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 had any Chevy before - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Scott M - August 29 - 5:50 am

  The best truck I have owned. A very comfortable ride even on long drives. My wife likes the ride better then her 2002 Altima, now its always "Mind if I use the truck today?" Great power-5.3L V8. Gas Mileage is adequate for the motor size. I put a tonneau cover on, gas mileage improved about 4 mpg. Interior is a little noisy, road noise, sounds like a door or window is open a little, when they are not. Doors have a tendency to not close fully unless slammed. I put covers on the seats right away though, the cloth in a truck is going to take a beating. The color: Silver-Birch with the factory chrome wheels is awesome. Literaly bought this one off the showroom floor.

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  93TOENV - 1993 Chevrolet Corvette
  By RML - August 29 - 2:00 am

  ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, THIS VETTE IS WHAT IT IS, A ROUGH RIDING, SPITFIRE OF POWER AND THE HARDEST CAR TO DRIVE IVE EVER OWNED. RAW POWER THAT TAKES COURAGE TO PUT YOUR FOOT INTO AND HANG ON FOR THE WILD RIDE.

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  A true American - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Bear & Carol - August 29 - 2:00 am

  I sought the ZO6 for what it is. Sprots car. Since it has no insulation (weight) and even a thinner window that the other models (weight), I know that I would give some comfort over the coupe. I got what I exepted. A highy engineered sports car that competes easily with cars costing 400% more. The engine is truly a mavel. Has a single cam and two valves per cylinder for effency, reliability and lower rotating mass. Over 400 foot pounds of torque and 28 miles per gallon tell the story there. The quality and thought that went into this car shows its fifty years of engineering. The more I find out about this car, the better it gets.

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  Suburban~everything you want! - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Robertdixon - August 29 - 2:00 am

  The car handles amazingly!

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  s10 - 1991 Chevrolet S-10
  By Gera - August 28 - 2:00 am

  is amazing the best truck is a very powerfull truck is very strong

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  Best mini van out there - 1997 Chevrolet Astro
  By babyhewy - August 28 - 2:00 am

  This is our second Astro, but first AWD and we think it is great. I am a professional mechanic, and I have been very impressed by the Astro / Safari vans. If you are in the market for a mini van, the AWD is a vrey good choice.

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  Well made in the USA - 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By In2RnB - August 28 - 2:00 am

  We purchased our Tahoe new in February of 95. It has been an absolute pleasure to own. I plan to keep it until it cracks down the middle and falls apart into 2 halves. I now have over 155K on the vehicle and it still runs like a dream. Im a stickler on maintenance and have exceeded factory recommendations changing the oil every 2K for example. However, I have had no other major repairs whatsoever. Tires, battery, burned out light bulbs - thats about it. I love it

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  R & Cs Tahoe - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By RBLIII - August 28 - 2:00 am

  We hadnt initially considered the Yukon/Tahoe. However, when the salesman pointed out to us that the regular sized Tahoe was actually shorter than the XL, and had the third row removable seats, we took a look. We could not justify the price difference in the Yukon, so went with the 4WD, LS with the small V-8. It drives like a dream. Overall we are averaging 17.2 MPG. We only need the towing power 4-5 times a year to haul our pop-up camper. This SUV is just a real joy to drive. For what we paid for it, and all the std features, would be hard to find something any better to suite our needs.

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  Impala is a winner - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Matt - August 27 - 5:00 pm

  I have the 3.9L--LT Impala. Its a great car. Rather quick, very quiet and roomy. It can reach 28MPG HWY. Nice looking car and auto start comes standard.

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  New Chevrolet Malibu LT - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By t34 pilot - August 27 - 10:00 am

  This car is great - the seats are beautiful. Fuel economy for the power is better than my 4cyl - especially on the highway! Took a while, but now I really like the look of the car. Mine is white w/neutral leather interior. Nice! Problems are lots of little rattles which drive me nuts. Wish the car had more "status". Starting to see some base models as rental. Chev should only use the "Classic" as rentals to elevate this models status. Overall an extremely good value, content & performance, & reliability for the buck!