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:

• 

  Ear to ear grin - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Dan - November 26 - 2:56 am

  Great riding and looking truck, rides much better than Ford and Dodge. The crew cab is plenty spacious for 6. All shined up the truck looks great with chrome tube step bars. The Duramax diesel is a great engine, very quiet and powerful. Instrumentation is better than any other truck, period. Real gauges, with numbers (are you listening Dodge?), are the only way to go, not fake gauges like on the Fords. The bench seat console is very comfortable, much better than the armrests on the bucket seats. The RDS radio is cool, shows what song and station are on. Dual zone climate control is neat, cold for me, warm for the Mrs. Id buy again, very nice truck, very nice ride.

• 

  Great Vehicle - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By hampel - November 26 - 2:00 am

  Rides well. Great mileage for a new car. Quiet interior and minimal road noise at all speeds. Really appreciate the "remote vehicle starter system" from inside the house, especially on those very cold days. Should be great for the hot summer days. Exterior design has improved over prior years styles. Chevrolet has right with their heated leather seats - almost instantly.

• 

  Well... - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Denver Broncos Fan - November 26 - 2:00 am

  Im a little disapointed for the money I spent. The sticker was 33K+. For that much cash it should include a walnut dash, power seats, a decent sounding XM/multi-CD radio, etc...I find the base seats to be miserable on any trips over an hour. NO MANUAL LUMBAR ADJUSTMENT! Hell, even Kia has adjustable lumbar in their cheapest models.

• 

  The new Colorado is a Vega - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Lee Hook - November 26 - 1:19 am

  Remember the cardboard and plastic Vega or Pinto from the 70s? Well they are reborn as the Chevy Colorado. Mine is the 4 door. Not even 3 months off the lot and even after the magic coating the dealership sold me a bird dropping ate through the clearcoating and the paint. The warranty isnt worth the paper its written on. This is the last chevy anyone in my family will ever own.

• 

  Lots of Power - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Joseph - November 25 - 9:21 pm

  I enjoy getting behind the wheel of this SUV. For a midsize it has a lot of power and room. The fuel economy is not bad and it could be worse. I like the style inside and out.

• 

  Happy with my truck! - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Bowtie - November 25 - 1:20 pm

  I was a little disappointed in the fact that I have serious lack of options on this model, but after comparing other crew cab trucks for the same price I realize I have more. The Dodge Ram would have been my other choice, but I have some full sized kids to tote along with other work related items. Performance is decent the engine responds well in a pinch. The ride is smooth, only second to the Ford F-150 (and Ive test driven all the competition). Ive put 2500 miles on it in 2 weeks...and I have filled it up no less than 10 times...so the gas mileage stinks, but hey...its a truck!

• 

  Should have went to Toyota - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By charles schell - November 25 - 7:19 am

  Ride is great, but if you demand a smooth ride, dont go over 70mph. Steering feels like you need a good tire balance. They put new tires on after 500 miles and had to force balance just to get it within specs. I feel like I got a lemon. I hate sitting at long red lights. It feels like at idle that its missing a plug wire. Junk.

• 

  07 Design Disappointments - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Dave - November 24 - 11:06 am

  This is my 3rd Suburban. My 01 was a quantum improvement over my 95. The 07 dropped the dual visors, and several small storage areas, no lock on console. Headliner, visors, and plastic trim finish looks cheaper to me. GPS has poor software and database. ie, 3-D view of map is only map display option and street level data is limited even in urban areas. Buy a Garmin C330. Get better performance and save big dollars. It takes forever for the screens to change on the display. On the positive side I have had no rattles or other problems since delivery. Would be great performance wise with a diesel. GMs design concept was on the right track, but too many compromises to save on build cost.

• 

  truck guys truck - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By lukeh - November 24 - 10:00 am

  Its great. it has the power i need, the look i want, the durability it should, and it works hard when i put it to the test. to put it simply i always have been a chevy man and as long as chevy keeps pumping out trucks like the silverado i always will be. my friends keep buying fords, and they wonder why im still only on my second chevy truck. to put it simply they are the best truck made. period.

• 

  07 Impala SS: Worth a look & drive! - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Morgan Hayden - November 24 - 3:53 am

  We have an ’06 Hemi Charger and an SS; the Charger is my spouse’s, and the SS was a replacement for a company car I had. I did not want another Charger, so I went looking for a conservative looking sedan I could take clients out in during the week, yet still have fun with on the weekends. I think the SS has satisfied both criteria. Notes for performance buffs: installing the $20 GM strut tower brace from a 1999 Buick Regal GS in both the front and back significantly reduces body roll. Second: Taking 20 minutes to swap the soft rubber upper motor mount bushing for a stiffer one will greatly reduce the driveline lash w/o sacrificing comfort. Third: youll love the sound at wide open throttle!