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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  RED VETTE - 1991 Chevrolet Corvette
  By JBC - March 22 - 2:00 am

  DELIGHTFUL DRIVE AND FUEL ECONOMY FOR A 250 HP SPORTS CAR. ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS (3) TOTALLING $2000 OVER PAST FOUR YEARS.

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  Parting with my 2007 Silverado Crew - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By SilverNiffs75 - March 21 - 10:10 am

  Daily driver, never towed anything, 100% dealer service, the warranty covered all failures including a complete fuse box, three batteries, two wiring recalls, a valve job, multiple service required stability and traction control DIC warnings and rusting molding. Unfortunately the transmission let go completely at 12K over the 5/100 and the dealership and GM are nowhere to be found. Will be selling, due to possibility of more engine work ahead.

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  charlies review - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By chasrd - March 21 - 10:00 am

  This is a quality car. Its good looking, affords reasonable mileage, rides and handles well. The price was very good, with my GM card refund and the $3000 cash back I got a fully loaded car at a very reasonable price. Ive had several Chevys over the years and have found them to be reliable sedans.

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  I like this car - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Lisadams - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Over all I like this car. I think the outside trim along the doors should be the basic black instead of the same color of the car. When someone hits your door with their door, your paint chips on the trim. Who wants a brand new car with a chip in the door? It made me SICK. MPG was big thing for me, and it does do pretty good. Im a little disappointed the car doesnt hold its value. You buy it for 26K and in a year they are selling them for 17K. That alone is enough to make me wish I had bought European. Aside from repair costs I guess.

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  LT AWD - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mm46410 - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Im very impressed with the awd performance. When excellerating from a stop you can feel the energy from all the wheels instead of just the tork from the back wheels. Also the very roomy atmosphere within the cabin is a plus.

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  funfunfun - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By steveh1354 - March 21 - 10:00 am

  I purchased the LT model in June of 2004 and am very happy with the way this vehicle drives, very smooth and great vision of the road. Strong engine.Anyone interested in the video entertainment option should really shop around. the dealer wanted 1800 or so for a base setup and I purchased a nice sharp set up installed for 1000.

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  Solid and sound - 1991 Chevrolet Lumina
  By stankosky - March 21 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle from the original owner who only parted with it due to a death in the family. He talked how he loved going on road trips with it and hated to part with it. Well, I’ve had it for three years and it has been a great vehicle. I’ve had to give it a brake job twice, it likes to wear out the front pads. With 178,000 miles on the engine, it still runs strong. It is indeed a great highway cruiser. It’s smooth to ride in and handles turns and corners very well. The body is solid and I’ve only recently encountered a small area starting to develop some rust. I recommend the purchase of this vehicle.

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  Not again - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By vaaccess - March 21 - 2:00 am

  I like my car, well enough that is. Its a good car if your looking in this price range, but I, for one, wont be buying another American car again. Next time Im going to German Engineering.

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  I really LIKE that car! - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Giovanni - March 20 - 7:03 pm

  Brand new, jet black, base model, cloth seats, looks and drive great. Very good value, with a couple of options, its a commuter workhorse, but also turns some heads- real nice lines, 16 inch wheels give a lot of road feel, good ground clearances, low road noise, vision is good (fourth roof pillar hangs out there a bit). Huge trunk makes a good crumple zone in event of rear ender. 4 doors are manageable- in contrast with Monte Carlo vault doors. Great fuel economy with small six, lots of power, even with passengers, Engine breathes real well under moderate acceleration. Dash mounted key switch is handy, column shifter perfectly placed. OnStar, CD, 4 wheel disc brakes, MAN oh MAN I love this car!

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  Nice SUV/Wagon - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By WAYNE - March 20 - 4:03 am

  Sharp looking interiror. Shifter and stereo at great location. Good power. Great styling