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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  2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By volshayes - August 24 - 9:00 pm

  This is the best vehicle that we have ever owned. It is well designed, comfortable, very good appearance, and just plain fun to drive. We have owned this vehicle for approximately 3 months and it has not had any mechanical issues in that period.

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  Best small SUV. Nice and fun, modern - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By david - August 24 - 6:00 pm

  I have had it for 3 months. I have not had any problems. This car is really fast and it accelerates very quick.Inside is cer spacius Im 61 and I fit really good. I got the LS but I put a new metallic green paint and it looks great. Also I put 20" chrome rims which makes the car look very nice. If you buy one buy the LT because it looks better bcause it has fog lights and inside is better. In other words Ill give this car a 9.5 for a small SUV. 10 if I had the LT.

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  2006 Malibu-"Just a Car" - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dannielle boilard - August 24 - 10:35 am

  I traded my 2002 Olds Intrigue for the 2006 Malibu which is a roomy small car. It is very light and blows around on the highway...over 100 kph is almost dangerous. I dont drive on the freeway because I cant keep up with the regular flow of traffic which is faster than that. I saved some money by trading in my Olds, but I know that I traded my Automobile for "just a car". It is way below the standard of comfort and performance that I was used to. I cant wait for the lease to end so that I can get rid of it.

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  cluncking in low gears - 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By wolf20 - August 24 - 9:41 am

  I like my silverado except for one thing.This cars drivetrain ir slipyok will drive u crazy.it bangs underneath in low gears on and off.in traffic on the freeway and taking turns and pushing on the gas.Sometimes a hard clunk.Brought it in twice was told thats normal. come on.whats normal about that.

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  Very nice car for the money! - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By brazz - August 24 - 1:16 am

  I bought a Cobalt LS coupe (5 speed M) about a month ago, and I am very happy with the car. It has a lot of power and it drives nicely. The fuel economy with the first gas tank was not so good, but it has dramatically improved now (24 city/30 hwy). You can tell exactly how much fuel it is using because it has this computer feature. The manual transmission is a bit rough so if you are not a great manual fan, go for the automatic. Visibility is lower than in other cars, but IT IS a coupe and you can get used to it quite fast. Great car!!!

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  Excellent! - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Tor - August 23 - 9:41 pm

  Ive owned my Blazer for almost 2yrs. and have loved every minute of it. It rides smoothly, has lots of power, have only had minor repairs and has a great Bose sound system. When purchased, my Blazer had 100,000km on it and it now has 140,000km. Only minor issues small coolant leak & brake light switch. Needs a new head gasket thought. I find it does tend to go through brakes quickly (appx. every 10 months). Extremely reliable, I live in Canada and get very cold and harsh winters. Hope this vehicle lasts cause I sure do enjoy driving it!

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  Fun To Drive Truck - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By PaulS - August 23 - 5:40 pm

  Great truck, by far much better that the 2006 2500 HD 4WD gas guzzling machine I traded in. Not sure what the active fuel management is, however after the purchase process on the long journey home over a 100 miles this baby got alittle over 18MPG compared to the 13 mpg the 2006 Chevy. This truck is much more quieter and much more fun to drive. Smooth acceleration quick to stop. This is by far the best truck Chevy has ever put out.

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  SSled - 1994 Chevrolet Impala
  By SSled - August 23 - 5:00 pm

  This car fits me to a tee at my age and comfort expectations anymore. Ive owned several pre-70s Chevy muscle cars and each had their high points. This modern muscle may not get the looks of a 70 Chevelle or 66 Nova but neither had air Conditioning or 4 wheel disc brakes or comfy leather seating or power this and that. Thats not to say it doesnt get noticed, Im impressed how many thumbs up I get actually. Mine is a 4000 mile original that gets driven very rarely but when it does I enjoy it immensly. Its not the quickest or fastest car out there but its got plenty of power and gets decent gas mileage for a 4200lb LT1 V8. Overall the car is perfect.

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  Excellent mileage - 1999 Chevrolet Metro
  By Dean - August 23 - 9:42 am

  Bought this Metro used. Im very impressed the way it drive, handle, and fuel economy. Im getting around 47 MPG mostly highway.

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  Cheap but gets the job done - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Kev - August 23 - 1:28 am

  This car was purchased brand new 11 years ago and since put 87000 miles on it. It has been fairly reliable throughout these mile. However, on the down side, performance and quality is on the poor side. Maintenance is a real biggy. Since its American, fixing this car is a hassle thanks to poor design of the engine bay. The major problems that comes up are the fan and alignment issues. Frequently, my coolant tank will get dirty with grime and dirt and needs to be cleaned. Also, I noticed once I have the AC on, the car will sometimes overheat, going past the mid point of the temp gauge. This can be a result of a recall back in 1997 with the fan.