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:

• 

  OK, just OK - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By DKiD - March 7 - 11:40 am

  Car drives OK. Mileage is way down from listed numbers. I do like a lot of things about this car but mileage is not one of them.

• 

  Defects - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By SSgt. Pore - March 7 - 10:37 am

  I purchase my Tahoe for work and family transportation. I love it but the maintenance issue is complicating. The muffler has an internal heats that the rivets have become loose inside and makes the muffler continuously rattles and the dashboard speedometer needle frequently stick causing unidentifiable speeds when driving.

• 

  A Die Had Van!! - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By judgeman6691 - March 7 - 9:42 am

  I love my venture! After 11 years and 125,000 miles she is still going strong. The only thing I ever had to replace is the water pump which I did February 2009 and my right window motor. This truly is a good vehicle. It offers a quiet, smooth and comfortable ride, perfect for family outings. The ext wheel base version is larger than most vans and even today fits my mother, my grandbaby, my 17 year old, my 21 year old and my 23 year old all comfortably on our many trips across the vast state of Texas. I love my venture! Chevrolet is truly "like a rock"

• 

  HOOD - 2004 Chevrolet Blazer
  By BOB - March 6 - 9:48 pm

  I bought my 2004 Blazer used and I love it, the beefy tires and the fold down seats are great, I got a manual trans and I love it shifts smooth and the 190 hp isnt to bad either.

• 

  Just bought Tahoe - 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Christina E - March 6 - 7:34 pm

  Honestly. We havent bought a GM product in over 7 yrs. which my husband has had 2 Ford leases and I personally have had Honda minivans. We since bought a Tahoe and I am so in love. I am 411" and he is 64.5". I have test drove one a few years back and decided not to get it. The braking is amazing. It doesnt feel like Im driving a big truck, which is a big deal to me. It also is such a smooth ride im impressed. The touch screen is super responsive, acceleration is a bit slow but thats the v8. But this also shifts down to a v4 at stop lights. (So cool) and when you shut off the engine it tells you to look in the back seat (kids safety). We searched for a second row bench (we have 3 kids) and all the seats are the same size. Meaning the middle seat is also very wide (and could fit an adult). I just had to say how much I am in love with this vehicle, they have done such a great job and we are not regretting buying it at all!

• 

  Bad Design no help with problem - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ray - March 6 - 3:09 pm

  Rear doors fill with rain, dust, snow, dirt when going down road. When doors are opened the fender wells are covered with dirt, dust, snow, water making it impossible to use rear seats with out getting clothes ruined..Dealer wont correct nor will G.M. Sorry!

• 

  Headache after Headache - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Rick - March 6 - 2:23 pm

  Liked the truck initially, but problems plagued me all the time. The power window switch went bad, so they had to replace the entire "modularized" motor and all ($150). Then the 2WD HI/LOW/4WD "modularized" button panel on the dash went out ($200). Then the anti-lock brake actuator/controller (another $1200). Seven separate times now the drive shaft splines have had to be deburred, and the rear seals of the transfer case have had to be replaced. Took it in for tune-up last week to find out that the fuel pump is leaking fuel back into the pump (hard starting)--module needs to be replaced ($400). Also the gear shift lever is really loose--that "module" also needs replacing ($700).

• 

  Warning - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By ms31021 - March 6 - 11:30 am

  I have had many problems with this car intake manifold gasket, brakes and its running hot. At this moment it is in the shop for the third time in 3 years.

• 

  second to none - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By lonw - March 6 - 4:41 am

  This is my second Impala my other was the 2003 model, the 2008 is just as nice and seems quicker when you put the petal down, far better gauge display then the 2003.

• 

  WORK Truck Is What This Truck Is - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD
  By HBDMax - March 6 - 2:30 am

  First, you are buying a truck like this to Work, not to Daily Driver. But, you can outfit these trucks very nicely with the LTZ package. Interior leather,finish and layout is very well done, not exceptional - its not a Denali. Exterior new body style has intriguing design elements, ride is exceptionally smooth for this class of truck. The real appeal is the Duramax diesel with the Allison 1000 trans; this truck has literally more power than you can ever use in this class of truck. GCWR is restricted over 20K, this engine and trans combo can exceed that. Economy is what you expect from this type of truck - 18 hwy unloaded, 12 hwy loaded w/18K. This truck exceeds its intended purpose.