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:

• 

  NIce car for singles or couples good mileage! - 2005 Chevrolet Classic
  By kailash - January 25 - 3:26 pm

  I have owned this car for for over 5yrs now it has 83k on it, i have hit the road , from east to west and all the way to canada , I havent felt a bit of fear in my mind that it would ever break down on me on the high way, it always sid its the mailus way. I recently got the rotor and break pads fixed, this is after 83k miles on it, i get regular maintenence on it oil change and car washes do help, I got the transmissions fluids changed after 70k and runs like a tiger , i feel 120k will be a breeze for this car, i love and its not a cop magnet . so , u can drive with no fear.

• 

  great all-around sedan - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By mace57 - January 17 - 3:41 pm

  I bought my Impala as a work vehicle. It has since become the all-around family work horse. Not bad looking with the spoiler, and sun roof. OK stero system. The car has a great balance of weight and power, and is super in the winter with good snow tires. we get about 24 mpg average. Lots of room and a hugh trunk. I have about 77k miles on it, and have had no repair issues. I think it is a great value, reliable sedan.

• 

  Thats a Lumina?! - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By kd0bep - January 16 - 9:48 am

  We have had this car for nearly ten years and never had any major problems until we happened to get an oil change while at Wal Mart and they managed to drop something in the engine while doing it. When we drove the car from the store it started to make a clinking sound. When we went back they told us to prove it! So we took it to a mechanic who said it would be simply cheaper to replace the engine than to fight over it. Well he ended up putting the engine in wrong and it died out and needed another one. It becomes an even sadder story from there. The car still runs but it just isnt the same. It currently sits at 176,000 miles.

• 

  Great Car that saves Money! - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By bl45 - January 15 - 4:51 pm

  I am proud that my car continues to run beyond 120,000 miles with no critical repairs necessary. It consistently gets 32 MPG and saves money compared to most domestic sedans. The interior features are practical and easy to use. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone!

• 

  Falling apart one Piece at a Timne - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By maric - January 13 - 9:32 am

  Heater door broke, was quoted $1500 by local GM dealership ($250 for parts and $1100 for labour plus taxes) , charged me $50.85 to diagnose the problem, car had 77,500 kms. Contacted GM repeatedly - got voice mails, never spoke to "Jane" in person. Went out of town to another GM dealer paid $750 for repair, in December in Canada you cannot drive without heat or defrost. Feel "ripped off" , now the leather upholstery is splitting. Had to replace Bridgestone tires at 45,000 kms. Not happy with GM .... inferior product and by the lack of response I have to assume that they dont really care! My experience answers the question for me "why are so many people not buying North American cars

• 

  Great Car! - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By brantm21 - January 12 - 12:02 pm

  I purchased this car new in 2001. Great, Great car. It is one of the most reliable vehicles Ive ever drove. It now has 145,000 miles on it, and still strong. The good: They dont make great cars like this anymore Drives and rides great Great fuel economy 33HW 29C The Bad: Cheap Interior Bad for ball joints, but easy fix Other than that fantastic car and very reliable. I use this car for everything. Long trips, back and forth to work, grocery getter. If you looking for something cheap and fun this is the car for you.

• 

  My 1st GM vehicle in 30 years - 2011 Chevrolet Volt
  By michael2003 - January 11 - 8:57 am

  Having the ability to drive using NO gasoline for >95% of my driving is a wonderful feeling. Not having to worry about how far I might have to drive or whether Ill get stuck in traffic allowed me to consider this as my only car. Having reduced worries when the price of gas goes up or gets rationed is a great stress reliever. Knowing that Im doing the best I can to support the US economy while also addressing environmental concerns just feels good. I thought Id have to compromise more to be able to drive this type of vehicle.

• 

  Great value, beautiful car, but still has "GM-ness" - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By nick7302 - January 6 - 3:25 pm

  We bought our Malibu in August of 2010. It is January 2011 now and weve already got near 12k miles. LTZ is very sharp looking, the features are great, and a strong value for the dollar. Still, not perfect: Gas mileage is rated 22/33--we average 24-26 on mostly rural and secondary/suburban roads, which is less than Id expect. We did have the airbag light come on around 9k miles and we had to take it in to the dealer to have a sensor replaced. There are other signs of old GM here...if you press the overhead light or sunroof buttons the headliner flexes quite a bit. Rubber trim around sunroof looks sloppy. Transmission hunts and engine can be buzzy during warm up.

• 

  Luvineveryminuteofit - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By seaman11 - January 6 - 12:15 pm

  iI pre-ordered a fully-loaded LTZ before they came out. The only thing I didnt like were the seats (not a lot of lateral support and lumbar support adjustment was minimal). I later read reviews from people plagues with problems, including the engine. I waited for mine to fall apart and it never did. The engine got noisier but didnt fall apart. After ten years and 110,000 miles, it still runs strong with absolutely no problems! Tires and brakes lasted until 90,000 miles! My C5 Corvette and C-Class Mercedes cant even come close to the reliability that the Trailblazer has. I guess I didnt get the lemon ... Im keeping it until it until it dies.pric

• 

  Poor old beast kicked the can on NYE! - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By ventureman5 - January 4 - 8:28 pm

  My 98 Venture died driving home from Hampton Roads VA this past New Years Eve. The dreaded gasket failure problem with the heads. At 176K miles though I supposed I should count my blessings. Especially considering this is the 1st time it has needed any serious work. It still runs. I drove it today to trade it in for a used Windstar and it was still full of powr and running smooth and quiet as ever but I knew with each mile the crankcase was filling with coolant. It made its last drive without failure despite the serious problems. I will miss this vehicle very much even though it was just a baseline grocery getter. It earned my admiration after all these years of flawless performance.