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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  My Little Red Blaze - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By chicks1960 - April 18 - 5:34 am

  I bought this one with 130000 miles on it. Had a lot of trouble with the fuel pump. Then the oil pump went, replaced the motor, still seems to miss on the highway. Have had it a year and it has spent more time in the shop, $800 or more at a time. Chevrolet dealership and service couldnt find out the problems. Paid as much for a new motor as I did for the whole truck. Replace sensors and relays Hope it will run for a while. Air conditioner quit - compressor went out $1200 to replace.

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  Good and sad - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By ReC - April 18 - 3:13 am

  I bought this car mainly for the fuel economy: (1.6L 4cyl 5A) 25-30. We were so happy until--15,000 miles and bang, major repair, in shop for a week now, waiting for parts in drive train/control arm. This is a major disappointment. The car is light in the high winds! Should have bought the Toyota Corolla for 2k more.

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  Sturdy vehicle with performance. - 2004 Chevrolet SSR
  By Lotis 61 - April 17 - 10:58 pm

  Ive owned 5 Camaros in the past and this is the only vehicle Ive ever test driven and now owed that came anywhere close to the performance I was looking for. I test drove a lot of trucks and cars and the SSR was the only one that I liked that had the sound and motion to go with it. Its very comfortable and not too low to the ground like my Iroc. Great handling and love the little extras that came with it. Handling and speed are my most concerns. The convertible top is awesome on summer nights and days. It has been a very reliable.

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  Tough look - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Dug - April 17 - 9:04 pm

  Bought this ZR2 4X4 used (3600mi) because it appeared to be set up to handle back country (skid plates, big tires, upgraded shocks, etc) and offered more room and comfort than CJ style Jeep. Mine is yellow like the picture and has most options. Have had no problems (except a little oil drip) now at 24000mi. Just figured out it has grease fittings on stearing linkage! It is not as tight as my 98 Ford F150. Has performed well in rough conditions. Gas milage never over 20mpg. Tire on back contributes to already dangerous rear vision limits. Back seat entry difficult. Filling gas tank to top needs slow pump speed. Overall I like this vehicle for the Rocky Mountain area where I live.

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  Love my Prizm! - 2002 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Przmlvr - April 17 - 8:20 pm

  This Chevy Prizm was my first car. Im just 16 but the quality of the car is amazing. The car is mainly quiet when driving and is easy to maintain. I bought the car when it had 50,000 miles and have had virtually no problems. The Prizm has cruise, power everything, automatic lights, with a 3 speed automatic. The car handles the turns well and has just enough power to travel the hills and highways. Overall a good car.

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  Wow, No, Wow - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By augie - April 17 - 6:11 pm

  Unbeliveable. Never another import. This Corvette blew them away. Steering,ride and all out raw power. I can never see me ever owning another sports car. Drive it every day. Great mileage for a true American sports car.

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  Second One of these - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By angelfieryrain - April 17 - 5:39 pm

  So far this is my second one of these. The first was an 05 and had some transmission issue, but so far the 06 has not been all that bad, aside from one issue. I am suddenly having issues with fuel economy after almost 40k. Other then that it does pretty well in Michigan winters even without the AWD.

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  The Astroid - 1992 Chevrolet Astro
  By 1992 astroid - April 17 - 5:07 pm

  I have the 92 astro that me and everyone I work with the "ASTROID" this thing has been in the shop so many times after it hit 120K miles its not worth owning any more.The A/C went out, cruise, doesnt work, and the brakes are very sensitive. The brakes are horrible, when applying the brakes its like theres air bubbles in the brake lines because its not a smooth stop. The only good thing is the good gas mileage and the fine tuned stereo. Its had an oil change at 3,000miles and whenever it needs serviced.

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  My First New CAR!!! OMG SO AWESOME - 2016 Chevrolet Spark
  By Mr. Spark Fan - April 17 - 3:14 pm

  Hello Internet. I am not as old (experienced and worldly) as the 52 year old reviewer but let me tell you the Spark is great and I agree with everything he said. So from the outside it looks like a cute vibrator with 4 wheels but this thing is a dope. Please note this is not an American car, it has the Chevy badge but realistically this is mostly design elements from off shore. This is a good thing as they have been doing compact hatches longer; I just had 5 people in this car and a bunch of climbing gear and it wasnt that bad. I wouldnt go smaller than this car, F smart cars and the like. This is the perfect form factor; I repeat Borg level perfection. It fits anywhere, it isnt even that much longer than a smart car. It fits in my work cubicle (unverified). You can sleep in the back with the seats down (verified). Some Stuff You Should Know (2016 LS CVT Specific): 1 You CAN get it for around 10-11K. I paid 10,800.00 for a CVT. Ive seen 10K for a CVT and 9k for a stick, I paid more since i wanted Red (WORTH IT). 2 Four speakers means 4 speakers, two front tweeters and 2 front door speakers. NO BACK SPEAKERS. It still sounds good yo. 3. I have no idea what people are talking about when they complain about power. It goes plenty fast. 98 horsepower can easily pull 2000 pounds; Does 72 MPH at 2.1K RPM with 5 passengers and full gear load. Not as Fast as my old 5 series. Thats ok. 4. The small size is great when you are ripping around construction and stuff in cities. Awesome making lanes of its own. I fit between a bus and the curb one time to bang a right *EPIC. 5. Some guys review said he flipped it and walked away; so listen to me and the others on there. Get ONE>

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  Best Car I ever owned - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By Cheryl - April 17 - 10:32 am

  Its a fun car to drive. The car maneuvers through heavy traffic very well. The safety of the drive is very reassuring. I once saw an accident that involved an Impala and the cement block truck. The car was hit broad side The driver was standing outside of the car and he was not hurt. The gas mileage is fantastic on the road 30 +. It has been a wonderful ride for 5 years. The only repair I have had to do is replace the brakes.