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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  Good Solid Truck - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Russ B. - October 29 - 12:20 pm

  Truck has performed very well, has a good solid engine, and idles very smoothly. Only issue is whistling noise from AC when fan is on low speed. Dealer indicates that it is typical of this truck since less sound insulation is used for this make/model. Small rattles from extra cab space typical of these stlye of trucks. Otherwise, lots of room, nice styling, well planned display and controls. Engine responds well and ride is smooth for 4WD.

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  Love my LTZ - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By 2007 LTZ Suburban - October 29 - 6:55 am

  My LTZ is the best riding car I have ever owned. It rides better than my 2000 Pathfinder and 2004 Murano. It handles like a car, or Murano, and really moves when you need it. I really like the gadgets. They keep me entertained and the kids. It is the first time I have been able to load 8 people, two families, in one car with all our stuff for a weekend outing. It made it so much more fun than two cars!

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  TrailBlazer LS - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Fran Preve - October 29 - 4:31 am

  I bought this vehicle based on the fact that we may finally need a 4WD here in western New York (where I live on Grand Island Ive never needed one). I have been completely satisfied with it, and we did use it during our "October Surprize" blizzard of 06. My wife also is happy with driving it. My gas mileage all around has been 16/17 in mixed driving, not great but acceptable, and its not broken in yet. I dont regret for a minute buying it and highly recommend it.

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  Great small GM car - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By nathan - October 28 - 8:23 pm

  This is my first new car, and it is absolutely great! It has excellent handling, is incredibly easy to park, and people are constantly amazed at how much room the interior has. At first the manual transmission was a little rubbery, but after 9000 miles it has broken in nicely and shifts much better. Absolutely no maintenance problems whatsoever. The car actually seems to be holding up well in Michigan on a dirt road (our normal roads are also pretty nasty). Good ride, definitely easy to push through the curves. Too bad GM cant figure out how to make something similar in America, or without stealing from Daewoo, though.

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  A Winner - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Katoomba - October 28 - 6:50 pm

  I have the LTZ model. The build quality of this SUV is amazing, dead quite inside, no rattles or squeaks. Interior materials are outstanding, too. Steering is precise and direct and the brakes bite. The overall driving experience is that of an expensive German sedan. The engine sounds great when you floor the pedal and power is impressive at higher RPMs. Lower in the power band, though, torque is not overwhelming. A six speed transmission (apparently in the works) will certainly help. I dont know where they get those fantasy fuel economy numbers from! So far, suburban driving has yielded 11 and a trip to Maine with a loaded car 17.5 miles/gallon. Overall not bad for such a big SUV, though!

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  My New Malibu - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By IROLLM - October 28 - 11:48 am

  Ive only had the car for a couple months, but it has been a delight. Its quiet, handles well, and the six cylinder engine delivered 36 MPG on a recent 900 mile trip. Ive owned Hondas and driven many Toyotas and I have to say this car is equal to any of them. Plus, you save thousands of dollars over a Honda, and lets face it, Id rather have my money up front and in the bank than tied up in the car and having to trade it in to get the money back. It just makes better monetary sense. Plus, its nice to be driving an American car again.

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  Love my Prizm - 1998 Chevrolet Prizm
  By deb - October 28 - 10:49 am

  We bought this car new. Pushing 190K miles and still going strong. Only work weve had done is and alternator/battery and routine service. All other existing problems are just irritating small things that dont involve engine reliability. A/C no longer works ($2K to fix). This is the best and most reliable car Ive ever had. Take care of it and it will take care of you. Looking to replace it only because of A/C but keeping it as a "winter car" to reduce miles on new one.

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  Great Value - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Lenerz - October 28 - 8:11 am

  The car drives and handles very well. I have gotten as high as 37 mpg with the V6 and average around 29-32 for all around driving. The power is more than enough for accelerating and passing. Not far behind the V-6 Altima I had. The only complaint is the knocking coming from the steering area. They said its a problem with the collapsable steering column and is a cosmetic thing. But it will cost $200-300 to fix.

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  Handsome and solidly built - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Skuuter - October 28 - 12:03 am

  My wife and I looked at the Toyota 4Runner, Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango and Nissan Armada as well as the Chevy TrailBlazer. I was leaning toward the Chevy, but let my wife make the final decision since she would be the primary driver. All five SUVs could handle the necessary trailering of our 3300 lb. sailboat and were comparably priced at the trim levels we wanted. It won her thumbs up for comfort, solid feel, on- demand power, and aesthetics. After 23K miles it has proven to be very reliable, comfortable on short and long trips and she gets at least 17 mpg on her daily 60 mile trips into the congested city. No squeaks or rattles, lots of oomph and classic looks make this a winner.

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  Equinox - So Far So Good - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Tim - October 27 - 11:56 pm

  My wife and I have enjoyed the Equinox very much. Great room for the kids in the back, and all the stuff we carry around. For the price, we find the Equinox a very good vehicle. Only problem we have had is a "clunk clunk clunk" from the back occasionally after startup.