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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  Ugly but very good for an American car - 1993 Chevrolet Corsica
  By BigSAC - June 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car from a Rental Agency after 1 year and 25000 miles. Its always been a little loud around the manifold. This car has been solid for 200K miles. The 3.1 V6 engine is a great engine. Good combination of pick- up and gas milage. The interior is very comfortable for its size/class. The car is butt-ugly (white and square) so you wont get alot of respect amongst your peers. There were frequent break-jobs and a couple of wheel bearing problems over the 10 years, but maintenance costs were lower than most domestic cars.

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  Gonna Drive this Until it Dies - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Derrick G - June 5 - 2:00 am

  I currently have just over 135,000 miles on this car and I bought it brand new. I have had no problems. (Just a couple of recalls that were taken care very quickly.) I still get over 30 miles per gallon. Its a little rough on the inside when compared to other vehicles, but it gets the job done.

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  Black beaSSt - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Black-beaSSt - June 4 - 2:00 am

  I only had the car for 30 days, but the performance is awesome! Handling is much better than stock Z-28. SSs have variable springs, so initial suspension hits are absorbed nicely. The jaring kidney shots are not there unless your driving in Metro Detroit. Worth the extra bucks. For 25k will absolutely destroy mustangs from base GT (19k) to Cobra (32k)!

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  malibu 1998 lx - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By diskiedog - June 3 - 2:00 am

  If your are buying be aware of the following item I had to replace. Theft alarm-$350, when out at 40,000 miles. will not allow you to start car.Rotors- replaced 2 timms. Air conditioner control block-replaced at 35000 miles and 60000 miles-cost was $250 for the 2nd. Water leak on intake manifold- cost $573, this was the 150,ooo mile non replacement antifreeze chevy was proud of. Alternator-cost $241.

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  Fun To Drive! - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Starchild - June 3 - 2:00 am

  This car is a lot of fun to drive. By far the best thing this car has going for it is the acceleration - this car goes! The car is a bit tight fitting for anyone over 6 feet tall (I am 510" and it is snug). On long trips over 3 hours your ass will be hurtin for sure. Mechanically, I have had a new problem with the car about every year. The water pump went out around 30K miles which from what I heard is common on GM vehicles. I also had some sort of hinge joint go out under the front driver side wheel which gave me a lot of creakin, a problem with the front breaks, and there was water leaking into one of the front headlights.

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  Not too bad for a platform this aged - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Daveee - June 3 - 2:00 am

  It is well known that the Cav is based an an aged platform. They have made updates, which can be seen in improved performance and the like. The car is relatively fun to drive. On the reverse side, the car rattles like no other, makes unusual noises, and does not have the most forgiving of manual transmissions. The car has rather poor fit and finish, and certain signs of age are already noticeable. Compared to my 2001 Chrysler Concorde LXi I would expect better gas mis mileage to be better.

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  Laser Blue Malibu Maxx SS - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Nate - June 2 - 7:50 pm

  Love the engine power and options. The contrasting stitching on the seats and steering wheel is nice. Its an extremely versatile vehicle that has great performance and fuel economy. On average, I get about 22 MPG with mostly highway driving (pretty acceptable as the 2007 is rated at 24 MPG highway). The Laser Blue looks great but, according to my dealer, is hard to match if you need paint work done. After 1.5 years, Ive only had to deal with a burnt out taillight bulb. I didnt really like the sunroof deflector that was made of a mesh material, so I removed it and put on the factory sunroof deflector from the 05 Malibu.

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  First GM car ever. - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Dr. Ray - June 1 - 3:03 am

  I knew it was slow, but I have gotten used to simply pushing it a little. I love the exterior styling, but wish GM had used better quality sheet metal (dings with ease) and interior parts. Cup holder placement is useless, and it needs better storage. That said, I love the retro look, the ease of ingress and egress, the hauling capacity witht the seats down and the $50 a month drop in insurance over my 2001 4Runner. This car needs 25 more horses for this enthusiast. I intend to install a cold air induction to make it sound and move a little better. Too many PT Cruisers out there. 5 more miles per gallon would be good too.

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  Time for a change - 1990 Chevrolet Celebrity
  By FocusWiz - May 31 - 2:00 am

  What a great car this has been. Fifteen years and no major problems with it. It had a reputation for reliability when I bought it (from fleet owners--not from CR) and it has lived up to that reputation. It is getting old now and things that last the life of the car are beginning to fail such as the driver door strike plate (repaired two years ago) and the turn signal return switch (still broken). However, after 185,000 miles, it still starts on the first try and takes me wherever I want to go. As I prepare to retire this champion, I am hopeful that its replacement will serve as well.

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  Better than ever! - 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Steven - May 30 - 4:34 pm

  I purchased the 18 Equinox LT for $21,100. What a great deal! The fuel economy averages between 38-41 MPH on the highway, 32-35 in the city. The peppy 1.5 Turbo is great for acceleration vs the previous model. I have no problems with the front seats. I put over 7,000 miles on the Equinox in 3 months and have no complaints about comfort. The rear leg room is also impressive.