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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  Speedometer - 1995 Chevrolet Caprice
  By ernieb19 - January 28 - 10:48 am

  Hi, I love this car, I pay $500 from my work place (was a trade for a new 2008 Lucerne), it had only 65400 miles an old man. I never hade any problems. I have the small V8 4.3 l. I use only Castrol Synthetic and Exxon regular in all my cars, I go about 360/390 miles every 2 weeks with a full tank! Now the only thing is the digital speed, goes on and off once in a while. It is a great vehicle.

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  Its been great - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Bill - January 28 - 9:15 am

  I bought the Colorado as a demo with 8K miles. The only item I had to replace was an oxygen sensor that I replaced myself for $60. I take very good care of my vehicles and the truck still looks and runs like brand new after 100K miles.

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  Here is Reliability - 2001 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Jim Shurden - January 27 - 8:55 pm

  I have had this car for 8 years now with no major failures. I get 32-34mpg on the highway and about 21-24 mpg in town. I have done regular maintenance on it and at 105,000 miles it is still going strong!

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  Somewhat Disappointed - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Billl - January 27 - 8:40 pm

  It was between the Impala and the Malibu. I picked the Impala because it was bigger and advertised mileage was almost as good. My driving is 90% highway and the best mileage I have gotten after 5000 miles is 24.5 but usually getting around 23, the dealer had the nerve to put a 30mpg sticker on the car. I miss my 2000 Monte Carlo SS that regularly got 27-30 mpg. Feature wise the car is good although they cheaped out on the radio - sounds terrible no matter how I adjust it and I miss the auto darkening rearview mirror on my Monte. The heat/ac controls are terrible, every time I put my hand near it they move - to small and soft to the touch. OnStar is hard to use and people cant hear me.

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  The Beast - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By thedragin - January 27 - 8:17 pm

  Just bought an 07 LT3, put LTZ 20s with new shoes on and this thing rocks. Needed a bigger truck for work, fits the bill perfectly and more. Dont ever buy one of these new and refresh every few years. There are plenty out there with low miles and if you can afford to pay the gas and maintain (not one tire at a time), you will not go wrong.

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  I love my SS - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By nmartinez - January 27 - 4:27 pm

  I bought my 06 Chevy Malibu SS last year. It had 21K mi on it and came from Louisiana. Ive had it for exactly 1 year now, it has 40K mi on it and runs perfectly. Ive never had a problem with this car. The only fluid I had to refill was Anti-freeze and I did that at 30K mi. So no big. The car has yet to disappoint me. This is my first Chevy, and it performs excellent in all the elements. Which is a plus, because Missouri weather is always unpredictable. The only thing I wish it could do better on is gas mileage. I get around 19-22 city and 26-28 hwy. But...it has a 3.9 L engine so Im happy with what I get.

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  My new Ol Reliable - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By Vetmom - January 27 - 1:53 pm

  I bought this car as a demo model. I am the original owner and have had all the recommended maintenance done on it. This car still gets me 27MPG around town and almost 30 MPG on the interstate. I am 510" and I can set the driver seat where I want it, sit in the back seat and still have plenty of room.

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  Lemon! - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By juliet21 - January 27 - 1:13 pm

  It was love at first sight when we seen this van, the color, the interior, the style. 10,000 km before warranty ran out, breakdown city! The shuttle driver at the dealership shop and I became friends because I was literally there every week dropping off my van (tire rod ends twice in one year, battery problems, ABS wiring, heater core, air conditioner), The problems didnt end there. Our locks get stuck on our automatic slide doors, rear wiper motor went just after warranty ran out, dvd player is problematic and kills our battery every now and then, rear back up sensor no longer works. It was a great van til it hit 50,000 km. Was not worth what we paid for it.

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  My Red Sexxy SS - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By LadySmack - January 27 - 10:00 am

  It turns on a dime, and is very sporty...I have loved driving it for a while now, and the new still hasnt wore off in 1 year...my father has a 2000, and he told me he still loves to drive his....

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  Avalanche does it all - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By aarchonx - January 27 - 10:00 am

  Smooth comfortable ride, stylish interior and exterior, powerful V8. I couldnt ask for more. I used to drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee, but was frustrated whenever I wanted to haul something tall, long, or wide. No longer a problem.