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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  a true work horse - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By cdhs - April 8 - 2:36 am

  I shoe horses for a living, I have a utility body on the back of this beast and the true weight (on the town dump scale) is 9400 lbs. Working on Long Island NY we have to drive it like we hate it. Long and short of it is I just this week broke 200k.. I beat on this truck 6 days a week and it stands tall. Maybe in another 100k ill replace it with another 6.0--=- 6 weeks ago I did the first full break job on this truck-- how can you beat that--- by far the best truck Ive ever had the pleasure to own

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  Buy a corolla.. - 2016 Chevrolet Volt
  By Revolted - April 8 - 1:49 am

  For the cost of the car i was expecting a lot more.. So far i have owned it a few months, in that time i am at 26 times to the dealership.. It is constantly broken.. MPG in the winter is terrible.. I average 23mpg city, and about 30mpg highway.. the 1999 Sienna i owned was getting a little less, but it was also much bigger, and had 379K miles on it.. (18City 28Hwy).. The constantly broken issue is about on par for GM though, i was expecting post bail-out that they had gotten there things together.. no such luck.. The resale value is terrible, lost over 4K bucks in 3 months of ownership.. Cost to fill it is cheap, but charging it in the dead of winter is about the same as getting 23miles per 5 bucks.. which is worse than when gas was at its highest price.. now that its still cheap.. i feel ripped off.. The dealerships are good, mostly.. But the GM support of issues makes me cringe.. I would sell it, but i would take a bath and it has next to no miles on it.. Climate control is better than on the previous generation, however they still havent fixed the main issue, which was with heat on in the winter say goodbye to range.. Good: Its quick off the line, like rocket quick.. low end torque and no noise is fun,.. The radio is fantastic, sounds like the old custom stereos of the 90s seats are very comfortable Thinking... Bad: They use the cheapest strut mounts on the planet.. (They rattle) The heat is expensive The car is expensive for the MPG you actually get.. (Good warm climate car) Reliability is horrific.. GM support is worthless, whats the point of a warranty.. I have driven every other GM product as a loaner car, (the Volt is the nicest.. scary) The resale value is so bad, you are better off pushing it off a cliff.. It has zero nuts when you want to pass someone on the highway.. (1969 Beetle slow) The steering has issues on the previous version, and that makes me nervous.. (Like disconnecting, no way to turn issues) The electronic parking sensors beep when something is 20ft away but you can back the car into the wall in your garage and the sensors will never beep.. The stock tires are horrible in snow/rain.. and running non-eco tires will get you worse MPG. No Key fob issues, leaving you stranded places is a constant issue. (GM claims its due to electrical wires.. Hmm isnt this thing electric)

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  Go anywhere, do anything... Love It - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Todd H. - April 7 - 11:35 pm

  This is a great starter truck for a small family with young children. Used for hunting in the rugged back country of New York, Mass, Maine, Vermont, Missouri, and California with no problems. Used to tow a 18" Boat, up to a mountain lake with no problems. 4x4 that I have never gotten stuck in. Fuel pump problems but warrenty fixed it.

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  1st Vette - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By ted piwko - April 7 - 7:28 pm

  1st Vette I ever bought and it was worth the wait. The car is just a blast to drive and the C6 is the best looking Vette

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  Disapointed - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By hiram - April 7 - 6:23 pm

  Wind makes it hard to handle. Blind spots. Almost ran over my daughter, and wrecked 3 times becouse of it. Not comfortable, not enough room. No room in trunk. I do not like the car! Cant wait to trade it in.

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  2005 Chevrolet Impala LS - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Ken - April 7 - 5:01 pm

  I purchased one of the last 2005s at my local dealer, it was on the showroom floor. So far, I really enjoy this car, its comfortable, runs real well (3.8L V-6), and returns exceptional gas mileage. My commute is 100% city, no highway driving, in fact, I rarely get this car on the highway, and I consistently average 19 m.p.g. in city driving, not bad for a large 5 passenger sedan. The dash is a bit dated, but the exterior still has alot of appeal, and one of my favorite things about the exterior is that it is instantly recognizable as a Chevy, especially at night when the taillamps are lit !

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  Great Truck!...BUT....... - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Travis - April 7 - 4:33 am

  My truck overall has been a great truck except for a few things:1st the throttle body had to be replaced shortly after purchase(I know 12 others who have experienced this) the fuel gauge dances around all the time because the sending unit is bad (Lots of problems here also) (not recalled and cant pay to fix), Im in the process of having to fix possibly the carrier bearings on drive shaft because of a roar in the rear end. Steering shaft was recalled to be lubed. Overall I have really enjoyed this truck. I have driven all over the country with it, pulled and hauled trailers and the 5.3 has been great. Fuel mileage is great for the size and power. Confortable and has been very reliable.

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  Cavalier - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Unichrom - April 7 - 2:00 am

  Good Car. GM got it right this time.

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  Last Chevrolet - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By DonMac - April 7 - 2:00 am

  within the first year, weather molding on all four doors fell off. Dealer wound up gluing on to make it stay. They said it was a poor design. Climate control went out and had to be replaced. Driver front window regulator had to be repaired twice. Fuel guage quit and sending unit had to be replaced. Emergency brake cable broke and had to be replaced. You have to move front seats forward in order to lower rear seats. Problem when you have long legs.

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  Content with TrailBlazer LTZ - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By content - April 7 - 2:00 am

  My First SUV in ages... Very satisfied with this barely used [9900 miles] Loaded TrailBlazer LTZ. Ive had it one month and put 1000 miles on it so far. First roadtrip was 300 miles in a winter storm that brought 10+inches of snow so I was able to try out the AWD and 4WD options and had no troubles with either rather was surprised at how well it travelled with both. -2nd cup holder is hard to use if you have your cell phone and/or radar plugged in as the cords block its use.