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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  Nothing works like/on my Chevy truck - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By John Hardaway - April 18 - 5:59 pm

  Chevy quality has gone downhill considerably since I purchased my 1994 Silverado. My 5 cyl. Colorado has had numerous issues: 2 CD players, 1 belt tensioner, 1 brake light switch, 1 brake light, and good luck finding an air filter at the local auto parts store (I bought a K&N instead). 5 cyl. engine requires 6 quarts of oil per oil change (my 5.7 only took 5). The 5 cyl. gets only 3 more mpg than my 8 cyl. did. Glove box can hold gloves, but thats about it. Armrest only latches with considerable pressure. The rear bumper folded up after a 5 mph "love tap" at a stop light (and cost $500 to replace). Front end required realignment after 15k miles.

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  2 Door Tahoes are awesome - 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By JW - April 18 - 8:59 am

  I love the size, the design, the features. The only negative I can see is the gas mileage is about 13-14 in town.

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  One Nice Truck! - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By overhaul - April 18 - 5:36 am

  I just bought this truck about a month ago. Only problem was a bad serpentine belt. The power is very nice. I have the 6.0L and I cant feel any weight that I haul - Its like its not there. I used to have a 94 Chevy Cheyenne with a 305, and anytime that I put even just passengers in it, it felt lugged. I love the interior - feels like I am sitting in a recliner in a living room. I average about 10mpg when I am not towing, but hey, its an HD. Love the 3000lbs+ payload. Its very cozy on the highway.

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  Great Van but died too soon - 1997 Chevrolet Astro
  By jkumpire - April 17 - 10:46 pm

  We purchased this Astro as a conversion in 1990 with 18K. It just died last week when the tranny died at 246K. The Astro was a good van, though after 150K miles it started to suck up money. We had prblems with a fuel pump, one window motor, the paint coming off after 200K miles, and the A/C system and hood latch. It also ran through a lot of tires in its time, but it went over a lot of rough roads too. We got our money out of the thing, the Starcraft conversion was excellent, and the gas mileage was decent for most of its career at 20 mpg. The biggest pain was the well documented vacuum hose problem. The bad rap the Astro got for crash tests and bad production values was not true in out case!

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  Beware! - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By lesjop - April 17 - 10:33 pm

  I am so disapointed in this little car, not only has been in the shop 3 times, in the last year from a fuel pump to the transmission, but what the heck is this the gear ratio will not allow the trans to shift from 2nd to 3rd if the temp is below 65 degrees!? So the trans revvs up to an unhealthy sound just to go down a 40mph street. I regret buying this car and I am now trying to get rid of it!!! They told me I would get almost 40mpg, ha! the most I have gotten is 34 and that is open freeway cruise set at 60mph. I will never buy anything from Chevy again, Im going forgien!

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  Nice features, mechanical problems - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By mom3 - April 17 - 8:45 pm

  Lots of nice features to enjoy, but would really like to see more rear seating options like a split 3rd row seat. The spare tire is a real hassle to get to. Poor performance going up a hill.

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  The Aveo is Fun - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By ashum001 - April 17 - 3:12 pm

  I love my Aveo. It is a fun sporty car. It has a lot of little extras. Ive gotten some people asking me if it is a Volkswagen. If you compare a Jetta with it youll find that the body is similar. It has lots of leg and head room. It feels as if you are sitting in a real chair and has good interior styling-flashy dashboard and stereo knobs etc. The engine is spaced out enough that a do-it-yourself mechanic can work on it comfortably.Its an American car which hopefully means cheaper parts, though I have heard that American cars tend to break down more so well see in the long run whats least expensive. With chrome lined lights, a spoiler and a sunroof this is the cutest little car Chevy makes.

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  shiny look but not too impressive. - 2017 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Robins E - April 17 - 2:03 pm

  Just rented this brand new UV for a week. First off the cars exterior design looks nice, Interior is also very comfy especially the driver side and driver console, everything is well placed, The tech on the car dash was awesome the infotainment system. What is bad about this car is the power, it is seriously lacking power, acceleration is horrible, i mean the worst of any car i have driven. The backseat space is also pretty limited if you have people in the back. The gas mileage also was not great, it eats up a lot of gas. Overall a nice looking and comfortable car but the serious lack of power made me want to return this rental car in early for something else.

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  Great SUV - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Galantguy2k - April 17 - 10:07 am

  This SUV shouldnt be in a class with the Ford Escape and smaller SUVs. Its remarkably spacious, it looks great, and theres so many options you can get. I got the base model, added great leather, dark tint, remote start, bluetooth, and rims. I liked it this way so I would only pay for what I wanted. First ever SUV and Im loving it.

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  Too Many Problems - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By ShyGuyABQ - April 17 - 10:07 am

  The Trailblazer has many of the features I was looking for in a SUV. Plenty of room, comfortable ride and tons of engine power. But all the problems Ive had with this vehicle outweigh the positives. Ive had problems with the electrical systems, several problems with trim and rubber moldings just falling off for no reason, engine acting up. Nothing major, just a lot of inconveniences. I will not be buying another TrailBlazer.