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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  Z71 - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Chevydude - June 14 - 2:00 am

  I got my Z71 Suburbon in January 2002 and drove it 18,000 miles with no maintence needed. Its been a great car. Absolutly no complaints

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  4x4 Z\71 SHORT BOX - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By rough ride - June 14 - 2:00 am

  Very reliable 2 years and 36000 kilometrs and the only thing I have had to do is the regular serviceing (oil,grease).took it on a 6000 km. (4000miles) holiday last spring not a bit trouble. the 4.8 V8 has plenty of power and for ashort wheelbase 4x4 it has an excelent ride. only negative I can say about this truck is the tires no good in the snow.

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  Youg Opinion - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Coonass - June 14 - 2:00 am

  This truck is fun and comfortable. It has lots of buttons to play with, and lots of power to keep me happy.

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  My Horse Excalibur - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Kathleen August - June 14 - 2:00 am

  I recently purchased a Chevrolet SUV and found that I LOVE to drive it! I drive highways and byways and the car takes to the road like a duck to water. Its beautiful to look at too. The gas mileage is great, $125 bought me a thousand miles of driving, mostly highways and I think thats pretty good for gas prices, despite what the anti- SUV people are saying. I definitely would tell my friends to buy a Chevie SUV if they asked. Id go with them and have a blast helping them to pick out the right size and color for their needs. PLUS, the Dealership helped me with figuring the financing and treated me very well. Good People. Yea Chevrolet! Kathleen

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  Blazing a trail with the Trailblazer - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Bob Wadsworth - June 14 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I purchased a 2003 Trailblazer Ext over the Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango and their respective bigger siblings. We needed a vehicle that would comfortably pull a trailer and have 3 rows of usable seats that that would fit easily into our garage. The Trailblazer felt better, seemed more solid and we like the looks better than the others. It has a 3rd seat that we can and do use for our two older daughters. We are impressed with the smooth in-line 6 and know that when we go pull a trailer, we will have more than enough power and torque. The ride is smooth and comfortable.

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  Good fueleconomy truck!! - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By BJ - June 14 - 12:07 am

  If you are looking for a great-good truck, this is it. Runs good looks good and I get 24.87 miles per gal. Driving 60 mph. with the A/C on.

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  Great Truck... Last 6 years so far - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By 79Dawg - June 13 - 10:56 pm

  Ive owned this car since March of 2001 and it has been a joy. I do a lot of driving (135k miles in 6 yrs) and it has held up to all the abuse. Only problems Ive had were the manifold gasket and the fuel pump. Both happened in the last two years (130,000 miles and up). It does eat up brakes, but it is a 3-ton vehicle... Chevy realized this and changed for the next model year (along with tire size). Engine is unbelievable. No problems with 158k miles on it. Runs as well as when I bought it with 23k. No problem pulling the large U-Haul trailer, fully loaded, from Ga to D.C. in 2006 with 150k on it. Handles great on and off road. Turning radius is great. Better than wifes 2005 Equinox

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  Unexpected Airbag Deployment - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Frustrated - June 13 - 10:27 pm

  This is my 46th Chevrolet that I have owned. Options WoW, loaded to the max. Smooth driving and handling. Power to weight ratio in the drain. I have driven 11,000 miles in 5 months. Window sticker advertises 16 city 21 highway, the best I have acheived is 11.9, dealer now tell me thats normal. Today while driving on a bumpy road at appr.25 mph both side airbags deployed. Not sure how this is going to work out, but I am going to try and go back to a crew cab 1500 Z-71 Chevy truck. I have had 11 repairs with this Avalanche and I have lost faith in it. This is my first regretable Chevrolet purchase. I have loved the Vettes and trucks that I have owned. The floorboard creaks when turning also.

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  Wifes new 06 Malibu LS 4DR - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By MalibuJeff - June 13 - 9:55 pm

  The new Malibu LS was a compromise between a new Toyota Avalon (price), Hundi Sonata (she didnt like the way the interior felt), and the Mercury Milan (wasnt available at end of year with options she wanted, and had OHC belt driven engine that didnt match the bus highway gas mileage). The O6 bu ran out very well when test driven, but developed irritating rattles after about 1000 miles, which the dealer fixed. At the first cold weather, the heater vent control motor started to howl, which again was replaced on warranty. Other than that, no major problems to complain about.

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  Sweet Avalanche LTZ 6.0 - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By b. carey - June 13 - 8:09 am

  The Avalanche is fun to drive. A definite head turner. The dash layout is easy to use and very nice looking, much more so than other crew cab trucks. If you are getting this truck definitely get the leather seats and back up camera. The mid-gate is very easy to use with no learning curve. However, you will be spending more money at the pump.