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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  Hmmm, Wonder About These Reviews - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By hillbilly - October 18 - 2:33 am

  Miss my 94 Silverado. MPG 14-16, not 20. I drive 180 miles RT for work and that includes 5 miles gravel roads and frequent 4WD. Truck is comfortable and looks good. Cargo management system and kept losing the plastic corners. Finally gave up and removed the front part of it. Stereo speakers crackle and pop and sound like crap already. The big Chevy "Bowtie" has water in it, expect it to fall off soon. Problems with the tire pressure monitor system twice. 4WD switch doesnt work all the time and now 4WD is "Out." Been at the dealers for the last 9 days and counting. Last GM product!

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  Love the truck hate the repairs - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By laura - October 16 - 8:21 pm

  This is a nice truck for room. But the gas mileage is bad and I have had to replace the rear end twice so far and just had to replace the bearrings in it. For some reason water keeps getting in there. Clueless of how or why. Also the new tonue covers leak bad. I have had nothing but problems w/this truck.

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  Wish I didnt buy this piece of junk! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By George - October 15 - 12:20 am

  This is the first vehicle both my wife and I have purchased in 10 years. First mistake was purchasing this Chevy. We had leased 7 new vehicles prior to this purchase. This way if we had a problem or just didnt like the vehicle we could turn it in a few years later. I have recently made my second payment on this vehicle and the car is dead. No one at Chevy knows why and no one can give us an answer. They have had this vehicle for 10 days now. The vehicle still will not start. All they can tell us is the engine has no power when turning the key. This is my wifes new vehicle and we have 3 small children. We depend on this vehicle which had left us stranded an hour and a half from home.

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  It is a truck - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Mongo - October 14 - 10:28 pm

  Have had this model for one year. There have not been any problems thus far and to myself it is an improvement over the S-10.There are gas issues...to wit: using 87 octane will cause the engine to be stubborn or bucking as such. Using 89 octane takes care of that. But the tires are something else. The are Generals made in Mexico and they are absolute junk! I would think that Chevy Division would do something about this. No use in going the warranty route since the replacements will be of the same junk. Three of the four tires have bumps on them. Lastly, the hand-brake release needs to be better engineered since at times I have to pull, pull, and pull on the brake release handle.

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  Good Daily Driver V-6 - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Brett - October 11 - 9:30 am

  My wife bought this car when it was a year and a half old w/ 30,000 mile (Program car). It currently has 131,000 on it. Car has been suprisingly reliable. Only problems have been the brakes (replaced twice), ignition switch cyl. (PASS key/Anti- theft problem $200), intake manifold gasket leaking (well known problem w/ GM V-6s $600), A/C switch in dash panel will turn off/on while driving ($200), gas gauge is inaccurate (will read good till half tank then when turning a corner will peg out to empty). Other than these problems this has been an excellent car. Spending a $1,000 for 100,000 miles is not that bad to maintain a car that gets about 26 MPG HWY still w/ a V-6.

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  Okay truck but forced to have OnStar - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By dukeblu - October 8 - 5:30 am

  Told the dealership I did not want OnStar. OnStar activated anyway. Tried to call and cancel. Only the dealership can do so in the first year. My truck and I cant cancel the service. Worst customer service i have experienced in a while from GM. Dealership has been fine. Okay truck beyond OnStar, but this service which hijacked my radio the other day drives several low ratings ratings. Think the gas mileage was better with the 5.3 in my 2007 Classic than the 5.3 in the 08. Will not buy another GM until OnStar in not mandatory. Sad that they cant figure out to center the OnStar antenna on the roof. 4th new GM truck in the last seeral years and the last until OnStar is optional

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  80,000 mile lemon - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Chad Hyder - October 3 - 4:33 am

  I purchased this car new and have had decent service up to this point. Im have just started hearing a slight noise in the engine this week and its getting worse, I took it into the shop and was informed that the lifters and camshaft would need to be replaced. This would cost me $2,500,00. Im checking around for better pricing but it seems this car is no longer drivable until this major repair is made. I just fill I should have been able to get more than 80,000 miles from this 2003 Monte Carlo. Needless to say I will not be walking onto a Chevrolet lot anymore. Its looking like I have been pushed to the superior foreign market. It just makes sense. C-Ya Chevys!!!!

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  From full size to compact - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By MX336mom - October 2 - 8:23 am

  It drives great, handles good, no major problems to date. Driver’s side strut was replaced at 17k miles. Loaded with dirt bike and gear, best mileage was 23 mpg. Usual mileage is 21-22 mpg, combined. It is smaller, lower to the ground, less equipped than my old Silverado (which I continue to miss). If you can live with a 4 cyl, this is a good little truck. It would be a great truck for a young person, who has yet to experience the grandeur of a loaded full size Silverado V8.

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  Hidious Bench Seats - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jeprudhom - October 2 - 2:00 am

  The 40/20/40 style bench seat is ungodly uncomfortable. If I had to do it again, I would take GM up on the 24 hour test ride. If I would have done this, I might have considered a different truck.

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  Chevy HHR, all looks, - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By jhvegas - September 26 - 8:01 pm

  We were at first very excited to purchase this attractive and different vehicle. It was fun to drive and my first Chevy purchase. Shortly after, began multiple warranty problems. We have had an ac compressor go out a hub bearing replaced a shifter replaced and a huge water leak through the cowl seal. Cosmetically, the interior cant withstand even minor use without dirt showing cheap carpeting and fabrics. The railboard rubber came unglued and buckled. The paint chips easily. The radio pops, even with the upgraded Pioneer model.The third break light fried. I really like to drive the car for the exterior looks, but it isnt a reliable vehicle for a commuter who needs to use it everyday.