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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  Hey, yall wanted to see a review right? - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By sandrock - October 6 - 2:16 pm

  Picked up the 08 SS a few days ago, and I have to say its pretty good. Everyone mentions the torque steer, and everyone that has mentioned it is right. This car will surprise you if you are not careful. The seats are firm, but do not "hug" you like a sport seat should, but then again, this car is meant to cruise, not for SCCA solo-D. Highway ride is excellent. AFM system turns on and off real stealth-like...and the fuel economy numbers for highway are stellar for this type of engine.

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  Get better mileage - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Ann - October 6 - 2:03 pm

  We just bought our Tahoe and I absolutely love it! I have to remember to take it out of all wheel drive when I first get in, so that Im not using to much fuel. In doing this, it takes me from 15.9 to.. the best so far is 20.6 mpg. But, the average is 19.7. Hope this helps someone. Not all of the 2004s Ive noticed are like mine. Mine has 3 buttons to the left of s/w. 4 Low, All wheel and the T/C. I hit the T/C before putting in gear, this is what helps with the MPG.

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  Thorn in my flesh! - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Laura - October 6 - 12:14 pm

  Not many people are in the market these days specifically for an 01 Impala, but for the poor soul that might be considering this car a viable option, stop. I loved this car when I bought it and it ran perfectly for the first couple years. Then, at 50K miles, I had to rebuild the transmission. Downhill from there. The security system wiring is a mess, had to replace catalytic converter, oxygen sensors, head gaskets, fuel intake manifold, exhaust filter...on and on! Last Sunday, the drivers side window fell unprovoked down into the door and the power window motor will have to be replaced. But, I will not spend one more dime on this piece and not on any other GM, for that matter. Awful.

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  run in the other direction! - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By notbuyingchevyagain - October 5 - 11:33 pm

  we bought this car at a good price new, and it has been nothing but trouble from day one. it has had a rough idle for over a year and multiple things have been replaced (engine mounts, throttle body, maf sensor, etc) and nothing helps. it has been in the shop more than it has been on the road and is still not fixed.

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  Buyers Beware! - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Proud Momma - October 5 - 7:37 pm

  Buyers beware! I brought this fairly new, only 37000 miles on it. The gas gauge never works, the car only starts when it wants to, the rear passenger door tries to open when you are driving and wont close when you want it to, the radio controls are hit or miss, oh yeah and my transmission went at 45,000 miles! I am stuck with this heap and the Subaru dealer that sold it to me told me I should have bought a Subaru. I am a Nissan girl and will get rid of this as soon as I can! Dont buy this unless you like being stranded!

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  Great mileage...get the options - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Mark - October 5 - 4:13 pm

  My 2006 Cobalt has been fantastic to own so far. I have 43,000 mile swith the original tires and brakes still intact. The ride comfort leaves a little to be desired,and there is some front end noise the dealer says is normal. I drive 64 miles a day to work and average about 36 MPH as high as 42 on a good day.If you buy this car get all of the options you can afford otherwise you will tire of this car quickly. I have the LT package with the alloy rims and bigger tires as well as the pioneer radio system that was a huge suprise for a stock system. I live in Ohio and this little car has handled the last two horrible winters like a champ. It handles very well in all weather conditions.

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  The reason well never buy GM again - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Dissatisfied Owner - October 5 - 2:30 pm

  This has got to be the worst car Ive ever owned. The air conditioner wont stay in recirculation (coldest) mode. Weve had it serviced six times in five years (after warranty expired $400 a pop). It works for a few months, then breaks again. Local Chevy dealer kept it for over a week last time to figure out what is going wrong. Still cant figure it out. Living in North Central Texas, cold a/c in summer (and sometimes spring and fall) isnt an option -- its a necessity. Our next car will definitely not be a GM product -- from two people who bought exclusively GM for our entire driving lives.

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  2009 Chevy Lemon - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By pavehwk - October 5 - 11:38 am

  I purchased this truck new with 500 miles on it. Now I have 19500 miles on the truck and I am having the engine pulled out due to a bad design. I went in for some minor body work (2nd bow tie) and the check engine light came on. The oil pressure was all over the board. I had 1000 miles before it need it next oil change. So while i was in there i had them do a oild change. I was told that there was a 1 1/2 quarts of oil left in the block. I was then told that they need to put a baffel in the bottom of the pan. This was after taking the truck in 4 times to do an oil consuption check (it failed). I had to wait to get fixed due to having 5 other trucks getting the samething done.

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  Satisfied - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By G in NC - October 5 - 10:30 am

  I bought my Chevy new in 2004. I have had only two problems: In 2006, my horn stopped working, and the airbag had to be removed to fixed the problem. A pricey fix but was covered by my warranty. Now at 56000 miles, my check engine light has come on and am told I need to replace an Oxygen sensor. No biggie. Overall, the ride in my car is comfortable but noisy in traffic. I am short, so I like that the car is more compact than others Ive driven. I am not happy with the interior features: My dash has cracks from the sun, and the center console lid has completely fallen off. Other than that, I am happy with my purchase and love the gas economy. Good car for students!

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  Big power - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By Kurt J. - October 5 - 10:00 am

  This has been an allaround great truck. I use it for roadside service along with my firefighting duties and let me tell you i run this truck hard. Weather its passing a hemi (LOL) with the 8.1l engine or towing cars and boats with the Allison 5spd, it just dosent get any better. Add a few lil performance mods to the engine and holdon for ride (seems odd to others that i have a dually racing by them) i can tow anything ive been told to with no lag on this truck it always give the same great ride.