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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  More car for your money - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By kathleen - February 13 - 12:10 pm

  Ive been impressed with the overall quality of our new HHR. We got ours close to fully loaded and it has features youd expect to see only on much more expensive cars. It feels more solid than our Honda Accord and has a smoother, quieter ride too. Its not very fast but I guess thats the trade off for the good gas mileage. Overall Im happy to find an affordable car with good style and lots of cool features that has excellent safety ratings(and side air bags) thats excellent on gas. Chevrolet needs to build more cars like this.

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  Chevys image problem! - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By AsianDude - February 13 - 8:40 am

  I have owned from Hondas to Mercedes and everything in between. Normally I stay away from American cars like plague. This time, I can say that they definitely got it right and can compete with Accord and Camry. The ride is better than Camry and more luxurious than Accord. Fits and finishes are at par with Japanese cars. The real problem with American car companies is that they are doing the same thing over and over again, producing craps but not this time. Honda Fit 1.5L gets 30MPG and this 2.4 Malibu is far better than Fit or Civic or Accord. See it for yourself and go take a test drive. Id highly recommend this car to those who are looking at Japanese imports. Kudos to Chevy.

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  2007 Impala 3LT - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Bus Driver - February 13 - 5:26 am

  Driver information panel is conveniently in drivers view. Steering wheel controls are convenient and easy to see.

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  Versatile, exciting car - 2016 Chevrolet Corvette
  By John - February 13 - 4:45 am

  PROS: fun to drive, good gas mileage, fairly quiet, comfortable, fun to drive, TONS of options CONS: poor rear visibility, steep learning curve for infotainment system

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  Love It Love It Love It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Beverly Olinger - February 12 - 8:50 pm

  Just picked up our new Equinox LTZ Sat Drives wonderful, smooth ride, great sound system, onstar is fun and the nav system is really cool! You wont be disappointed.The interior is pretty sweet. Big difference over the 2009. Worth the wait!!!!

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  Love my Z71 - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Bucky Buchanan - February 12 - 1:35 pm

  Love this truck. Used to drive an Excursion, but now have the Tahoe Z71. Much better performance, while not as big, inside seems as spacey. Better gas mileage also.

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  Red Hot - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Andy - February 12 - 12:07 pm

  I was looking for a versatile truck that I could use for hauling as well as room for my family of three. After spending a considerable time looking and driving all options available I settled on the Avalanche and I am glad I did. It is the best purchase of the 20+ vehicles I have owned. I bought a model without body armor because of the improved looks from past models. My only suggestion to Chevrolet is that they improve the interior on the LT models by using less plastic. I have 5000 miles on the vehicle now and have experienced no quality or warranty problemns and getting a consistent 18 MPG. I would definitely recomment this vehicle to anyone.

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  Loving It! - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Ruby Dillon - February 12 - 12:07 pm

  I just traded in my Mercury Mountaineer for the Tahoe and always loved the Mountaineer until I drove the Tahoe. Its so roomy and comfortable, drives like a luxury car. It has wonderful visibility and so many extra features that makes it such a great vehicle to be in.

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  Invisible, no fuss, unbelievable - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Dan - February 12 - 6:46 am

  It was time to replace the minivan (family truckster) this year and I wanted to improve on my fuel economy, so I went shopping for a car. Of course I researched right here on Edmunds and narrowed the focus to two cars, the Chevy Impala and the Buick Lucerne. The Lucerne is nice, but the Impala was nice too and an awsome value. This car is like the person that shows up in kakies and a polo shirt to the party and offers to help imediately! Nobody notices this person but they are indispencable. So it is quiet, moves out well with the 3.9L (I used to have a Mustang GT; this car is quick!), handles well, and I am averaging 24 MPG in city driving! An all around best buy in my opinion.

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  better than I expected - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By new to chevy - February 12 - 2:00 am

  handles great, zippy,cute, great visibility, feels like a much larger car.