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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  Almost there! - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By LynnF - January 5 - 2:00 am

  excellent truck, overall, really, but GM couldve easily done a couple of things to improve it... as a couple of previous reviewers have noted, the ride can be a little choppy, and the handling isnt very good - if Im not mistaken, my 02 Avalanche handled better. some variable-rate springs mightve done the trick. the trucks appearance is fine from a distance, but I think they couldve done something better with the lower-body cladding - up close it looks very "after-thought-ish". Acceleration is fine, seats and interior are great. Fuel economy is so-so, but we knew that going in, right?

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  Nice car but Autoride is hazardous - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Eric Weston - January 3 - 10:00 am

  I wish I had read the 2 other reviews here before I ordered my Tahoe. They warned about the Autoride feature. At low speeds the vehicle is fine. At highway speeds it is out and out dangerous. You cannot control this thing at 65mph or above. It wiggles and runs all over the road and if your attention wanders for a second you might find yourself under a truck or wrapped around a bridge support. The dealer tells me this is normal for the autoride and there have been numerous complaints about stability. I agree. This truck is dangerous.

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  Nice Highway Vehicle - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ragtop262 - January 3 - 6:50 am

  The Nox is an excellent highway vehicle. Smooth yet taut ride, handles well for a crossover. Im saving 30% on gas vs my old Mitsubishi Endeavor. However, big blind spots and tiny mirrors really limit side and rear vision. Ive heard concerns about the power of the 4 cyl engine, but Ive found it to be adequate. The 6 speed transmission works well to keep the engine in its power band, but it does take a while to get used to 6500 RPM shifts when you have your foot in it. For my shape, the drivers seat is just average for comfort (I prefer a flat seat over the heavily bolstered ones in the Nox). But I really like the rest of the interior (Im a fan of the blue interior lighting)

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  Close to our expectations - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By andrew - December 30 - 8:30 pm

  On the heels of 15k miles, this adequate vehicle continues to provide just enough to keep us positive about the purchase. Just some front axle noise and a/c fan whine remind us that at this price point you get some irritants. Tats just how things seem to shake out with the domestics of our time. You know, you hear something weird and think about taking it in while under warranty but somehow know you will really be wasting your time and effort in doing so because the thing still goes in gear and drives. Its generally as good as new, getting 29.5 hwy. mpg, clips along good enough on trips. Not a stand out by any means but adequately comfortable/economical.

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  Best Car Chevy has ever made. - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jeff B - December 28 - 9:16 pm

  Mine is a LS with 4 cyl engine. Gas mileage is okay at about 25 mpg average, but this car handles better than any GM car Ive ever driven, and seats are comfy too. If GM made more cars like this, they wouldt be on the verge of collapse. This is a fleet vehicle for me, and while I like it a lot, I would choose an Accord, Mazda 6, or Altima if I were buying with my own cash. All in all, a very nice vehicle though.

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  2016 Pre-owned Impala Review - 2016 Chevrolet Impala
  By David Ahler - December 25 - 8:13 am

  Good basic sedan. I liked the creature comforts with extra power the 6 cyl gives. All paperwork gives much lower mileage than what I experience in real life.

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  great truck - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By kevin - December 24 - 5:03 am

  This is my first big truck of my own. I worked for a company and drove their trucks like this but they were poorly taken care of. I moved up from a S-10. This truck is great; lots of power, rides ok, very dependable, comfortable, quiet inside the cab -- not much road noise or wind noise.

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  Chevy making cars that appeal to people - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Andrew - December 23 - 5:33 am

  One time in my teens I has to drive my Grandpas old 1997 Lumina for a year. I hated everything about it. It sucked gas, it turned like a bus, it had a giant V-6 with no power, it was ugly it, it was dated, the bench seats were terrible. The interior was from a bygone decade where you essentially had a couch in front of a slab of gray plastic with other black plastic bits stuck in haphazardly with no What I havent told you is this was Grandpas brand new 1997 Lumina in 1997. I was a German car fanatic and I used to make jokes well at least a VW is not an American car. Anyway we went to Vegas and we were given a rental car 2012 chevy malibu, I fought tooth and nail to not get a Chevy. Give me a Toyota, Nissan, anything but a Chevy. But the lady said it was spring break and the Malibu was a mid-size and I was waiting in line at 12:30 AM so I reluctantly took it. I went out to go get it and when I first saw it I though not too bad looking of a car. And then I opened it up and the interior design was so thoughtful it shocked me. There was an actual flowing design that was multicolored with accents and nice lighting. I was very surprised by every aspect of the car. My wife liked it and how it drove. in 2013 my wifes X5 finally became too expensive to repair. So we looked at Malibus and I found a 2009 LS with 80k miles and they only wanted $9k. Fast forward 3 years the car goes in for maintenance 3 times a year and we generally do whatever Chevy recommends. Last year was about $800 dollars in repairs. Leaking transmission pan/transmission service tie rods and a tune up. The car has never failed us and has never needed a major repair. $1500 dollars in year in total maintenance is awesome. I used to pay $1500-$2000 year to service our 2 BMWs. I have actually thought of getting rid of my M3 and buying a Camaro SS or Vette just because of how reliable our Malibu has been. Were looking at getting my wife a 2016 Mailibu when our Malibu hits 200k miles roughly 2 years from now. Cons: Visibility is hard at 45* looking diagonal out the front because the A pillar and mirror are so large, the visibility out the back is also poor. The trunk opening is small, and most large things need to go in the back seat. The whole front end has to come apart to change the light bulb but its nothing a harbor freight socket set, some cold beer and a lazy Saturday cant fix. Chevy fixed these issues in later Malibus

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  Very nice truck! - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By TruckinLady - December 23 - 2:00 am

  The avalanch is a very versitle and enjoyable truck. For me as a homeowner and family person its perfect for hauling, truckin my stuff around or my kids. VERY smooth ride, easy to drive, and easy to modify from truck to SUV. Interior is nice, but not lexus style... so a few knocks there. But durable. Also, fuel economy isnt great but what did you expect?

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  Work Truck - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Swine - December 23 - 2:00 am

  My vehicle is a work truck assigned to me by the California State Parks. As an Archaeologist, I have found that the off-road capability and passenger/cargo capabilities have made it a good vehicle. Since about 80% of my mileage is off-road, I have shredded the cheap Firestone tires, and have constant emissions problems (the air intake box is not nearly heavy duty enough). Also, the air conditioner filter is inadequate. Finally, the build quality is slightly cheap, and pieces (molding, lights, etc..)routinely fall off (the snap back on though).