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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  Get what you want - 2016 Chevrolet Impala
  By Bob Rieber - May 8 - 6:46 pm

  Not everythings included be sure you get what you want- the car floats across the highway the ride is very smooth- getting in and out of the drivers seat could be very difficult for people taller than 6-foot

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  2006 Chevy Malibu Maxx SS - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Nate P - May 8 - 12:36 pm

  This is a great vehicle, but has some engineering flaws. You cannot get heated seats in this car at all, even though you can get heated cloth in LT trim, nor an autodimming mirror. Also, due to the fixed rear glass and sunshades, there are some minor rattles. The exterior of this vehicle has sharp lines, and I love the factory remote starter. The wheels are a nice compliment to the car, but should have been offered with a polished or chrome finish. The dual exhaust adds a sporty look AND a nice sound to this car. Mechanically, 240 hp from the 3.9 V6 is sufficient. From time to time, though, I notice some knocking coming from the engine bay. You can only choose from 4 colors.

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  Colarado in Pennsylvania - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By ronctom - May 8 - 11:23 am

  The five cylinder engine is very peppy going up the steep mountain roads, even when fully loaded. The gas mileage is excellent for a pick up truck. The transmission is smooth.

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  Knock Knock - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Rick Kurland - May 7 - 1:36 pm

  2WD. Bought this truck used from a friends dealer. Love everything except the engine knock. Keep hearing the knock is OK. Seems to have plenty of power but still dont trust the noise. Plenty of room for a family of five pulling a 30 ft camper. Still looking for the answer to the knock.

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  Fabulous Car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By zmurof - May 6 - 10:16 am

  I bought this car back in Nov 2005 and have driven around 45k miles since then and cannot really complain. The ride is a bit stiff on bumpy roads but is a joy to drive in mountain roads. The engine has adequate power(2.4L) for all situations. Other than regular service I havent had any reliability issues. No squeaks or rattles with regards to the interior. However, like other reviewers have mentioned the interior is still down on quality and there is definately room for improvement. Some of the plastics especially in areas of high contact(like the door handles/audio controls) are starting to wear out. The center armrest is awkwardly placed. I average around 30mpg on highway(auto)

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  watch out for the battery!!! - 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By John1234 - May 6 - 10:00 am

  the original battery has corrosion problems. The acids from the battery will leak out and cause severe corrosive damage to the interior of the engine bay. On our car, the leak caused a 1" diameter hole in the inside sheetmetal, and extensive corrosion around the battery and to the battery plate holder. Due to the batteries location, the damage to neither the vehicle nor the battery is visible until it has to be replaced! Then you will only find out if the mechanic replacing the battery tells you of the damage, which is past the 3/36 warranty. Even though it is within the 6yr/100k body corrosion warranty, Chevrolet will try not to cover this repair

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  Smooth ride with some electrical quirks - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Onion42 - May 5 - 10:30 pm

  I enjoy driving this vehicle a great deal. One of the main reasons I purchased it was for the seating features, as I have back problems and the adjustable seat/lumbar support/heat was very attractive to me. The placement of the power window controls are odd (right side "floor" near gear shift)and its hard to clean the window under the back wiper. The main problem Ive had is frequent internal electrical shorts - the horn has gone out twice and I have had problems with the power seat a time or two. Its all covered under the warranty though. Im hoping it gets sorted out before the warranty expires. I love the car though - lots of room, features, and a thoroughly fun drive.

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  Great truck - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By GMman64 - April 29 - 5:10 pm

  Purchased this plain jane w/t truck in 2006 with over 100,000 now have 185,000 and still runs strong. only minor issues V6 is underpowered at times but gets the job done if you do light to none hauling and towing. overall pretty good truck.

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  Good All Around Car - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By rajman - April 28 - 12:53 am

  This was the car my wife, not me, wanted. It has turned out to be an excellent car. It got 30 mpg avg on a 700 mile road trip and usually does about 24mpg in town. This is with the V6 engine with plenty of power. It also has lots of interior room whether for storage or passengers. We were thinking about a small SUV for our family and switched to a Maxx because its a much better value than a SUV. The back seat is huge. It is not as quiet as some in its class, but it is hardly loud. Handling is super for a family car, though the electric steering takes some getting used to. Ive found that the electric steering really reduces fatigue on long drives, though.

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  Like My Chevy - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Ken - April 27 - 11:13 am

  Truck has run well since purchase. Only problem was weak window motors that were replaced after two years. Basic maintenance and it runs just fine. Piston slap is annoying in extremely cold temperatures until it warms up, but that normally goes away after 30 seconds.