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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  After 5 years - 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By wes - March 27 - 10:00 am

  Very comfy seats, Paint color is awesome/Laser Blue but the paint chipped real easy from hwy. rocks. A/C doesnt cool enough because of the hot dash. I had my windows tinted, Rides good/XM/ON STAR

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  Best Compact Car Ever - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Pittsburgh Guy - March 27 - 10:00 am

  First I must state that we did not buy the car, my dad is a GM tech and we were able to ride in the car on the quality assurance test. When I first saw the metallic red, I thought it was a small BMW! Same thing when I sat inside! It also had the best sounding stereo I have ever heard! It also had a large trunk, a roomy backseat (if you moved the seats forward a bit) and it had all auto down windows!

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  Just got it - 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By SK - March 27 - 10:00 am

  This review seems a little premature due the fact I just took delivery 1 day ago. Yet so far this thing is super nice & rides great. Plenty of room to suits my needs.

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  Love the MPGs - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By JayL - March 26 - 8:28 pm

  This is the most comfortable car Ive owned. This was the showroom car loaded with all options but the sunroof. It has an extremely quiet ride. Very comfortable wide leather seats. Definitely a big mans car. I get a steady 27 MPG mixed use! On strict highway trips as much as 35. Granted, I am a professional driver and have been trained on smooth operation of an automobile. But this is better mileage than my 02 Hyundai Elantra 4 cyl stick got me. Cannot ask for more. Sticker says 20 city 30 highway. Its more! No mechanical issues yet, but the Eagle GT tires become noisy as it wears. Cant wait to put a set of Michelins on.

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  Hard not to buy another one! - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Best Car ever - March 26 - 11:11 am

  Purchased this car new, just turned 170,000 miles on it! One major repair during this time which was normal wear other than that just had a problem with the sensor in the wheel for traction control which can be disengaged. This car has been wonderful. I am in sales and drive every day and then its the family car on the weekends with two kids and the dog. Its comfy for us and afforable. Im looking at getting a new car, figure its about time but cant bare to even think of trading this one in as its still going strong and while I would like something different just for a change, its hard not to buy another Impala since this has been so great. Oh, got the bigger V-6, sales rep suggested.

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  Almost perfect - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By surfnantucket - March 26 - 9:53 am

  Bought my Blazer in 1998 and still use as my primary vehicle. Paid $15,000 and it had 32,000 miles on it. I have replaced the transfer case, I am on my third gas tank, 1 alternator, 2 EGR valves, On my 4th fuel pump, 2 batteries, 1 heater core, 1 Engine (my fault), 2 sets of oil cooling lines, 2 front brake jobs, I now have a problem with a fuel sensor, it comes and goes, light comes on and then goes off, runs bad then runs good? Body is rusting now but thats driving up and down the beach all spring, summer and fall plus New England winters. For the most part it starts 99.9 percent of the time and holds lots of snowboards and beach stuff.

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  van from hell - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Lisa - March 25 - 6:50 pm

  Ever since buying this brand new vehicle, we have had nothing but problems. Two weeks after purchase it was misfiring on 1 & 4 sparkplugs. Then the stability traction control comes on when you dont expect it. Youll be driving on dry pavement and then all of a sudden the abs comes on. Had the ebcm changed twice, the yaw censor changed but the problem keeps happening. Its really scary when your driving down the road at 70 km/h and the abs start applying for no reason. At first the code c0196 came up and now nothing comes up, it doesnt even store it in the computer. The dealer doesnt know what to do and GM isnt too concerned. I drive this with my 3 kids and Im scared to death. Beware!

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  Looks good so far - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
  By david - March 25 - 5:40 pm

  My wife gets compliments all the time. People are surprised it is a Malibu (considering the previous old boxy style). The car looks great, could be a bit more peppy but gets the job done. We have had zero mechanical problems, Gas in this car seems to last for ever. We average around 30mpg in mixed city and highway driving (not bad for a mid size sedan). Sound system great, lots of little nooks to holds stuff, lots of trunk space, comes with XM, on- star is cooler than I thought with turn by turn GPS and the emailed mechanical reports. Overall, this car has a lot of cool features for the money, the coolest is the motor shuts off while stopped in traffic to save gas (why didnt I think that?)

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  Best car in the nation besides Camry! - 1996 Chevrolet Impala
  By jg1 - March 25 - 4:34 pm

  I bought my SS with 89000 miles on it in 2005. This is a great car. Took it on trips no problem. Everybody always asking me do I want to sell it. The best big body car ever made. Runs real strong and lasts with the best of them.

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  Not a winter car! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By ivy12595 - March 25 - 3:47 pm

  I purchased my HHR in the spring and loved driving it for about 8 months. Then winter came. The windows continuously freeze up. I have to scrape them to get them to roll down even though there is not obvious signs of freezing. The vehicle is in an unheated garage. I have also found the the struts are terrible. Every time I hit a bump, they squeak. With frost heaves in Maine, I squeak all the time.