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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  Never again - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Terry - November 13 - 11:10 pm

  Sorry. My family dream car has been a nightmare. We have drove this vehicle to the dealership so many times to be repaired that they are even sorry they sold it to us. We have drove this car for over half of its miles with the amber engine light on. (bought it new ) wire harness, gas tank, struts, radio, fuel pump, mass air flow sensor, trailer tow short in steering wheel, steering collum, front wheel seals, ghost signals to amber light, wheel bearings, and now the transmission just went out at 115k, we kept thinking nothing else could go wrong, now we know we were wrong. GM says they are sorry for our troubles, and they have assigned me a case number that no doubt will be lost in cyberspace.

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  Good for the money - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Anomaly21 - November 13 - 10:42 pm

  The Cavaliers never claimed to be anything that they wernt. This car has over 90k on it and is still running strong. The only thing that weve done with it is replace the original battery and do the regular oil changes, air filter replacements and fluid checks etc. The ecotec is a low maintence engine and they are still using it in the Colbalts and the HHRs. Parts are mostly cheap, 14" tires are cheap. Youre not going to get great performance out of it unless you mod it a little, monotone interior is no frills but all your needs are there. Cup holders are a problem, cups will cover your climate control & if you have the 5 speed manual, your going to be hitting your cups when you shift.

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  2nd Equinox and Happy X2 - 2016 Chevrolet Equinox
  By dan - November 13 - 9:18 pm

  I love my Equinox, 2nd time leasing. Go for the upgrades because its worth it and better quality/feel. I cant get more value in upgrade options for the price, compared to other SUVS in its class. It drives great, very well made and still presents brand new, one year into my lease. Never had any problems with either of my Equinoxes. I may go for the top of the line luxury options, next one I get as I upgrade each time.

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  LUV out 07 3LT Suburban - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By 01pewterz28 - November 13 - 8:25 pm

  We traded in out 05 Trailblazer EXT on this new 07 Suburban what a difference. I cannot get my wife out of the drivers seat she loves all of the features. Chevy did its homework on this Suburban. A+++ is all that I can say. We get 2-3mpg more then her 05 TB. She loves he remote start, heated seats, power lift gate, power 2nd row seats. The room its like a closet on wheels we can haul everything.

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  Lemon? - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Renestel - November 13 - 2:07 pm

  Ive been reading through these in hopes that Id get some ideas for what all is going on with mine right now. I bought mine used in 2000-48,000 miles. Granted, Ive had the car for almost 8 years. It has been with me for a while. BUT, Ive gone through an air conditioning system, 3 fuel pumps, an alternator, ball joints, pigtails, and countless times of not starting, or dying at stop lights. Its at 110,000 right now and Ive had it in the shop three times in the last two months. No one can figure out whats going on. Every time I drive it Im glad I get to my destination if I actually get there. Very unpredicatble vehicle. In cold weather, it totally has a mind of its own.

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  Electrical Gremlins! - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Rick - November 13 - 8:56 am

  I purchased the 04 model in 05. Nice looking truck but here is the issues I have had. ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS!!! Brake lights just stop working intermittently. (Rear ended twice but cant prove the lights were not working at time) I had the driver side door locks replaced twice! Drv side windows "sometimes" dont work. Now psngr side windows dont work. "sometimes" AC fan is noisy. (Very annoying!) Fuel rating is wrong. I only get about 17 mpg if I am lucky and have the wind blowing behind me. It already burned up the cat conv in only 40k miles!

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  Wow Love My Avy - 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Nickdago - November 12 - 9:43 pm

  Turned in our Suburban on a lease return and bought an Avalance. Black with two tone platinum interior LTZ loaded. Love this truck. The LTZ has everything you could want. Incredible interior with leather and lots of room. The exterior has a great design and love the custom grill and 20" wheels. The unique design as far as the way the back bed folds down and the back window come out is really an engineering marvel. get lots of looks in this truck, the black with the chrome accents really sets this truck apart. Can not wait to add some custom features I have already found. I was able to negotiate a great deal as well and GM is offering some really great incentives. 50 mile 5 year warranty wow

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  Good little truck - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By GregS73 - November 12 - 7:19 pm

  For a 4 cylinder, its got a nice little bit of pep taking off, but after 3rd gear the torque numbers drop dramatically, mainly because of the gearing. Good truck for a commuter, and can also hold its own when youve got the bed loaded down. Ive hauled anything from four wheelers to 900 pounds of rocks in the back of it and she never falters.

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  Horrible Car - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By cbourke - November 12 - 10:28 am

  I HATE this car! I bought it with only 2400 miles on it and have had it only 9 months. I have had more problems than I ever had with my 2001 Civic after 120K miles. I now have 19,000 miles and have had to get new rotors at 8,000 miles. I have been to the dealership 5 times because the car randomly turns off when I stop at redlights. The dealerships claims they cant duplicate the problem so they cant fix it. The car jolts real bad when driving at a steady 50 mph. Again the dealership "cant duplicate the problem" I demanded reprogramming of the computer and so far I have not had many problems, but then again it has only been a months since the reprogramming. Paint has also worn off radio.

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  One amazing car - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By jayman - November 12 - 8:56 am

  I truthfuly just needed a car with good fuel mileage. I never thought I would sit down in a little 5 speed rocket that gets 34 miles to the gallon on the highway. I have had my Cavalier for about 2 weeks and I have not had any problems with it at all, I bought it for $1500 from an individual who took really good car of it. Its only got 100,780 miles and it runs amazing. I was really suprised when it out performed a new Scion Tc. I will keep this car till it dies, or until I die which ever comes first.