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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  Solid, Safe & Reliable - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By c_ram - April 14 - 12:01 pm

  After 3 years, I have followed the recommended maintenance schedule and had a great experience. We bought it for the safety (side airbag curtains standard & crash test results) & reliability and have not been disappointed. In response to the previos post, GM was bailed out by the government in March 2009 well after the 2008 Impala was designed, built and most likely sold. It is not responsible for your experience. Nor are the dealers, which are independently owned and operated.

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  2nd one! =) - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By simplyme - April 13 - 10:00 am

  1st was an 03 Impala LS Hit 300.XXX time for a trade in lol. got an 02 Had it for a while now, and its absolutely amazing just as well as my 03. comfort A+, hes quick, comfortable. and has never left me stranded, Havent had the security issue. gets 27MPG constantly, Homelink is amazing... traction control does wonders. my only issue is the heated seats go out frequently.. but Im cool with it, pardon the pun xD Pretty sure my next one will be a SS =) Def recommend this car.

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  Not bad for the money - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By docsbw - April 11 - 1:31 pm

  This car hauls me up over a 9000 ft summit at 70 mph, granted it is singing for all its worth but it gets the job done. 32 mpg highway. Handles well. Has some cheap stuff like drink holder and hood release, gas cap and interior plastic parts. It was thousands cheaper than the stripped toyota and we have cruise, tilt power everything and on star. Overall its ok 3 out of 5. Has had some issues with front end and ate a set of tires in 20k miles. It is a inexpensive economy car, not a caddy. If I had the extra 4k I would buy the toyota but then you start getting into a lot more money higher payments etc for ECONOMY.

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  Great Car! - 2011 Chevrolet HHR
  By gonzo79 - April 9 - 10:55 pm

  Wife and I bought this car about a year back. So far we use it for all of our trips and like the quiet ride. We now have 35k on it and it runs like a dream. Smooth auto trans and quite peppy for 2.2 - 4 cyl engine. We can get all the groceries, and all of our newborns equipment in the hatch. We get between 26.5-28mpg on average. Fun little car, we have enjoyed it so far. Wish they didnt discontinue them!

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  Dream Car - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By regularguynlr - April 9 - 10:19 am

  I bought my Vette 6 months ago, November 5th 2011. I have always wanted a Vette Convertible since I was a 6 year old boy and my brother gave me one as a toy! The car is a blast to drive, loads of power, will take a curve like she is on rails and makes me smile the whole time. The seats are not the best for comfort, the ride is a bit harsh over rough roads and the 6 speed manual takes some getting used too ( Still getting use to it!). But hey, did I say its a Corvette? And, people always stop me and say, "Beautiful car!" Long distances are a bit of a challenge on the ole bum, but at least its a Corvette!

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  Solid Truck, Small Quirks - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By rustinn - April 6 - 5:24 pm

  Weve put a little over 40k miles so far on our LTZ Tahoe. Reliability? Its been ok considering the car wouldnt start sometimes (back at about 30k miles) due to a bad battery. We replaced the battery and havent had an issue since. Other than that, weve had some problems with the window controls but thats it. Quality? The smooth finish on the spokes of the steering wheel is peeling and the leather seats are starting to feel waxy and have lost their texture. Weve had to also replace the door handle just recently for the driver door because it was loose (covered under warranty). Other than that, the paint job is impeccable and the dashboard hasnt warped or cracked.

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  MPG not expected - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By heresmyopinion - April 1 - 11:54 pm

  We bought this car thinking GM was building better more fuel efficient automobiles. Had the car for a year now and all I can say is I should have bought the subaru, its a proven car where the Equinox hasnt proven anything yet. Love the design inside and out, quality is ok but for power and gas milage its a HUGE dissapointment. With 21,000 miles we havent seen better than 23mpg (thats all highway) and average around 21mpg. My wife test drove the car so I never felt the power until we brought it home, feels underpowered to say the least. And theres alot of rattling going on in the back. This car is however very quiet and comfortable, a fun little suv to drive. If ur buying for mpg, dont.

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  Disapointing gas mileage - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By bob483 - March 31 - 8:26 pm

  Have had my cruise for about five months. It seems like a pretty decent car. It has great power with the turbo in it, and it rides quite nice. My biggest complaint however without a doubt is the gas mileage. The claims that GM makes of high 30s to 42 mpg are completely false. The best I have ever done with the car is about 32 mpg. Very poor for a car this size, and I have an eco model with an automatic. If your after a high mpg car this isnt it.

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  ok i suppose - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By chaddd - March 30 - 10:49 pm

  just got from relative in houston, has engine issues=fuel, trans, did wires, service trans,fuel filter, still runs crappy no power, just learned =code=lean all banks=mass airflow sensor= kindy expensive part= current mileage 189,000 also has rear wiper issues not worky right.

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  you think u wouldent like it but u do - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By chevyfan101 - March 29 - 4:20 pm

  first of all the blazers is a well built truck that may not have the best colors and interior biuld but they are fully built trucks. they at first might look bad but in the long run they are really dependeble.there one of those trucks ghat dont really feel and sound like a truck but they can take the biggest weather conditions and enviroments of any kind and still this trick will push out to its Max power to keep you safe i have had two and the first was a 96 as is my current and it saved my familys life after getting hit by a huge semi and we were able to drive away and the blazed is a truck you can depend on year round. and i would prefer this than broncos 100% ive had both