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 Ride - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Mark Schneider - November 10 - 4:49 pm

  This is the second new Corvette I have purchased in my lifetime, the first being a 1974 convertible 454 (last of the big blocks). Needless to say the 2004 is a far superior car. The 2004 is by far the best car I have every owned and is truly a world class sports car. The paint job is flawless. The 6 spd transmission allows the car to get over 30 mpg on the highway which is better than a lot of 6 or even 4 cyls. The convertible top which is manual takes all of 15 seconds to put down and fits so well there are no air leaks or water leaks when going through a car wash. The run flat tires give you a great sense of security knowing you will never have to change a flat tire.

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  Chevy Cavalier - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By JoCar - November 10 - 2:32 pm

  This car took some steep mountains in VA and never fell below 50mph. Incredible for a 4cyl. Averaged 37mpg thru the mountains.

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  Great looks, performance and comfort... Im a fan! - 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Curt - November 10 - 12:36 pm

  Im impressed with pretty much every aspect of the all-new Malibu. The styling is super appealing, at least in my eyes. I went with the 1LT with the Sun & Wheels package, Driver Confidence package, Leather (with 9-speaker Bose system) package, and the Convenience and Technology package. Let me say, the 1.5L Turbo is surprisingly peppy. And fuel economy is outstanding! I achieved 38.3 mpg over a 50 mile drive. And, in stark contrast to another reviewer here, Im throughly impressed with the stop/start technology. Its pretty much seamless. And in rush-hour, stop and go traffic I like the fact that Im not wasting fuel and pumping hydrocarbons! I often drive 200 - 300 miles a day for my job, and Im not totally fatigued when I get home at night. The new seating w/power lumbar is comfortable and supportive. Oh, an lots and lots of rear seat leg room, unlike the Malibu this replaces! OK... only one downside. Like I said, I drive a lot. And I find I have to fill the tank about every day and a half. I wish the tank was a bit larger, but I guess that would affect the overall fuel economy. Drive it. I think youll like it.

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  2010 LT2 RS WOW - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Terry McCann - November 10 - 9:56 am

  Very fun to drive. V6 is a very impressive performance for a v6. Over all Very impressed

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  Excellent Vehicle With Lots of Utility - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By PilotGuy - November 9 - 4:28 pm

  Extremely solid vehicle with engine performance that exceeds expectations. It handles well, especially on tight corners. The interior design is very user friendly and the BOSE sound system is far superior to any factory installed system I have ever heard.

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  love it - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By bostond - November 9 - 3:49 am

  I love this car..after searching high and low for the right car, I went back and bought the impala. you wont go wrong with this one

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  Wow - Get one - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Ourhhr - November 9 - 3:00 am

  Stop looking any further- youll only be going back to the HHR and may find it was sold. We were shopping at 2 stores and then at some "foreign" places. The HHR is more functional and a better value. The are selling fast- we lost one because we wanted to shop around then had to wait a week for another to come in. We got one with the bigger engine and love it. Peppy, quiet, safe, sturdy, super mileage!

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  My Cobalt - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By lacey miller - November 8 - 10:20 pm

  I drive 45 minutes to and from work everyday and I love driving my Cobalt. I love my XM satellite radio and my Pioneer sound system.

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  Chevy trucks rule! - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Devil - November 8 - 7:56 pm

  I use my trucks for landscaping and snow plowing. I have owned Fords in the past, but Chevys trucks are by far the best in every category, not to mention, they have the most standard hp of them all. The locking differential and 4:20 gears are all optional on Fords trucks. My Chevy also will beat any 5.4 orv-10 in pick up off the line stock. Buy Chevy hd trucks, you cant go wrong.

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  Chevy Rocks - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By T M M - November 8 - 3:50 pm

  This Malibu has even more power than the old model. Tight, quiet, turns like a champ and the new electric driven steering module is better. The mileage is as advertised and thats at 75mph on the highway. I love the suspension, the quiet ride, the XM radio. I got it loaded other than the OnStar. The engine is a champ. Plenty of power in all conditions. Smooth with plenty of torque .