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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  So far, so good - 2016 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Rod Hughes - June 26 - 2:45 pm

  Im a traveling salesman and spend quite a bit of time on the road. I wanted a vehicle with decent comfort and fuel mileage, but even more important was passenger comfort. No other small or even medium SUV has the rear legroom of an Equinox. I can fit 4 good size adults comfortably. The sliding rear seat makes all the difference. If I need more cargo space, I can slide the seat all the way forward and have a large cargo area... Or conversely, slide it back and have massive leg room for passengers. The one downside so far is the navigation... It is very clumsy to operate and will only hold a maximum of 30 favorite destinations. Even my $100 TomTom held 100 favorites.

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  Nice SUV - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By byteme - June 26 - 10:00 am

  Nice SUV....could use better mileage though...a lot better!!

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  I Loved It - 1990 Chevrolet Lumina
  By sscooter - June 26 - 2:00 am

  I wanted a Lumina for almost 2 years before I could afford to buy mine used. I bought it 3 years old, with 102,000 miles on it. It had been well maintained and I kept that trend. When my daughter got hit by another driver, the car had over 264,000 miles. Still the original engine and transmission. Normal expected maintainence and upkeep, but no major machanical problems. The brakes wore out a little faster than other cars Ive had, but that was a characteristic of this model. I had to replace the alternator about every 2 years thank goodness for Pep Boys lifetime warrenty. I had only paid $4,000 for the car...I definately got my moneys worth!

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  want some, get some - 1993 Chevrolet Suburban
  By yoho - June 26 - 2:00 am

  best truck on the road. Wont trade it for anything, except a new one

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  1995 IMPALA SS - 1995 Chevrolet Impala
  By Michael Barrett - June 25 - 2:00 am

  My 95 SS is my every day car with 127K miles. Ive helped its performance and handling with SLP headers ADR cat back 2.5 inch pipes (loud) Bilstien shocks cold air intake MS6A electronic ignition 275-40 ZR tires 160 thermostat and beefier wires. Horse power is up from the original 260 to near 300. Ill soon be upgrading the 3.08 rear end to 3.42. I LOVE driving my 95 Impala SS. Its one of the better things Chevy did, and one of the dumber things they did when they dropped the Caprice therefore eliminating the 94-96 Impala SS.

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  1995 Impala - 1995 Chevrolet Impala
  By dhyde1 - June 25 - 2:00 am

  I havent had many problems with my SS. I did have to change the water pump at 63,425 miles. I keep getting a whole in my drivers seat on the left side of seat. I changed the seat once I dont think im going to fix it again. I had to fix my brakes twice and the belt once thats it. Its a nice car.

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  Remember the price - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Big Jim - June 24 - 2:00 am

  Good run-about. Dependable but lots of little problems developed after the warrenty expired like broken plastic components (AC knob, driver seat base molding, seat belt cover), specific lines on rear window defroster, and lowest fan level on AC doesnt work. For a car among the cheapest that GM makes and having 80000 miles, it has been a good but not great car. It seems like GM is always having recalls on this car (#3 by last count) which means that I am being inconvenienced for a day each time. I would consider buying another, but I would do a lot of shopping around for other cars in the same price range first.

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  LT5.3 Tahoe - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Jake4 - June 24 - 2:00 am

  The 5.3L is not as snappy as I thought it would be. A friend put dual exhaust on his, and gained 10+ HP plus gas milage. On a 2000 mile road trip, we averaged 19 mpg - however, if you go over 80, that turns into about 12 - 14

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  Not bad - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By matthoffman - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Ive had it for 5 years and havent run into any reliability problems yet, except for plastic trim falling off, which seems pretty standard. Its the least expensive sports-looking car available! I havent taken it into the shop for any real problems yet, and it has 50,000 now. Im hoping for another couple years.

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  Fourth daily driver Vette, C4.5.6.7 Crap cupholder - 2016 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Lee - June 21 - 1:47 pm

  Fourth corvette. Obviously, I am a fan, but the Chevy interior design team or engineers must have been convinced that they did such a great job with the rest of the C7, they could go home early and leave the cup holder to their kids. Frustrating to turn a corner and have coffee spill all over the seats or the driver.