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:

• 

  Expect more from the Malibu - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Hans - June 22 - 10:56 am

  After driving the new Chevrolet Malibu for three months I feel that it is truly a better car than I expected. It is comfortable, quiet and has good road handling characteristics. The fuel economy is good and the 4 cylinder engine is very smooth and quiet. I found the Malibu by accident when renting it for a trip. I am happy I did before buying another foreign car.

• 

  Best little car on the market - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Jerrel Hawkins - June 22 - 10:00 am

  The only thing I did was I took off the kumo tires and put on Bridgestone Turunza LST. Made all the difference in the world rides great handles GREAT IN WET ROAD CONDITIONS. And very peppy 1.6 duel ohc 16 valve engine. A very quite cabin. I love it.

• 

  Silverado Nightmare - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By robert hansen - June 22 - 10:00 am

  A big lemon from bad water pump to poor engineering (door stops and parking brakes. Several recalls. GM refuses to fix major items of failure such as ABS computer ($1,200). My next car? You can bet it wont be GM!

• 

  cops view - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By motorman587 - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I ride a motorcycle at work and also have a Ford Crown Vic as a traffic car. I would rather have my SS for duty then the V-8. I know that it is not rear wheel drive or a V-8, but the supercharger pulls harder than my cop car.

• 

  solid car - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By sugar gurl - June 22 - 10:00 am

  i hate 4 doors. but this car is it. big inside but still sporty lookin

• 

  Luv my Tahoe - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By SWDB - June 22 - 10:00 am

  This car has all the bells and whistles, the only thing it is missing is auto pilot. We purchased for the safety of our family. We are a Chevy family and will continue to be.

• 

  nice truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By pioneer863 - June 22 - 10:00 am

  2004 Chev 1500 Ext cab 5.3 V8 Z71 Ive only had the truck for three weeks so my review will be very limited. Over all the truck has a nice ride and good amount of power. The only problem so far I’ve had is the back window doesnt seal properly and makes wind noises but im sure it can easily be fixed. It’s the little things in this truck that make the difference, like controls on the wheel for the radio, tinted and heated mirrors, block heater etc...

• 

  Great Commuter Car - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Schlog - June 22 - 5:50 am

  We purchased this car as a commuter for my wife, really not expecting an exceptional vehicle for $13,500 out the door. My feelings have changed after making several day long drives, really taking a liking to the car. With 266 miles on the odometer were getting 39 miles per gallon on the interstate, really great on a car that advertised 34 MPG Hwy. Secondly it handles exceptionally well and is comfortable to drive. 95% of the time I drive a full size truck, never paying attention to the fact that your constantly scrutinizing your size in a given space... it does weigh on you in commuting. This is a nice car and were actually discssing getting another in the Pontiac version. So far, elated!

• 

  Follow up to my 5/26/2007 review - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Chris - June 22 - 4:45 am

  Soon after I submitted my first review on this forum my Colorado developed a cylinder head/valve train issue. Its going back to the dealer for a cylinder head/valve replacement next week. Apparently this has developed into a common problem for the I4 and I5 motors. The notion of having my engine torn apart this early on hasnt done much for my owner experience and to make things worse GM wont extend my drive warranty. For GM to continue to have these kinds of quality problems is very frustrating to me. Id prefer to support the American manufacturers but Im not sure I can afford to nor even want to anymore.

• 

  I should have bought a bus pass - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By TAKE THE BUS!! - June 22 - 2:53 am

  What a piece of garbage this dud has been! Who designed the interior? The cup holder cannot be used with the E-brake in the way, the sun visor blocks the entire window when down. And the 41.7 foot turning radius? Good luck making a U-turn! Listed at 19-25mpg. We drive 90% freeway and get barely 20mpg even after installing K&N filter.