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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  A blast to drive - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By leslie - February 7 - 2:06 am

  After owning a Suburban, my expectations of finding a smaller SUV with comparable leg and head room was doubtful. I was wrong. My Equinox feels just a spacious as a larger SUV.

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  Great Car for the Money - 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By karch - February 7 - 2:00 am

  Ive had more good comments about this car than any I have owned. Its fun to drive, has loads of features, and looks great. The paint is fabulouse easy to keep shiney. Average about 23 mpg around town 27 on the highway at 75 MPH. Had a few early problems nothing major. One of the best dashboards with all but one button easy to see. Fog light button hidden by the steering wheel.

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  Wonderful Car! - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By impala lover - February 6 - 9:59 pm

  I love my Impala, Ive had it for two years and have had no major problems. The brakes went bad at one point but when I bought the car it had 77,000 mi, now It has almost 116,000 and still runs great! Im not fond of American cars but Chevys are the best! Id buy the same car again, as long as the miles are lower.

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  Wow - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Chet - February 6 - 9:56 pm

  This was my seventh Vette purchase. What a blast. There is no comparing this car after 20 months of ownership to any of my previous Vettes. What more can I say. Ill leave it at wow.

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  1997 S10 2dr LS Regular Cab - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By Mawarikomi - February 6 - 4:53 pm

  I bought my truck used from a dealer at 44k miles and took it only to 120k before I had enough. Quality was atrocious - interior panels cracked and fell off, mirrors fatigued and broke off. The truck would not start in humid (90%+), cold weather (especially 32-45F), really cold weather was fine. I got a head gasket leak at 80k and had to repair the tranny at about 110k (both those seem normal for the driving I did so not really a gripe). My brake lines blew out despite having been regularly inspected. Heres a positive note, the engine was awesome despite the head gasket and tranny. If the rest of the truck could have kept up with the engine the truck would have been a keeper.

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  Poor mileage - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By MICKEY32 - February 6 - 4:45 pm

  Experience rather noisy. Car has a whine at 35 mph that dealer says is normal. My wife will not drive it as she cannot find a comfortable seat adjustment position for her short legs. (She has no problems with our Ford product). The fuel mileage is terrible. I sold my pickup to get better mileage but it did not happen.

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  Consider Something Else - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By Bill - February 5 - 6:05 pm

  The car hasnt been terribly unreliable, but the front brakes and rotors wear very quickly. Also, the transmission started slipping after only 50,000 miles and had to end up being replaced. I wish this would have happened under warranty. I just wish some domestic car maker could put something on the market that would last at least 100,000 miles.

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  Not all that - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By JOI - February 5 - 4:50 pm

  The Cobalt had a few recalls. The sedan is supossed to be a 5 seater. There is a cup holder in the middle of the floor in the rear making the car a 4 seater. The trunk is deep but not wide enough to load many things. The car looks spacoius but it isnt. This is a nice first time car not a family car.

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  Love my bright yellow Monte Carlo SS - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Phil - February 5 - 3:50 pm

  I saw this car in bright yellow on a dealers lot over an 1/8th of a mile from the street. It was so hot looking, I had to check it out. Before I knew it, I bought it. It rode way better than the Mustangs, was as quiet and road as well as a Cadillac, mine has every option except a power passenger seat or heated seats (which I dont really need where I live, and I usually drive alone anyway). This car has given me no problems since 2002, in fact, other than tires, I havent spent a dime on it, and here it is 2008, the way car dealers count age, the car is 7 years old and has NO problems. I cant say enough about how good a buy this car was, best car Ive had since 1969 Cougar Eliminator

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  Great Car - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Rick - February 5 - 2:36 pm

  I drive 600 miles per week in this car and it has been flawless in 109000 miles I still have not done a brake job on this car yet!!! I have done oil changes and a set of tires and thats it in 109000 miles!!! I tuned it up at 100000 just as normal maintenence. I alwas get 30-35 miles per gallon depending how fast I am driving. This car has been outstanding!