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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  2004 Impala - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Greg - November 14 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 2004 Impala with 75K. A base base model but it has ABS and traction control. I get 26-27 mpg (80% hwy 20% city). Its roomy, the trunk is enormous, it rides nice and hasnt given me any trouble in the 10 months and 19k miles I have owned and driven it. It will not raise your pulse with excitement, but it is a dependable driver with plenty of room and great mpg for its size. I have achieved over 30 mpg highway over a tankful of gas in the summer with the a/c on.

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  Reliable and Sporty - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Z24 - November 13 - 2:00 am

  I have been driving this car for about 6 years and it has been pretty reliable overall. It has over 100,000 miles and still runs well. Some repairs needed include replacing the front wheel bearings, replacing the part that holds the muffler, and replacing the serpentine belt several times. At one time, the check engine light went on and the dealer said it needed new oxygen sensors. I did not get them replaced and it still runs fine and no longer has a check engine light on. There is some rust developing on certain parts, especially the side panel under the gasoline door. This car is easy and comfortable to drive. It is fast enough when you need it and still gets good mileage.

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  Had Enough - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By KD - November 11 - 2:00 am

  In the beginning, car was great, loved the remote start and leather heated seats. I have had to have a head gasket replaced, new water pump and two sensors. My issue now is it is using 1 1/2 qt of oil every 2000 miles and GM says that is ok. Not ok with me. Time to move on.

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  Need To Make Some Changes - 2010 Chevrolet Suburban
  By shoppingnana - November 10 - 2:00 am

  This is my fourth suburban this is my least favorite the air vents are in the wrong place and the navigation system and the knobs for the heat and air are all so low you cant see them they should have put them up higher like other cars did. this is really dangerous where it is.they should have left the cup holders like they were in the older models there in nowhere to put things in this one.the DVD system is awful in this model if you have kids you will understand. what were they thinking if the tv control gets lost you cant even work it from the back seat.had to be a man to come up with this idea and they must not have had children.wish i had my old one back dont like this one at all.

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  Great looks - Not so great gas - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By xxmexboixx - November 10 - 2:00 am

  I have loved this car since the second i saw it. Color coordinated interior, features, space, etc. The aesthetics are very appealing. Power got you down? Throw that bad boy into manual and watch it take off. I actually think it changes gears better in manual. However, my love has a dark side as the car says im not getting more than 19MPG....i commute 80 miles a day and this is absurd to me. I sit in traffic half the time and am moving the other half. Filled up my tank and did the math and i actually get a bit over 23 MPG but still not acceptable. I wish it got just 5 MPG more. considering switching to the Cruze. Gas is the ONLY downside i have so far for this vehicle.

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  Heater problem - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By JEREMY - November 9 - 2:00 am

  The heater blend door broke and was quoted a $1,100 repair to fix. The car has 65,000 km on it. I called General motors head office and complained about the problem. I made my appointment to repair the vehicle at my local GM dealership and when the job was complete my bill was $224.00. Head office instructed the dealership to run it through as a warranty claim. I would like to say that this kind of service really restored my loyalty to GM. All parties involved really went above and beyond what they needed to. Thank you GM

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  Great for tall drivers - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Lou Gebler - November 9 - 2:00 am

  Being 66", finding a comfortable car is tough. I tried most of the crossovers and bought my Equinox because I loved the room it gave me. Even with the front seat all the way back, passengers behind me have plenty of room. Its a great car for longer drives. Ive been very impressed with it, except the mileage isnt as good as advertised. We also own a 2010 Hyundai Tucson which has a lot more pep than the Equinox but isnt nearly as comfortable or as nice. Chevy has so far impressed me with this car!

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  You get what you pay for :) - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By kka89 - November 8 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Malibu with the only issue of needing new intake manifold gaskets. It would run hotter than the half mark when at idle, but go back down when driving. Within the first week of owning the car (I am the third owner, previous owner military)the power window switch for the drivers side window went out. I can no longer roll down my window. My ABS light comes on sometimes and my Theft System light acts up. I also cannot install an aftermarket CD player without a special kit. I only paid $1800.00 for it and cant complain too much. Im trading it off for an Nissan Xterra and more than likely wont buy another American car again.Ive had nothing but bad luck with them.

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  Everyone needs to understand - 2005 Chevrolet Classic
  By jd - November 7 - 1:00 am

  in 2004 and 2005 the classic was a rental car built by gmc. So they were not used gently. There will be things you have to fix. If your check engine light comes on it is usually a bad egr valve. I bought this car to get me by til my lawsuit against auto nation is done. general motors does not care about customers and this will be my last general motors car

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  Gottaownone - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By blkbuty - November 6 - 2:00 am

  My second suburban and basic maintenance has done the trick. Reliable 4wd only needed in the worst of winter here in the Midwest, but have had it in very tough off road conditions in Utah and Colorado. No worries through creeks and extremely rough trails. Not the ground clearance of a Tahoe because of the extra length. Great space, comfort, Bose sound. Power good enough for a vehicle this size. Wish I didnt have metal bumpers starting to rust. The body, however has none. Factory tires lasted to 65k miles versus 50k rating. Factory brakes fine to 73k miles. I expect to drive this 5 more years with no problem, then Ill get another.