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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  192K and Still Truckin - 1995 Chevrolet Caprice
  By KCmajones - March 2 - 2:00 am

  About 2 years ago I was looking at a lot of old cop cars to buy and by luck, my friends older brother was looking to sell his caprice he had bought through ebay a few years prior (he bought a one way plane ticket to NJ and drove it back to Detroit!) because he needed a truck. So I bought the 95 ex-NJ state police Caprice from him. I paid $3,000 for it and it had 165K miles. Ive had to replace the starter, front shocks (heavy engine), ignition cap, wires, and fuel filter (about $1600 total). I just recently hit 192K miles and the engine (original miles) runs clean. The only downside to this car is the lees than stellar gas mileage.

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  96 chevy s-10 - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By memphistiger - March 2 - 2:00 am

  would recommend this vehicle for a first-time driver (high school kid). after 7 years and 90,000 miles, it is still in great condition.

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  Fun to drive - 2002 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Matt1965 - March 2 - 2:00 am

  Good milage for a 4wd. I avg 24-25mpg. Interior is a little cramped for long trips, plastic scratches easily & leaves white marks.

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  Ways to improve gas mileage and comfort - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By crossroads50 - March 2 - 2:00 am

  For those of you who are complaining about gas mileage please listen up. The first 36,000 were with all stock parts. Now that the original warranty is up I have added a flowmaster exhaust kit with dual cat tips and a K&N Fuel injection performance kit which increase my gas mileage, 3 to 4 mpg. Remember to keep your feul injection system clean ( every 15,000 or so for the avalanche ) Like with any vehicle keep up on your maintenance and your vehicle will work better for you. Im happy I chose the 2002 Z71 Avalache over the suburban and the cadillac suv.

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  Its been a great car - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By HappyLS - March 2 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car based on the great price I got $16,100 for v6, sunroof, leather etc. I was a little hessitant based on some reviews. Im happy to say its been a great car. Its met or surpassed all my expectation. The V6 is smooth and powerfull, breaks well. Good build quality. Could use some better tires. For the price of something like a Honda Civic I got alot more car and performance.

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  GM customers deserve better - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By warren - March 1 - 4:46 pm

  I get around 15.5 mpg. Its comfortable to ride in. Wiper blades were shot after less than 20 hrs of use. Exterior paint scratches easily. For what I paid I am not happy. GM got more for thier money than I did. Putting new wiper blades on a new $34,000. dollar truck irks me to no end.

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  Very Dependable - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By steeler3 - March 1 - 8:46 am

  I bought this truck new in May of 01. I currently have 276,000 miles on it and it runs like a top. I get 17+ MPG. I regularly change oil/filter and fuel filter and keep tires rotated. Ive only had to replace the fuel pump once (although the fuel gauge was bad for the last two years). Ive put two sets of brakes, two alternators, two ujoints, one catalytic converter, two window motors. Overall, this truck has been great. Keep in mind: 276,000 miles and still counting. Recently gota a speeding ticket and officer wrote "08 Silverado" (Thats how good it looks)

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  GREAT TRUCK - 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Dan - March 1 - 7:31 am

  Only got it two months ago. Very pleased so far. Taken a 1400 mile trip and everything was great. Very comfortable. Great mileage for full size truck

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  It aint stellar, but it delivers the goods - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jay from Philly - March 1 - 2:34 am

  Would have given 3 1/2 stars rather than 4. My wife had been sinking all of her money into another car she had gotten before we got married and when the transmission went we finally junked it and looked for a new to us car. The 2000 Chevy Malibu LS was available in a corner used car lot and I went to check it out. Cons first: The styling is bland and the interior is all cheap plastic and fabric and the radio is crap. Pros next: The car started up right away and handled very well for a boring 4 door family sedan. There was a surprising amount of pep in the engine. The trunk holds more than expected and the the cheap interior is pretty roomy. My wife loved it and we bought it the next day. She drove that car for 4 1/2 years and put 50,000 miles on it on highways and potholed city streets. We had to fix the drivers power window, pull the remote lock when the Service Soon light came on, replace the serpentine belt, replace a melted tab that kept brake lights on, and changed the battery once. Other than that the car was only in the shop for inspection or oil changes. It handled snow just fine and we trusted it to carry our most precious cargo, our children. We finally needed a bigger car when the children grew, but it was still running when we sold it. Our old Chevy Malibu didnt owe us anything. Its an underrated car.

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  Metro mania - 1998 Chevrolet Metro
  By Jay Pope - March 1 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Metro. I got this 1998 2 dr used and have been a bit disappointed at the lower mpg as compared to my 4 dr 93 GEO. Still, with winter cold starts and a commute of only 7 miles city driving to work, I got over 36 mpg. Hope to get 40 mpg with the warmer weather. Wonderful car around town. Fun to drive. Easy to maintain. Resale value is about 100% so far.