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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  Great Family Sedan, Cheap Mechanics - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By PATRICK - April 17 - 9:50 am

  Bought this Impala new. Now has 81,000 miles. Best family sedan out. Have 3 children and all fit comfortably in backseat with plenty of luggage space. Great gas mileage and comfortable for long trips. Adequate acceleration, braking and handling. Mechanically, apparently cost accountants undercut engineering, hurting Chevys reputation. Twice had to have steering shaft repacked with lube since steering column felt "loose". At 80,000 miles intake gasket gave out leaking antifreeze, costing $700 to repair. My 1st car was a 65 Corvair with 44,000 miles. Gaskets leaked oil. Replaced them with better quality and car lasted 100,000 more miles with no leaks when I sold it. When will Chevy learn?

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  Good truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
  By Tobes - April 16 - 10:00 am

  The truck never fails to amaise me

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  Love my YELLOW Monte - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Littlebabe74 - April 16 - 10:00 am

  So far I have nothing but good things to say about this car. Its great and lots of fun to drive. The first time I seen a yellow one, I had to have one. But had to wait till my lease expired on my current vehicle, but that day finally came and I now am the proud owner of a YELLOW Monte!!!

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  My first New Chevrolet Truck - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Daniel Thomas - April 16 - 10:00 am

  Performance is very good, I am a little concerned about the transmission and the Aluminum driveshaft. At 23000 miles I have had no problems with the vehicle other than a readjust of the idle once by the dealer. Mileage has been good with about 16 mpg city and 19 mpg highway with a 5.3l engine with a 4wd vehicle with an automatic transmission. I pretty happy with the truck.

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  Exelente! - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By BoBoTHeCLoWN - April 16 - 10:00 am

  THE TAHOE IS THE BEST CAR AND I GOT A GREAT DEAL FROM HEINRICH CHEVROLET IN LOCKPORT NY! ASK FOR CARLOS RODRIGUEZ!

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  New owner - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By OJH - April 16 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I recently purchased our vehicle after our 97 Ford explorer with 75,000 + miles began to show wear and tear. Although we didnt go looking for a Chevy product we were immediately attracted to its design. After a test drive were impressed with the Trail Blazer and decided to purchase it. We found it to be roomy with its wide interior and that the handling was great.

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  Good so far! - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Bradley Edward - April 16 - 10:00 am

  I really like this truck so far. At 6000 mi, everything seems okay. Hopefully the piston slap problem wont come up during winter.

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  Good alpine driver - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By eljon - April 15 - 5:00 pm

  Drives well on hiways and brakes very well at high speeds. Lots of passing power. Nice ride.

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  Bang for the buck - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Gregg - April 15 - 12:16 pm

  Excellent car for the price. My son bought this vehicle to replace a 10 year old Saturn. I was impressed with the performance, styling, and safety features of the Cobalt. This may not be one of the "in" Japanese sport cars, but my son is getting a lot of comments about the car. The best part is that he can afford it.

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  Good SUV with plenty of room - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ERNIET - April 15 - 8:27 am

  Bought this vehicle after test driving the Saturn Vue. It has more interior space and looks better. This SUV rides excellent, as we just got back from a trip from SC to Florida, where we got 25 mpg on the highway and are getting about 21.5 combined. This car handles very well and my wife loves it.