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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  SILVERADO 1500 4WD - THE BEST!! - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By gary - February 13 - 5:30 pm

  Excellent 1/2 ton pick-up. Still strong enough to be called a truck....need I say more. If folks are looking for a vehicle that is basically a cadillac with a pick up box.... then maybe someone should design such a vehicle for them. Please keep their pampered butts away from our trucks! Thanks for the truck Chevy!!

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  Excellent Car - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Grandia - February 13 - 3:15 pm

  The ride is very smooth. It is a real SUV, not like some car based crossovers. Engine is just right, fast acceleration. The interior is improved a lot comparing to previous Equinox.

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  DuraMax Makes The Grade - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By rmahany - February 13 - 10:00 am

  This truck has the power! Power to perform the work (towing & haouling), and power to play. Cant believe a 6700 lb truck drives like a corvette. It is easy to increase the base 300hp to over 90 rwhp with as little as an $800 module and 5 minutes of time. Never knew that diesel motors were so easy to make horsepower. Smoth firm ride. Great highway ride. Gas milage is out of this world with 17-20 mpg depending on driving habits and type driving. GM has a winner! Ive no problems outside of a leak in the windshield and the inside passenger door lock coming loose. These were fixed under warranty without incident.

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  Almost - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Jcausey - February 13 - 10:00 am

  This is my second new chevy truck. 1st went 5 good years. This Z71 may also if the squeaks, small repairs and the dealers indifference and lack of service ability doesnt force me to sell it sooner. In service for two days to tell me they have to order a door gasket for installation at another time. Two days to address drive shaft slip & bump which was repaired by "installing a rubber ball from wal- mart to cushion the thud". I was toild this the third time I went in. What happen to mid-ship bearings? What happened to service? Why all the squeaks & rattles? $32,000 should buy the same solid construction that $21,000 did in 1994.

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  LTZ - Best Ever "Burb" - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By 3C - February 13 - 9:26 am

  We have had 3 Suburbans in the past along with Toyota Sequoia. This beats it hands down! Great ride, great interior, great exterior look. Cudos for GM! A great American car company!

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  This car rocks in every way - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Lance in SD - February 12 - 11:43 pm

  I was hooked from the first drive. My torch red machine attracts folks wherever I go. I have the six speed manual, nice short throw with a very good feel. The power top works very well. Astounded at how well freeway noise is muted at speed, which is why I bought the ragtop. Ive read the C6 was designed as a ragtop - very rigid frame and body. No windshield flap (unlike the new Mustang ragtop!). The roadster is unbelievably solid, but refined. It really is an incredible automobile. Chevy got it right.

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  LTZ and towing - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By rdalcanto - February 12 - 5:47 pm

  We bought the Suburban because we needed a family vehicle that can tow 5,000lb boat/trailer. We love the car except for two things. Fuel mileage has been much less than advertised. Our city driving doesnt have too much stop and go. Highways run fast. We still average only 13.7mpg. Part of the problem is we live on a hill, and as soon as you have to climb, it drinks fuel like crazy. We also have to tow the boat over a mountain pass. Friends with diesel pickups can tow a similar boat at 80mph without breaking a sweat. On the steep parts of the climb, we cant go more than 55 because the car has to downshift. Perhaps we should have gone with the 6L engine. Diesel Suburban please!

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  Excellent Pickup - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By TOM FIELDS - February 12 - 11:40 am

  I have driven on dry,wet,snow and ice roads. This pick-up handles well in all those conditions. Love the L-5 engine. Has plenty of power. Ride is great.

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  A Big Car in a Small Car Body - 2015 Chevrolet Sonic
  By Ryan - February 12 - 10:58 am

  After dumping a 2015 Honda Fit that proved to be unreliable and felt flimsy, the Sonic has been a breath of fresh air. We were able to get our 2015 in early 2016; a left over LT with the manual transmission for $12,500. It was a steal! Compared to the Honda, the Sonic feels like a big car wrapped in a small car body. The interior is extremely quiet at all speeds and theres minimal wind, road, or engine noise that comes into the cabin. The 1.8 liter isnt the fastest, but does fine getting up to speed, and hasnt ever felt slow. The 5-speeds well-spaced gears certainly help and the shifter slips into gears easily. The clutch is light and forgiving. The ride is on the firm side, but pays off with pretty good handling and steering feel. It doesnt match the Fiesta or Fit in that regard, but can still be a lot fun on a windy road I love the design, and prefer it over the newer, more generic 2017 Sonic. The exposed headlights, and circular theme within the tailights stand out from the crowd. The same goes inside. Many either love or hate the digital, motorcycle-inspired gauge cluster. I personally love it; its unique, quirky, easy to read, and being digital, makes staying at a certain speed a simple task. The rest of the interior is also user friendly and straightforward. Interior space upfront is generous and the footwell area has enough leg room for tall folks. The rear seat doesnt match the Fit, but is still better than most small cars. The trunk is pretty shallow with the seats up, but the hidden shelf below the load floor is clever, and there is loads of space if the seats are folded. The seats are very comfortable and make long trips tolerable. Reliability has been good, and in one year and 3,000 miles, the only issue has been the carpet in the drivers footwheel started to bunch up. It was replaced under warranty with no questions asked. Is it perfect? No. The rear pillars are thick and there is a significant blind spot. Some of the plastics inside are a little low-grade. But overall, its a fantastic car. Its a great value, built in America, has interesting style, and is a small car with few of the small car compromises. Its just an easy car to live with.

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  Not to bad for an old car - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Phoenix - February 12 - 1:55 am

  Bought it with just over 97,000 miles on it. Put on about 10,000 since. But after about two weeks of owning it the engine would heat up very fast but after continuing to drive it for about a minute straight itd go down until at an idle stop. Had a cracked cylinder head, worn hoses and cracked water pump. Then about a week after the A/C had a slow leak for a few days until it was dead. No money to fix and was moving to Phoenix! Still never found out what was wrong with it but dont want to spend the money to fix it. 2 months into owning it, engine runs very rough until driving at freeway speeds or engine is warm. Wont last me long but overall a good car, would be great if no mechanical problems