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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  2004 Impala - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By geo341 - September 16 - 10:00 am

  The Impala is a nice car, I think leather interior would be better for comfort, I like the option of no ABS, I feel the car stops a lot better.

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  The test - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By brewer - September 16 - 10:00 am

  It does it all. The Z71 comes with the best roof rack on the market. It has good kick for an suv. The good part is that it has flexible fuel. The tahoe is roomy and comfortable with ultimate leg room. Since it is a chevy it can tow.

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  duramax allison - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By cubmandan - September 16 - 10:00 am

  good strong truck has lots of power a exellent work truck great fuel milage

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  Silverado 1500 - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Paul Tyler - September 16 - 10:00 am

  Comfortable, reliable and solid construction. This is the first vehicle I have ever owned that did not have a rattle or squeak somewhere at sometime. I am 65 years old and have owned a lot of vehicles in my life and the is at the top of my list as far as quality, comfort and performance. I purchased a 1966 442 with a 3.90 and 4 speed muncie in November of 1965 which I still own today. The 5.3 Silverado is the closest thing I have owned in performance to that excellent old 442. I do not care about the overhead cams, 3 and 4 valves per cylinder, etc. I love my Chevrolet Silverado.

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  Paint is like SNOW there it gos.... - 1996 Chevrolet Corsica
  By AMW - September 16 - 1:12 am

  My car ran ok at first then problems came out of nowhere it runs bbad and the paint just keeps flying off driving down the freeway or at a car wash so embarssing might as well be snowing. Sometimes it wont even go over 25 MPH. I have two kids and its a shame so much is going worng and no money to fix it. The PW windows wont go down or if they go down you cant get them up. It lugs through town I want a new car and why such abad paint job on 96s?? Yet we get from point a to point b so cant complain to much. I would never by another Chevy though hearing bad storys on there paint!! AMW

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  Dont buy this car used! - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By mguzman - September 16 - 12:28 am

  I bought this car used and the interior fell apart within weeks of bringing it home. As many others have stated, the intake manifold issue was the last straw. If you only had to pay $800 you were lucky, I paid 1500 and still have issues with overheating, leaking etc. Ive replaced the transmission. The seats weigh a ton and are hard to get out and are hard to get back in. We still own it, but only because we would never get back the money we put into it. If anyone tries to sell you this car and the intake manifold has not been replaced, dont buy it!

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  Good little truck - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By martymcfly - September 15 - 9:23 pm

  I really think GM could have kept the 2.2 instead of experimenting with more engines. The 2.2 was great on fuel and performance. Yeah I know you say this new engine has more power but correct me if Im wrong, dont but a small truck to haul with buy a half ton or more. Yeah i know I drive semis. I really enjoy the truck all the time though fun little deal

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  Getting Better - 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Scott - September 15 - 8:58 pm

  I traded a 2003 Z71 for a 2008 Z71. Many improvements, all for the better. This is a very dependable vehicle but components do go bad. There are so, so many that make it perform like it does I cant say enough good things about the 2008 Avalanche Z71. It is a go- getter. Although a little pricey the astute buyer can do his homework and negotiate smartly and save some money.

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  Fun - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Gerlyn - September 15 - 8:03 pm

  The appearance caught my attention first. The test drive really sold me. I had driven several small cars in the shopping process, (all I have ever owned were larger cars). The HHR is fun to drive and a fairly comfortable and quiet ride. I would have liked to have a center console with storage. But other than that I really like the car.

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  Love being in my EV vehicle - 2016 Chevrolet Volt
  By John Mahaffey - September 15 - 7:24 am

  This is the car you want if you dont like to pay for gas yet you dont want to be completely dependent on electricity. I have only gone to the gas station once since I purchased the Chevy Volt. Since my last fill-up of gas I am at 250 mpg. My mpg since I got the car sits at 140 mpg. This is an extremely sporty car compared to the Prius. There is a lack of space in the rear seats but is surprisingly roomy in the front and has a decent amount of trunk space. You will be amazed at the amount of power/acceleration this EV has!! The best part of this car is the cost. With the Federal and State rebates, the hit to the pocket book is minimal.