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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  Love it! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Tony - November 5 - 3:46 am

  Runs good, looks good, and feels good! Good pricing, easy to drive, holds the road really good. I cant find anything I dont like about. Its a great buy! Im still learning about how all the features work, but they are very easy to understand.

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  One of my favorite cars ever!!!! - 1994 Chevrolet Caprice
  By A_Double - November 5 - 2:00 am

  This will not be a helpful review only because I can say nothing except this is one of my favorite sedans of all time (I own the 9c1 [police package] version by the way)!!!!

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  Best GM car I have ever owned. - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By emarkay - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Practical, performance, economy. Yes, I am talking about a Camaro Z28! 25 MPG average, 300plus HP, seats 4, has carried china cabinets, 15 bags of mulch, dinette sets, or 30 days worth of "on the road" stuff, and goes from 0 to 60 in six seconds. It never let us down, saved our life when a SUV decided to change lanes at 70 without looking, never too hot with the shades in, a convertible with the T-tops out, and for safety, features Rear Wheel Drive (as opposed to Wrong Wheel Drive - one must never let ones tires turn, stop and go all at once!)

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  Love My AvalancheZ71 - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By IrishC6996 - November 5 - 2:00 am

  Beautiful to look at. Fun to drive.

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  Perfect - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By caitlinmay - November 4 - 4:22 am

  I am obsessed with my 03 Monte Carlo SS. I bought it only a few months ago with 126,000 miles on it, and its already my favorite car Ive ever owned. I bought it from a new/used Chevy dealer, so there were no problems with the car at all. The interior and exterior were both in perfect condition. No mechanical problems at all. It drives smooth and its fast!!! Its a very easy car to handle, and I love love love the style! I havent had it for long enough to say its reliable and things dont go bad on the car, but from what I see now, the car has been taken very good care off. I dont see myself having any problems with it down the road!

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  Outstanding Value - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Bob in Poway - November 4 - 2:00 am

  Incredible handling and performance for the price. I run mine in Open Road Races on cruise control at 150+ mph. Loafs along at 165mph. Car is rock steady at all speeds. And it can be used as a daily driver.

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  06 Equinox - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Jmmoore02 - November 3 - 6:50 pm

  Having owned for about three months now, my family of three thoroughly enjoy our new SUV. The styling strays from the minivan crowd and moves toward the truck-SUV group, but without the poor mileage. Ride and road noise are very agreeable and we are fans of the 17" wheel and tire combo for looks and ride characteristics. The tried and true 3400 is not a power-house in this application, but seems very peppy and is plenty for the majority of our in- town drives. The long list of standard features is a welcome treat and excellent crash safety scores justify the purchase with my family on-board. A long-time Chevy fan, I am very pleased with this new model so far.

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  Econo racecar with luxury feel. - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By CodeBlue - November 3 - 4:06 pm

  What can I say? Its a great car that GM has finally put some real effort into. For me, its been 1 month since I took delivery, and there hasnt been a day I didnt look forward to driving it. Moreover driving it daily has been a great experience. The fuel economy when not heavy footed (hardly ever, due to the rewarding power of the Eaton M62 Supercharger) is comparable to that of the ultra-compact econo-gas misers; Yaris, Aveo, etc The factory performence packages being offered by GMs Performence Parts division are the best to be found in the aftermarket. So you get more power out of your beast, while retaining full factory warranty (when installed c/o GM Service depts) hard to argue!

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  Happy with my Tahoe - 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By dhill - November 3 - 2:00 am

  This car has excellent power on demand. It has been a good toe car and given me very few problems. Of course you get typical GM stuff like the transfer case going bad in the drive train when I hardly ever use 4WD anyway. Overall, two thumbs up.

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  A really Off roader SUV - 2004 Chevrolet Blazer
  By American Vulture - November 3 - 2:00 am

  This suv is great, I take it to off road on muddy swamps and things alike and it passes excellent.