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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  Worst Vehicle I Ever Owned - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By David Binder - April 24 - 7:17 am

  The stabilitrack light comes on and the dealers can not find a problem. The vehicle once would not move when that light came on. We finally used Onstar to capture the error code but the dealerships we took it to could not identify the problem. The windows are slow to go up and are noisy.

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  Not my first Camaro and will not be my last! - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Dave Vaughan - April 24 - 5:13 am

  The 2015 Camaro 2LS is fantastic. I am stunned that the base trim on this V-6 Camaro has 323 HP and can go from 0-60 in 6 seconds. My first car was a 1985 Camaro base trim, it was a V-8 and it only had 155 HP. Because I dont abuse the HP, my Camaro gets very good gas mileage and I only have to fill the tank once per week, and my job is 48 miles from where I live round trip five days per week. The only downside are the sun visors; they are too small to keep the sun out of my eyes. Im not sure why they were designed so small, but again, thats only a minor complaint.

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  Sleeper - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By ewoodward - April 23 - 8:26 pm

  I have owned it for about a month. Fun car to drive, looks pretty sharp. I had some transmission troubles, dealer/GM took great care of the car. No problems at all.

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  NICE - 1996 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Johnny - April 23 - 7:36 pm

  This is my father in laws but I use it all the time. We have the big 454 engine. I love it. We tow our travel trailer and this truck has almost 160K miles on it. I love everything about it except for the placement of the vents in the center. They are in a very bad spot and if you use the cup holder, they are worthless. Very strange place and you cannot turn them in far enough. Anyone that owns one knows what I mean. but that is small compared to everything else. Of course the fuel economy is not good, but what do you expect for a 454.

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  contrary to other reviews I love my van. - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By flaGSmom - April 23 - 4:05 pm

  I have read so many horrible reviews and I know the posters arent lying but I absolutely love my van it so roomy and loaded with great features of course I have all the service records and this vehicle has been very well maintained and has only 60,000 miles, we keep a close eye on the intake just in case though and DH is mechanically inclined so it wont end up being a major issue of course its used and we expect that we will have to replace things the key is do it before it breaks and it doesnt end up in a dominoe effect like so many have stated I honestly never thought I was the minivan type but I love this van and I am a believer now

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  Discontinued for good reason. - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Iversjohnson - April 23 - 3:48 pm

  Year one - transmission rebuild, brakes gone at 22000, interior lighting failing, engine overheating in summer. Year two - additional interior lighting failure, power door locks no longer function, lift gate strap pulls off, arm rests come loose on driver door and front passenger door, engine still overheating after several repairs. Year three - down to two or three dash lights no center console lights left, engine still overheating after additional repairs, transmission shifting hard and clunking (dealer replacement in year one). Year four plus - barely driveable despite regular maintenance and numerous dealer repairs.

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  Love my Impala - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By JaniceB - April 23 - 11:28 am

  Ive been very happy with my Impala. I dont think you can get a smoother ride from a front wheel drive car. Its very spacious, love the interior and trunk room. Its sharp looking and fun to drive. I bought mine off a corporate lease return, it had 72k on it when I bought it at only 3 years old. It now has 90k on it and still runs, looks and drives like new. Only problem I had was had to replace a wheel speed sensor at around 88k ($400). No other problems. Has been very dependable. A very nice, roomy, family car.

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  I love my first truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Brewdog2001 - April 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought my first truck after having driven cars all my life, and its the best thing I have ever done. This truck drives more like a car than any truck I have ever been in. The gas milage is good for a truck, considering I am used to a 4 cylinder. But the power, the smoothness of the ride, and the overall styling of the truck make an eye catching upgrade to your day to day driving.

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  Magnificent Malibu Maxx - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By anna peterson - April 23 - 9:43 am

  Love it! Great features, great looks, great price. A really functionally wonderful car. All you could want, and it gives 30 mpg on the highway. The quality is outstanding.

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  Never A Doubt About My Purchase! - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Elisa81 - April 23 - 8:06 am

  I purchased my Cardinal Red 2LT 4cyl FWD NOX with sunroof, jet black leather & auto lift gate on October 2nd. The car is beautiful (LOVE the ambient lighting) and handles just as I had expected. The stack buttons were a little overwhelming initially, but now are very easy to use. I am glad I went with the 2LT instead of the 1LT as the fog lights, leather, premium stereo & auto climate control are worth the extra $ to me. The 4cyl has plenty of power on the interstate and Im loving the 27 mpg while driving around town in Kansas City. Do not overlook the Equinox because its a Chevy. Even the most skeptical will be very surprised with what they find in the new 2010 NOX!