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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  You get what you pay for - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By DJ43 - March 6 - 2:00 am

  Chevy is not what it used to be! ! ! My first new car was an Impala in 1963 and I loved it. Had to change push rods and tappits but it was easy to do. Just a few after-noons in the garage. It was great when you could do your own maintenance. Id like to own another Chevy but I do not think I would get the best for my Buck. See you in 2005 (perhaps).

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  Chevy continues to make me proud. - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jeffdog9000 - March 5 - 8:53 am

  After about 5 weeks I took this baby for a 1500 mi. trip. Then a few months later I hooked a heavy double axle horse trailer loaded with a refrigerator and entire churchful of peoples belongings and hauled them on my bumper hitch and pulled them with my Vortec-V6 on a 600 miles round trip. I drove 80 mph with the max AC blowing full blast down the interstate. Other than oil changes every 7k miles or so I have not had to do anything to this truck. At 95,000 miles I swear the brakes or belt would need replaced, but it keeps on keepn on. Not to mention I feel completly safe in my truck!

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  Great Little Car - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Mr500CM - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Solid transportation, great in snow. A much better deal than its Toyota twin!

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  venture - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By larl - March 5 - 2:00 am

  It is a good van. safe for the kids

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  Nice to Drive but with annoying problems - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Peter Baranello - March 4 - 4:26 am

  I have got to admit that the LT/3.9 are easy to drive, peppy, comfortable. With some wrap around mudguards, a bra, it also looks good. I bought the LT loaded, no leather. But even with all options, it did not have an external amp driven sound system, my 2002 LS does, (not the Bose) great sound. This 06 standard system with 6 speakers is sub par. A few annoying trends: Chevy said an engine relay became noisy after a long/hard drive, no fix…. Engine idle is slightly erratic at times, no code? The RF system for the tire monitor, remote start, key fob replaced under war. Like I said, annoying problems but overall I like the car. PS. dont go 7000 miles on the oil or 100000 on trans as they say!

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  Great 1st Car - 1992 Chevrolet Corsica
  By vickijo - March 4 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for 3 years and have put 52000 miles on it.for a total of 136000. I mostly only had minor issues with it as you would expect with an older USED car. after 100,000 miles it started having little weird problems like the ABS light would come on for no reason, the brakes needed replaced, the cruise control stopped working but over all worth the $.

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  Good for the money - 1997 Chevrolet Corvette
  By BBs - March 4 - 2:00 am

  I have had many sports cars, Mustangs, Camaros, Firebirds etc... This Corvette is the best all around for the money. If you dont need the back seats then you get great looks, awesome power and crazy comments. And considering the rate of depreciation of all other american sports cars on the market the Corvette is the best bang for the buck.

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  HHR Experience - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Runner - March 3 - 1:16 pm

  Very satisfied with driving and ownership of vehicle. Pleasant to drive with great storage capacity for a small SUV. Would not hesitate to buy another HHR.

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  I love my new Volt! - 2016 Chevrolet Volt
  By Lucy Yen - March 3 - 8:26 am

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  "MY BABY" !!!!!!!!! - 1995 Chevrolet Beretta
  By Jennifer DeArmitt - March 3 - 2:00 am

  NO REGRETS FOR THIS PURCHASE! BOUGHT IT 2 YRS AGO, DRIVE IT ALOT NEARLY 1000 A WEEK SOMETIMES & IT HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN DESPITE SLOW OIL CHANGES (LAST ONE WAS OVER 10000 MILES AGO). I DONT LIKE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL BEING A ROTATING, ROUND KNOB AND I REALLY DONT LIKE NOT HAVING A DELAY FOR WIPERS BUT THOSE ARE MINOR COMPLAINTS CONSIDERING THE DEPENDABILITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE. WITH DARK TINT, BRA FROM MANUFACTURER AND REGULAR WAXING IT IS AN EYE CATCHER YOU WONT SEE BROKEN DOWN SOMEWHERE. ID ADVISE ANYONE NEEDING A RELIABLE CAR THAT IS A PLEASURE TO DRIVE AND EASY TO INDIVIDUALIZE VISUALLY TO BUY ONE!!