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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  Nice Car,But Has Issues - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Mike - May 27 - 7:12 pm

  Bought the car with 36,000 miles. Rides Nice. Handles good. At 66,000 miles now and so far we had to replace intake gaskets (oil leaking into antifreeze) $650, water pump$200, steering $138 ( clunked when turning) and now p. C. M module in transmission $779 (shifting hard when cold or going up hill) and a wheel bearing! By reading comments from other people, all have had the same issue. Some not. Wow the impala use to be bulletproof

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  Very happy with my new Malibu - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Sportyndm - May 27 - 6:50 pm

  I got the LTZ V6. I got it for college and life after. So far I love everything about it! Its fun to drive and handles very well in any situation. Even with the V6 i get great MPG.... on the Highway i was getting 31.7!!! and its rated at 26. In town about 19, rated at 16, I believe. You cant go wrong with the malibu. I was comparing the altima, impala, and the malibu. This car feels so solid and responsive compared to the others.

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  Great Commuter Car and Fun To Drive - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Freddie - May 27 - 5:33 pm

  For the past two months I have been happy to get into my 2009 Chevy Cobalt and drive. There are three things that have impressed me about this car the most, and they are the quietness of the cabin, the strength of the engine at 155 HP and the transmission, being how smooth it is and quiet. There is little to no wind noise at 80 MPH, the engine really responds well and has great passing power when you need it. And the transmission is so smooth whether you are going up or down hills or just cruising on the freeway. The base sound system is great and the steering wheel radio controls make it easy to control when driving. There is plenty of cabins space for a two door.

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  I loved this Impala! - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Impala lover - May 27 - 2:08 pm

  I put this car threw a lot! I bought in 2006 with 20k in 09 it now has 112,254k. It was my everyday car. I have been to houston austin san antonio louisiana and dallas with ease! I took this car through mud and grass. Very few problems. put about $2,000 in the car including up keep. great for rode trips with a bunch of people holds 6. I raced a dodge 1500 and won!

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  Running in Texas - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Tex - May 26 - 11:44 pm

  First Chevrolet since a 1989 Caprice Classic lemon. Pleasantly surprised by the quality of this car. Expected the 3000-6000 mile rattles typical of GM sedans, but they never appeared. To date I have 106,000 miles on the car and have done nothing but oil and filter changes along with air cleaner. On my second set of tires and still running factory brakes. Now with the GM problems trying to guess if I should keep this one or buy another. The thought of the government handling my warranty on a new car does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

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  Very poor quality build - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By James - May 26 - 7:26 pm

  I saw this car and fell in love. It looks good, has lots of nice features and is fun to drive. The build quality however, is HORRIBLE. Here is a summary of all the warranty work: Ive had the rotors machined 3 times, a new set of brake pads, bottom joints rusted - body shopped and re-rust proofed, drivers door rusted - body shopped and repainted, headlight filled with water - replaced, then came out of position and had to go in AGAIN, transmission seal leak - replaced, my passenger side heated seat has had 2 switches and a relay put in it, and it STILL is not fixed! It turns on whenever it wants. Steering column is now separating, remote start makes horrid knocking sound

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  A Blast to Drive - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Jake D - May 26 - 4:02 pm

  Recently bought my 2006 2LT and almost immediately took it on a 2,000 mile road trip. I highly recommend springing the extra $$$ for a LT w/sunroof. First, this vehicle is a blast to drive it took the switchbacks of Yosemite 20 mph over the speed limit (yes, Im bad) with no problem whatsoever. Fuel economy on the trip, which involve A LOT of mountain roads between CA and OR was 28.8mpg The negatives: I really dont mind the cup holders that others mention, but I do not like the type and quality of the materials used in the interior, pretty much all hard/cheap plastics, not worthy of this car. Im also already having to take it in to have the brakes looked at. Love this vehicle though.

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  decent value - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By petras - May 26 - 11:38 am

  I did not test drive other brands, so I dont know how this one would compare but with gm rebates/incentives its a good buy, good acceleration, good ride and fairly quiet, with auto trans. getting around 29 mpg combined city/hwy, poor rear vis. in the coupe version, esp with spoiler, so far with 5K mi., no reliability issues, check with your insurance co. re: premiums, may be higher than you expect, esp. for the 2 door version..

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  Great value and great car. - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By A New Yorker - May 26 - 12:35 am

  I just purchased a 2008 Impala LT with 33,000 miles on it and its one of the best cars I ever owned. The car runs great. I needed a dependable roomy car for my daily 75 mile round trip to work and after doing a lot of research focused on the Impala. After finding a great deal I jumped on it. Its a great value compared to other cars in its class. I would by another one without hesitation. Every time I drive it confirms that I made an excellent choice. The performance could be a little better when accelerating from a complete stop and the side view mirrors could have been a little bigger but over all I am thrilled with my purchase. I would recommend the car highly.

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  New C6 beats them all - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Doc Robbins - May 26 - 12:00 am

  I picked up my beautiful magnetic red C6 right after it came off the truck. It has every available option on it, from the satellite rradio to the navigation system. At first I thought I would miss having the 6 CD changer; but with the XM satellite radio, who needs CDs? Ive had navigation systems before. I think theyre a necessity to reduce stress if youre traveling any sort of distance to a place unknown. Directions are even shown on the heads up display, and that is a first for me. Its awesome. The car has much more torque than the C5, and the Corvette window noise has finally been eliminated .Corvette is once again the premier sports car in the world!