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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  2002 Blazer - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By bots - October 25 - 2:00 am

  This is my 4th Blazer (72,91,96 were previous models) and its the best made of all of them. No major problems..I have 76000 miles on it. Turning radius is dangerous..GM knew that for several years and never changed until 2002

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  AE vert, 6-spd, CD changer, BSM - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By dmaxwellh - October 25 - 2:00 am

  This is my 2nd C5. I love these cars! The AE red is simply fantastic and the magnetic select ride with real- time damping is remarkable. You cant help but enjoy the Corvette; it looks great, sounds great, and drives great. . .

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  S2S - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By ssslllllll - October 25 - 2:00 am

  Its Simply Amazing. It is the greatest SUV Ive Ever seen

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  1998 convert auto Borla triple-black - 1998 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Dennis DAndrea - October 24 - 7:25 pm

  Trouble-free. Drive it from eastern Long Island to Corvettes at Carlisle, PA, every year. Nearly 10 years old but only 19,000 or so miles. Four-inch Borla pipes look and sound great.

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  2002 Chevy Avalanche 2500 4X4 8.1 - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Larry Richard - October 24 - 5:33 pm

  One of the best riding and driving vehicles I have ever owned. Awesome power and torque. Gas mileage is not bad for all the cubic inches you get. A good all around vehicle. I would definately buy another one.

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  Decent Truck - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Da Truck Guy - October 24 - 3:35 pm

  A very enjoyable and capable truck. Bought a 3LT Z71 4X4. Gets pretty good mileage 20-22 MPG to and from work. On a road trip (2000 miles) we got 23 MPG. Plenty of power when you need it but not the fastest. Got leather seats and is comfortable. This truck is way ahead of the S10 I replaced. Bad side: Had issues with steering shaft at 500 miles. Only to find out it was a common problem (GM knew) and then had to wait due to nationwide backlog. If they knew this upfront, they should have fixed it prior to selling it. As a result I have a bad taste in my mouth about GM (and we are a GM Family). May consider another brand on next purchase. But since it has been fixed we have had no issues.

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  Excellent improvement for the Tahoe - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Mike - October 24 - 2:01 pm

  I recently bought the 07 LTZ. This Tahoe rides very smooth compared to my Trailblazer. The interior is elegant and very comfortable. Go with the leather when buying this definately worth the additional costs. Also, the 2nd row bucket seats are great for the kids, they are far enough apart to not fight and bug each other. The flex fuel is a joke. Hey Chevy this is a SUV lets get off of the catering to the enviormentalist bandwagon. The horsepower and mileage takes a huge dive with flex fuel.

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  Dont buy a Colorado - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By kwhitehorn - October 24 - 12:30 pm

  I am a devoted Chevy supporter, but I wish I would have not purchased this GM product. I havent had the truck 2 years and my transmission needs to be repaired (cost $2500). I can not begin to understand how the torque converter overheated causing the 2nd and 4th bands to lock up so it will not shift into gear (its an automatic). Since I have had the truck, it was not calibrated correctly to make a left hand u-turn, you have to back up and make 2 or 3 attempts to complete a left handed u-turn. I have had issues with the tailgate lock not unlocking. This is a poor product GM has come up with to replace the S-10. Gas mileage is horrible, I only get 18 mpg on the highway. Recall had to fix 2x.

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  My S10 - 1994 Chevrolet S-10
  By Ryan Robinson - October 24 - 1:19 am

  Very low operation cost. Dependable and inexpensive to insure. Adequately powered relatively comfortable for short commutes. Attractive and handles nimbly.

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  Great Buy for the Money - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By t92168 - October 23 - 10:35 pm

  I can honestly say that Ive been very impressed with this car. Its done everything that Ive asked of it. It handles well, is incredibly reliable, and isnt bad looking. Im a large man and the interior room is great! I looked at the Ford Focus and Fusion, as well as the Chevy HHR before picking the Aveo and couldnt be happier with my decision. Of course, if I had paid $30k instead of $15k for this car, I would have expected significantly more overall quality of materials and fit. But you cant beat this for the money!