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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  Blah - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Becca - June 14 - 11:28 am

  I did buy the car used it has 156,000 miles on it now and the transmission is going out. I have replaced the engine(luckily still under warranty), starter, alternator, battery, tune up. Need to replace front brakes once to twice a year. Has been reliable car but when something goes wrong it is not a cheap fix always looking at minimum 200 dollars and thats if you fix it yourself. Also problem as long as i have had the car when you are at a stop and turn you will here grind and have to power through it(supposedly nothing wrong). Other than the issues is a good car unfortunately cant afford to fix transmission.

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  Completely Satisfied - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Dave - June 14 - 10:47 am

  Were completely satisfied. Traded a 2001 Olds Intrigue, which we loved. Thought we may not like the 4-cyl engine, but it has plenty of pep and will get you off the on-ramp in plenty of time. Compared to my Olds, the interior looks a little low-class, but color combo and styling are great

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  Buy American - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By The New GM - June 14 - 10:43 am

  Great Car. High level of quality, similar to a luxury car. Looked at Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander, the Traverse beat them all. Pilot and Highlander are over-rated. Friends who are owners of these vehicles drove in my Traverse and commented they liked this car better. This could very well be the start of the "New GM."

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  Best vehicle I found for the $$$ - 2016 Chevrolet Impala
  By A Wilson - June 14 - 9:54 am

  I did a ton of research online before making my decision. I considered every large sedan below $40,000 and found that the LTZ was the best car that I could buy. When I finally saw it in person it confirmed my choice. The car is filled with all of the latest technology if properly equipped and has more than enough room for 5 people with a huge trunk. Power is more than adequate though the transmission is a little busy hunting for the right gear. It just takes some getting used to as its trying to maximize fuel economy. The RemoteLink app is a brilliant piece of work. The ability to safely start your car then send it your next destination saves time and is just downright cool. Search for an in-stock top-of-the-line model to find the best value for the money. Looks like the other reviewers may have had a bad sales experience but no such complaints here

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  BEAUTIFUL MACHINE - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By grny 5x - June 13 - 10:43 pm

  Van has performed very well during its 1st 41,000 miles. Everything in this loaded LT works well. Very few repairs after 1st visit - front stabilizer links replaced at 40k and sliding doors adjusted at 10k. Engine power is adequate, smooth, and reasonably quiet. Smooth quiet ride. Transmission shifts are smooth - up & down. Good gas mileage: 18 city & 25 highway at 75 mph. Original tires wear evenly, are well-balanced and should go 60k. Brake rotors and pads replaced at 20k. No shutter with 21k on ceramic pad replacements. 2nd row legroom is inadequate, seats lack armrests. Entry to 3rd row is an effort. Manual removal of 3rd row is old design - competitors seats fold under.

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  Awesome SS - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By smczack1 - June 13 - 9:37 pm

  This is my favorite car that I have ever owned! Combination of comfort and performance is just perfect. Fuel mileage is very good, considering there is 303 HP small block V-8 under the hood. I have significant back issues, and I am very comfortable after a couple hours in the drivers seat.

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  be careful - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By carbuyer - June 13 - 8:59 pm

  Ive put this car through the crash test! At 25k miles, I had experienced some brake problems...eventually, they completely failed and I had $5k of damage to fix when I rearended a car (Chevy said they didnt fail and was my fault). At 35k miles, my radio screen broke, and 14k miles later the replacement broke. Ive had trouble with the key getting stuck and I cant get it out, and once couldnt get it on. Most recently though, I had a bad accident...I can say one thing - this car falls apart fast in accidents, but I walked away with minor injuries in what should have killed me...I wouldnt go chevy again due to all the problems Ive had...

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  A base model isnt bad - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Revolver - June 13 - 4:40 pm

  I really like my chevy the design is basic enough that you can change out parts easy. Plus all the parts are pretty cheap, the coolant system absolutely suxs. However, if thats all you have to worry about I suppose thats okay. Many people buy cavaliers because they are cheap if you get the base model. Youll be surprised what these things will endure. My went through a flood with no issues, if you keep up to date on the coolant system if will work in many different heats and colds. Mine is a 2.2 liter which sure beats a 1.9 or a 2.0 only thing is I wish the car where a little bit bigger in the front for easy access to parts other than that a good cheap car!

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  10 across the board. - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By tony - June 13 - 1:36 pm

  I had my eye on this for a few month but wanted to test drive some other crossovers. Drove the Ford Escape, Jeep Liberty, and the GMC Terrain. I drove the FWD and the AWD. It finally came down to the AWD in Black. It looks just as good as any other high dollar crossover and drives just as well too. It has the best look interior out of all the others too. Very quiet ride inside too.

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  Held up well in accident - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By kmcknight - June 13 - 11:14 am

  I was recently in an accident where the other vehicle ran a stop light and I couldnt do anything except T-bone him. It was a perpendicular hit between the two vehicles and my car held up amazing. It will be totaled but there was no intrusion into the passenger compt. the airbags went off as they should the seatbelt performed its job. I was able to walk away with minor injuries youd expect from a hit of that caliber. If Id been driving anything smaller I would not have been as lucky. Also, I was getting 23-24mpg non highway as my daily driver.