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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  What happened to the gas mileage? - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Charles - November 6 - 2:33 pm

  I love driving this car. It has a great ride to it There is plenty of room inside and I get compliments on the car all the time. I feel the inside could have been more spruced up, but the only problems I find are the way too low cup holder and armrest and the cheap looking pull out cup holders in front and back. I like having the window controls on my right and I find the entire stereo system teriffic. I love XM satelite radio. My only real disappointment is the gas mileage which was one of the main reasons I decided to try an SUV rated at 19/25mpg. I am getting anywhere from 12.5 to 15 in city driving and a not too bad 19-21 on the highway.

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  Electrical problems - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Terry - November 6 - 8:30 am

  Cant beat the 8.1 Allison combo for pulling and towing. Ride is rough. I had electrical problems. It would just die and fail to restart for 5 min. to 3 hrs. then run fine. Never did get it resolved.

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  So far, so good - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By longtimegmbuyer - November 4 - 12:33 pm

  Performance: only problem is its not so great in stop and go traffic, because gunning it isnt an option. Getting on the highway and driving in open traffic is great. A blast to drive, with the power and handling. Fuel economy is less than desirable, especially with city driving, but to be expected with a big engine. Really not even close to claims. Sharp looking and smooth ride. Luxury & sporty without the cost. Not many issues with build quality or reliability, but before the brake recall it was slow to stop and the shaft replacement was common (had it done twice, 1st time didnt take). Little concerned with warranty coming to an end and this model being the first year for this engine.

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  Wow... who knew ? - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tmt33kp@gmail.com - November 4 - 3:22 am

  Decided to trade in my 2014 Rav4 with 79,000 miles and was looking mainly at a Cadillac. After kicking the tires on a few, the salesperson called me back and told me about a demo with 3,000 miles on it and it turned out to be my "new" vehicle: a champagne colored Malibu LT with the Convenience and Technology package. No one was more surprised than me. First off, I must not be watching or paying attention to tv commercials that feature this car because I had never heard about it until it was brought to my attention. I checked the consumer reviews for the good and the bad and nothing I read scared me away. So I went and took a test drive and was immediately impressed..... by the ride. Previously owned a Lincoln Continental that gave me the most comfortable ride Ive ever had. Until this car. To call it a smooth a ride is an understatement. You should just try it. The seats are comfortable with lumbar support; all kinds of adjustable and with the tilt/telescope steering column... I have no idea why people would write a review stating it is anything short of good - if not great. Get the seat exactly wear you want it prior to taking a test drive and you will see what I am talking about. Blind spots? I used the side mirrors and while a blind spot monitor would be nice, I have had no problem in city or highway driving with blind spots. If nothing else, I guess I can thank the reviewers who mentioned it as it does have me double check :) By the way, Im 510" tall and if I wanted to, I can adjust the seat high enough to hit my head.. or lower it to ride gansta style if I was a younger and stupider man trying to impress.... well, no one is really impressed by that. Acceleration is smooth but you will not drag race with this car. But is has plenty of get up and go from the stop. On the way home I passed a semi on a two way country highway road and it had no problem going from 50 to a quick passing speed and there was still plenty of power left had I needed it. The verdict? For a sedan with all the space... absolutely comfortable.... good to great gas mileage....has great street appeal.... and all of it for in my case, under $23,000.... well, it pretty much sells itself. I just knew nothing about it and I would like to think I keep up on things... but this one (almost) got by me. By the way, a shout out to Heiser Chevrolet in West Allis, WI .. agreat group of people who did more for me in three hours then their competitors did in 3 days. Literally.... if you are in the area and looking... stop by there and see how it feels to be treated like an interested consumer.

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  Highs and Lows - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By NASCAR3 - November 4 - 2:00 am

  I have had my montel carlo ss for one year now. I am pleased with the car. Im a big and tall guy and its very comfortable. I have taken several road trips in the car. I have had only one problem with the car in that the battery went dead after only one year. It was most likely just a lemon. Overall this is a great car to own. I have decided I wanted a truck and I am stuck with this car for awhile because I paid 27k for it and trade in value is 16k. Great car, just doesnt hold its value.

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  camper - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
  By camper - November 4 - 2:00 am

  top all around preformer

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  Chev. Cavalier 4 dr sedan - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By magalloway - November 4 - 2:00 am

  For the price 12,500 (dealer promotion) this car is peppy, reliable, comfortable, good gas mileage 30 mpg. auto trans, ABS brakes, power steering, am/fm cd player, clock. Rear seat folds down to extend trunk length. 100,000 mile coolant. Tight ride and steering, not sloppy. No mechanical problems, third one Ive owned.

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  BETTER THAN EXPECTED - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By JJOYS1000 - November 4 - 2:00 am

  GOOD STRONG PERFORMER. GOOD RIDE QUALITY. LITTLE BIT OF HEAD SHAKE. THROTTLE TIP IN A LITTLE ABRUPT.GAS MILEAGE POOR 13MPG HIGHWAY. INTERIOR LOOKING VERY DATED. TOO MUCH PLASTIC.

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  electrical problems with chev truck - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By ouellette - November 2 - 10:26 pm

  I have a 2000 1500 silverado Z71 fully loaded stepside I have had this truck back to the dealership 20 times for the same problem security light and service 4 wheel drive light comes on and stays on. dealership worked on this but took them over 1 year to fix dont bother calling GM they dont return calls

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  Poor Accessory Drive Belt System/Diesel - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Joe Tretter - November 2 - 2:53 am

  Noticed a drive belt noise from day one with this truck! The dealer replaced the serpentine belt,within a few days, the noise was back, took it to another dealer who cleaned the pulleys,after a few days the same noise appeared again. I contacted the first dealer he said others are having problems also and Chevrolet has no fix for this problem at this time ! Mileage is not great either its between 14.2 - 16.4 mpg, my 6.0 liter 3500 got between 11 - 13 mpg, I wish I still had that truck !