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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  Like a Rock - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By porkchop1000 - June 4 - 10:00 am

  Great get up N go. 4:10s plus the 5.3=awesome power!

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  Superb Auto - Impala LS - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By Paul Mulvogue - June 4 - 10:00 am

  Purchased 2003 Impala LS with sports appearance package in April.Went on 5000 mile road trip in June.This car really excells on mountain roads.The performance,styling,handling,and economy is much more than I expected.Averaged 30mpg at 75mph on highway.Almost didnt get XM satelite radio,now its one of my favorite features.This is probably as close to the perfect auto one can buy!Its really FUN to drive again!

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  03 Tahoe LT - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By esureta - June 4 - 10:00 am

  I was skeptical about buying a car built in the US, but friends who own the Tahoe are more than satisfied with the reliability and performance. Truly amazed of the handling and styling for a large SUV.

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  2006 Cobalt LS - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By mchuff - June 4 - 6:16 am

  A nice, somewhat sporty coupe at a very nice price. Fun to drive, manual shifts easily, good fuel economy (I ave. over 30 mpg.) Controls are easily accessable, CD standard, etc. A very nice value; good car for the money.

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  My Silverado - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Mikeman - June 4 - 2:56 am

  Bought my 02 Silverado reg. cab SB, 4800 engine in November. I was skeptical about the quality but have been completely satisfied. Tight, no wind noise, everything works well. Love the CD player/radio. After 4,000 miles, its been perfect. Doesnt handle as well as my last two trucks (Ford Broncos), but the engine is responsive and strong. Wish it didnt come with Firestone Wilderness ATs. Styling is smart, not overly done like the grotesque Dodge Ram.

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  Bad Transmission - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Upset - June 3 - 8:20 am

  I purchased this truck in March of 2009. Parked it in the garage for a week and took a trip to Tampa Fl from TX. drove 900 miles and the transmission burnt up. used my ON Star (the truck wouldnt move) They did a diagnostic check and told me all was just fine.hmmm.Got it to a chevy dealer, instead of a new transmission they totally rebuilt the one that burned up. New clutches etc. In the mean time I had to rent a car spend a night in a hotel all at my expense. Then I received the truck back with a very large scratch on the hood that I will have to pay for to have repaired. Customer service for GM was no help at all.So now I have a new truck with 1100 miles on it with a rebuilt trans.

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  cost scaving parts used - 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By richard sauer - June 3 - 7:18 am

  Overall truck is very good. However some small details on substandard parts I am not happy with. Carpet used is very cheap grade. Vehicle is used for personal use only for transportation. Extra mats had to be used because with little usage the carpet wears right down to bare base. Dealers response,"well its a truck." Two hundred miles over 36,000 miles rear outside door handle fell apart. Dealer charged $200.00 to replace,unfortunately I had $200.00 deductible. My bad for not reading extended warranty thoroughly when I signed because hustler in finance advised us it was $100.00. Now handle on other side in rear is becoming loose. When first handle was repaired tech stated inferior.

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  2.5 years old and feels like new. - 2014 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Richard DAvella - June 3 - 1:36 am

  I bought this SUV for a family car as an upgrade to the old Montana SV6AWD. It has the 3.6 V6 LT2 leather heated seats and sunroof. It has a tight nimble handling with plenty of power for acceleration but gas thirsty in city traffic. The trip computer does give instantaneous mileage and average over 50 mile distance. Only driven 500 miles but everything works well except the transmission shifts feel vague and sluggish at low throttle speeds but crisp under acceleration. I wanted the extra power for a full load of adults with luggage and deep snow for AWD in the mountains.The rear seat is only suitable for 2 adults and 3 in a pinch. It came with the a CPO extended warranty but will need an extended service contract to 6 years / 100K miles for anticipated repairs to a typical GM product.It has all the features of a higher priced SUV and I like to buy USA products(even though built in Canada) and have a local Chevy dealer for service or local mechanics. I hope it gives long term reliability and comfort for the wife and kids and those occasional family road trips.

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  Okay for the Money - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Not Again - June 2 - 8:48 pm

  This was the first Chevy I have owned and for the first few months it was great. I had to take it in for several recalls (3x) and about 6 times for rear brake lights. I have spent about $2000 in repairs for misc items. The CD player is now having problems switching between radio and cd player on its own. Now the computer is going out. I guess for the money it is okay, but would suggest only keeping it for a few years and then trading it in for something else.

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  Great car. - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By waggiecam - June 2 - 6:14 pm

  I bought this car after test driving several Malibus and I love it. The only driving that I do is in the city in stop and go traffic and I get 33 miles to the gallon with my air conditioning all the way up. I have never had a problem with anything on it and I will definitely recommend this to all of my friends.