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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  Great truck, interior has flaws. - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Was1 - August 26 - 8:46 pm

  Once you learn how to drive it, with a very light foot, and get the 22 mpg most of the time, that feature alone is worth everything. SanFran/Sac on a 1/4 tank. The seats are comfortable, and has every feature imaginable.That said, this truck seems to me designed without any of the engineers ever driving it. First off, the cup holders do not hold a 1.5 liter bottle of water. Lower gauges are unreadable in daylight. They got rid of all the little places to put stuff. Used to have a coin holder in my old one, now a have a baggie of change. For the price there is a lot of road noise. I guess its light to keep the mileage up. The other person is right about the outside air coming in.

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  Love my Impala but nervous about its reliability! - 2016 Chevrolet Impala
  By Cortez - August 24 - 8:10 am

  Bought my 2016 Chevy Impala in June. I fell in love with its bold and sporty looks. I like big cars and the Impala is nice an roomy. Great V6 Engine with solid performance and I get great gas mileage. I had a Chevy Malibu LT prior and I wish the Impala LT had ambient lighting in the dashboard like my Malibu did. Overall I love my car but... After just under 4 months my left brake/ turn signal light went out. Never had that happen in a brand new car. Periodically my park brake light comes on when I get in a start my car. I know that I didnt hit the button. My radio has turned off by itself, never froze or anything just shut off. Twice my interior lights didnt come on when I hit my keyfob to unlock my doors and even after I opened the door to get in the car. My sunshade stops on its own when I hit the button to close it. As much as I love my new car all these little bugs makes me nervous that I will have long term or other major issues down the road.

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  Love the Style, but Hate the Problems - 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Capehart - August 22 - 3:20 pm

  46 miles after purchase, the computer goes out. Great for 2 years, then the transmission goes out, sunroof gets stuck open and needs to be replaced. Now after a new head gasket from the leaking oil, it leaks worse. The car only has 88,000 miles now.

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  Mikes TrailBlazer EXT - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Mike - August 21 - 2:06 pm

  Very comfortable ride, like driving down the road in your recliner. Smooth responsive steering. Good sound system. 3rd row seat is very convenient. Folds down easily for extra room and storage. Only downs are the obtrusive rear view mirror and non-aesthetic dash and controls.

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  My Nox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Love It !!! - August 20 - 9:50 am

  Excellent ride.Comfy interior. Great style. Awesome stereo. Fuel economy is not what is stated on the sticker. Its fun to drive.

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  Bowtie fantasy - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Kevin - August 16 - 2:00 am

  This truck has the power and the payload to do anything that I want to do. I have the 8.1L gas engine with the 5 speed Allison and as long as you keep your foot off the pedal, you can get about 15 mpg in the city. It also looks very good.

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  Bowtie fantasy - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By kevin - August 16 - 2:00 am

  This truck has the power and the payload to do anything that I want to do. I have the 8.1L gas engine with the 5 speed Allison and as long as you keep your foot off the pedal, you can get about 15 mpg in the city. It also looks very good.

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  My First Truck - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Robert Aaron - August 16 - 2:00 am

  Great looking and a nice interior for athe base Silverado. Does the job of getting me back and forth to work at the dealership. Have added a few "custom options" to dress it up

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  noisy and bad ride - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By mr. bill - August 15 - 9:43 pm

  has alot of wind noise, vibrations and there is a glunking in drive train when shifting up and down. dealer told me its normal for Z71 package terrible rides

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  False advertising re mileage - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By james e. nicholson - August 12 - 12:23 am

  The hype about the engine dropping out 4 cylinders to conserve fuel clearly suggests to the buyer that the shift would occur when the car reached highyway crusing speed. In fact, it only reduces to 4 cylinders when one lets up on the accelerator. Therefore, in a 500 mile trip, the car gives you the last 50 yards(as you stop )in the 4 cylinder mode