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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  C5 problem - 1998 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Dennis Mulholland - January 17 - 7:42 am

  Great handling, great power, fun to drive in the canyons, great gas mileage for a car with this much power.......whats not to like? Most all c5 owners have had "column lock failure " and had to call a tow truck at least once to get it to the dealership and usually a hefty repair bill. The solution may be as simple as a bad or slightly discharged battery, check it first. And, a permanent repair harness is available in the aftermarket for about $50. Get the harness before it happens, leaving you stranded. Only takes a few minutes to install.

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  I love this car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By John Underwood - January 17 - 12:53 am

  This is the most fun Ive had with four wheels since 1969. It goes, stops, turns, all with a great feel and precision. 20 MPG in stop and go commute and 34 MPG on a freeway trek of 200 miles doesnt hurt my feelings either. Best bang for your buck hands down.

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  Top-notch North American SUV - 2005 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Walt Levesque - January 16 - 8:13 pm

  The best mid-sized olschool SUV in an up-to-date body style available new until 2005 being its last production year. Bought new Nov, 2004 and have driven just over 30,000 miles combined city, highway and off-road. Average 23 mpg hwy and 14 mpg city. No major snags other than: wipers intermittent function (changed wiper arm selector which contains resistors), steering box (seal leak), CD player (ate first CD played), engine thermostat (failed open, low temp) and poor park brake adjustment (partially stuck on). Currently empty-nesters who enjoy getting off the beatin path on beautiful Vancouver Island and couldnt do it in confidence and comfort without our good ol Chevy Blazer.

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  Very sweet ride - 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By lora mccloy - January 16 - 8:11 pm

  I love my new 2007 TrailBlazer. I had a 2002 TrailBlazer and just traded it in on the 07. Its loaded. The comfort level is most awesome. I will never own a different type of SUV. Its just pure sweetness. Thank you Chevy for making such a fine ride. I find myself wanting to ride in it all day long.

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  Love this Malibu! - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Harryb - January 16 - 8:00 pm

  This Malibu was one of the first. I had it custom built back in November, 2007. It is simply a great car. No problems. Lots of fun to drive.

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  Dont listen to those who dont own one - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By #1cobaltdriver - January 16 - 3:46 pm

  Well lets see, this car is fast! Also it is a great deal as far as bang for the buck. Gas mileage is also a plus if drive like me you will get around 25 mpg but you can get up to 30 mpg. If youre looking for a fast car you need this car. "Sleeper" is a great term to describe this car because there you dont see many and no one really knows what they are capable of doing since they are a new model... so go test drive one and be impressed

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  My Monster - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By ka1zuko - January 16 - 2:33 pm

  This truck is my Tonka. I beat this thing and it has never let me down. I am typically hard on everything I have. This truck is no exception.

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  Fun to drive - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jennie - January 16 - 12:23 am

  The car is a lot for the money. Smooth, quiet riding, very good gas mileage. Shopped for other cars, but this car had more room and more for your money. Very pleased with the car.

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  My first car - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Big Al - January 15 - 9:28 pm

  Im an 18 year old kid that just had their Lumina die on them at 169k mi. Ive been driving this car for almost 2.5 years and I have to say I had a lot of memories learning to drive on it. I liked the smooth ride and good snow traction. Some things that went wrong were old brakes, a faulty alternator and its chronic coolant leakage problem, but consider the age (169k miles). Dont get me wrong, overall I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a cheap used car that is roomy and smooth. Watch out for the white ones though, they will always start flaking major amounts of paint after a while (every white Lumina I have seen does this). I havent seen any other color defect like this.

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  I got a good one! - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By johnny_sc - January 15 - 12:20 pm

  Bought the Impala LT in October 07; have 9500 miles, and so far no problems. The gas only engine gets 34.5 mpg highway and 27.6 combined. Great looking exterior & interior. Im very content. Thanks GM.