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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  Awsome - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Kyle - May 23 - 8:00 am

  I love this car, its fun to drive, gets good mpgs: 21/32. Its huge and this car is a tank. Has been through a lot, got hit from a someone who blew a stop sign going 35 and my car only had 6400 worth of damage the other car lost badly. Its fun to drive. Im 18 so I like the gas pedal. You can take turns fast and when you put the pedal to the floor it goes right away. Only complaint is that the abs light keeps on coming on, and I wish it had more hp. Also its my summer work car and it holds 1500 lbs in the trunk with no problems. I will only buy a GM. I wish that they would actually put real bumpers on sedans instead of plastic tho. Metal is harder to dent, but with plastic you can pop it right out

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  Great Car - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Angelo - May 23 - 3:10 am

  I own a 2002 Impala LS and I just bought this one. What a great car! The ride is smooth and quiet. It handles just great and the features included makes it a great value. Good job Chevy! Drive one, you wil agree.

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  Overall good car with some issues - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By chicagodriver - May 22 - 9:37 pm

  Ive had this care for almost 3 years now. I bought it with 44k on it and now have 90 on it. Ive had a few problems with it but most were solved by the dealership under warranty so it didnt cost me a thing. I have noticed that a lot of other people have had problems with the turn signals and I got it fixed no prob. I guess its a faulty hazard switch that ties into the turn signals. It was a cheap fix. I have had to have the rotors and brake pads replaced. Also replaced both front control arms which was expensive. other than that the ride is smooth, good pep, good styling, decent fuel economy, lots of space and its a comfortable ride. The problems Ive had I blame on it being outside 365.

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  2002 Chev Silverado - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By gavin carrigan - May 22 - 1:48 pm

  Love EVERYTHING about this vehicle and miss it dearly. Totaled on 3-31-2016 because some people dont pay attention/drive and text. Would love to have this vehicle back. Much nicer than my 2007 version. 02 totaled out still valued at $9500 from adjuster. Total shame too because she had atleast another 100k left in her. Shame.

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  Great Gas Mileage for a car of this size - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By jim - May 22 - 11:40 am

  This car is fun to drive and very quiet and gets great gas mileage. Very large trunk, outstanding brakes. A very good car for the money. A lot of useful options for little money

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  Still Going at 180k - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Lark - May 22 - 10:21 am

  I am a happy owner. We bought it new in late 02 and have driven 180k miles. Engine is still running strong. We have had a tranny rebuild at about 160k due to a stripped sunshell. We also had to replace the alternator at 130k and occasionally the left brakelight burns out (easy to replace and I have replaced about 8 times in life of the vehicle), all else has been regular maintenance. As long as it keeps running stong, I plan to keep it until 250k.

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  Wasnt what I thought it would be. - 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
  By Carlos - May 22 - 5:31 am

  There are a bunch of other problems that you get with this purchase. First, you lose a lot of standard features that come on cheaper models of this vehicle. Convenience features like automatic lift gate and luggage rack, and safety features like a spare tire and jack. Also, if you get a bad hybrid generator (battery pack) like I did youre screwed. I tried several times to have it replaced while it was under warranty and GM came up with all types of excuses why it wasnt the battery pack. But once the warranty went out they said that the new battery pack would be about $5k. The battery pack controls EVERYTHING.. When it goes everything will run intermittently. And they will gradually die off at a very high expense to safety. For example: The computer that controls the interchange between gas and electric motors will cut the car off when you try to go after stops for lifts or signs. So you will cut off intersections and sometimes in slow or stop-no-go traffic. Mine has cut off thing to cross intersections with vehicles coming. I have to hold down the brake and rev the gas (Almost like in a manual transmission) to keep it from going to electric to avoid this. Which defeats the purpose of the hybrid because you still burn the extra fuel. Its just not worth it.

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  Solid, well-built truck - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Danl - May 22 - 3:03 am

  Shopped Ford, Dodge, but Chevy was the best value. This thing will pull your house down. The 4auto shifts smoothly and solidly. The motor growls with plenty of low-end torque. Tons of room in the back for kids, etc. Gas mileage around 14..better than Ford or Dodge. Great work truck.

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  Last Chevy Id Buy! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By NOT HAPPY - May 21 - 11:03 pm

  I fell in love with the appearance of the Equinox, and still find it to be a good looking car both inside and out. Unfortunately since I have bought the vehicle it has been one headache after another. I had consistent problems with a broken gas guage that Chevy finally fixed. The icing on the cake though is the never ending problems I have with the cooling system of the vehicle. My Equinox constantly overheats, a problem Chevy knows about, and has repeatedly tried to fix the issue. Now that my warranty is up, and the issue is still taking place, I am fighting with Chevy because I refuse to pay for repairs on an issue that has taken place since the car was 1 1/2 years old (its 3 1/2 now).

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  Unhappy - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Pat Zink - May 21 - 9:09 pm

  Drivers seat hard uncomfortable. Turning radius no good. Cup holders in front in the wrong place along with the cell phone plug. Knocking noices sometimes in the front end & sometimes in the rear end. Had to dealer 3 times for poor AC. They stated that the way it should be. Not good in deep snow. Snow gets packed under the car which makes loud noises. Seats stain very easy & hard to keep clean. The dash is poorly made. I love the exterior looks.