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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  Overall A good car - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By dagda567 - October 24 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car as a daily driver with 98,xxx miles on it. I had low expectations but for a cheap car it was a great vehicle. For a four cylinder it was surprisingly quick on acceleration and got awesome gas mileage when gas was five bucks a gallon. The cloth seats were really comfy in the LS model unlike the hard plain ones in the standard too. I wish I never sold it!

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  Gotta love Chevy - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By impalaman258 - October 24 - 2:00 am

  i love my PALA i bought it with 53,000 miles and just hit a year owned not to long ago got 82,000. Im 18 years old and yes sir i do drive everywhere spring break :) my car i guess you can call souped up i have bigger rims 20"s rides fantastic and trans is holding knock on wood i havent had to many issues just things i broke from mods in the car i have custom duel pipes which makes that 3.5L roar this car a great choice upgrading to Chevy avalanche next year unfortunately. i found out the car has a list from carfax and was smashed in the back which upset me and she still going good.

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  You cannot kill my Prizm - 1998 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Shawn - October 21 - 2:00 am

  This is a completely honest review of my 1998 Prizm. The bad: -boring look -less than expected 4 cylinder pep -awful body roll on corners -a lot of rattles on bumpy road at 170,000 -way to loud at any speed over 70 mph the good: -unbelievable reliability -quality parts-quality -comfortable ride at 65 mph -Superior gas mileage -not a bad size overall inside -easy dash layout my Prizm refuses to die. I bought it with 150,000 miles currently has 170,000. I have done nothing but change plugs and fluid, air filter. I Punch this car at every stop, it shifts smooth every time. Engine is not bad at all performance wise for its mileage. Dont be afraid to buy one with high miles! Commuters<----buy!

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  Decent car for the price - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By abgtbikes - October 21 - 2:00 am

  I drive this car everyday I used to put about 150 miles on it a day but the facts, brakes got pretty crape fast I bought new ones and the just went through them so fast, front end makes a lot of road noise, struts rattle a lot just had new ones put it and they still rattle, when you brake the steering wheel shakes as well as the car sometimes (might be the brakes who knows) insides cheap plastic has decent stereo in it. Not the fastest car but does pick up pretty quick its a fun little toy car that will start up for you everyday and give you the gas mileage you want. Im not disappointed with this car its pretty good and worth the price

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  Love it, but Im going to change grill - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Roland - October 20 - 2:00 am

  I love the car, only one problem so far and it was a strange one. Seems that a bird hit the front and passed through the large gaps. It then got wedged out of sight. I only noticed something was wrong after a couple of days and garage was stinking. Im looking at getting a modified grill mesh type so I dont have to go through that again. Drove it down pacific coast hwy and it truly was an awesome ride.

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  Great ride - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By driver - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Very fun to drive--doesnt feel like 5,000 pounds. Towed ATVs through mountain roads smoothly. Quiet. Backup camera a must. In fixing the reluctance to downshift, they went too far and mileage suffers. Getting 15 city and 21 highway despite very moderate driving. Overall, very enjoyable and functional vehicle.

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  Fuel Gauge and Instrument Panel Lights - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Robert F Tierney - October 18 - 2:00 am

  Gauge needle all over dial -unknown if or where fuel level is since 2009. Range-Miles left.. does it WORK? unsure why one and not the other - ALSO DASH lightss do not brighten during the day so hard to see gauges but they do work at night?

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  My own Impala, not for everyone - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By greysky88 - October 16 - 2:00 am

  I have had this vehicle for about 6 weeks and so far it has been a pleasant and satisfying experience. I chose the impala because it has four doors, a 3.5 liter engine over the Fords 3.0 liter, and it looks leaner and cooler than the Ford Fusion, before their redesign. Also the car was in my price range of under $15K. This is supposed to be a 2LT package but it does not have the heated mirrors or fog lamps. It has the moonroof, leather seats and spoiler. It has 16 inch wheels not 17. As for driving the car, it has been fun, turning is a little loose, and road vibrations are noticable. It has great HP and unobstructed viewing. For long trips it was pretty good, not a Cadillac but not bad.

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  Not bad for the PRICE! - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Roy - October 14 - 2:00 am

  Good car for a beginner because it is small. Easy to park and handle. Under the hood isnt hard to work on. This is NOT a high $$ vehicle so no it doesnt have some of the things a pricier model has, but for the price you pay its a pretty good car. For under $10,000, I bought this car new, I think it was worth the price.

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  Vette Owner w/Real Objective Review - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By VetteOwner - October 14 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned my 08 vette for 26 months and enjoy it. The car is great overall, is fun to drive, but is far from perfect. Here are the issues Ive dealt with and youll see why I gave the reliability a 3 ranking. After 1 week the glove box latch fell apart. In less than a year the rear end started clunking around corners, replaced the fluid. At year 1 the clutch pedal started squeaking every time it was released, replaced the position sensor. At year 1.5 a cam position sensor failed. After 2 years the water pump failed. Worst of all is that the first set of tires only lasted 16,000 miles with easy driving. Be prepared for lots of driving fun and numerous trips to the dealer for repairs.