no fear of injury if they are in an accident. Its roomy inside to fit all of their "stuff", and still be safe in travel. It has a good warranty, and the seats fold to fit band instruments. The 4 cylinder runs great and still had enough power to get a speeding ticket. My wife even drove it for three months to work and loved it for the size and comfort. Thinking of sending this with the college boys and buying a second for the high schooler, but hate the thought of all the dings in the college lot. This is why we looked for reliable and inexpensive. I would recomend this car 100% for quality transportation.