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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  Off to a good start - 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By john - September 6 - 10:00 am

  i purchased the duramax/allison option due to the fact that i own an 11,000 camper. Ford and Dodge were on my list but the duramax reputation led me to this purchase. The build quality seems excellent and you can hardly hear the engine. The interior though somewhat dated is still a nice place to be, though interior storage space is lacking. Overall I feel that this purchase is going to provide many years of quality service for myself and my family. Base stereo, though nice, seems a little weak, I am getting vibrations in the plastic cover over the rear speaker

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  2011 Equinox 2LT V6 awd - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cypress - September 6 - 10:00 am

  Love the features and drive of the new equinox; very nice leather seats; very comfortable ride. blue light interior lighting nice.

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  Bad Brakes and Poor Service! - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Coleen Stevey - September 6 - 4:53 am

  See alot of happy SS buyers here. Must be a different car. Had a 2002 Impala, wish we had it back. Car has been in the shop 2 times since bought. Going on second week. SUBSTANDARD BRAKES that are very front heavy! DEALER CUT BRAKE ROTORS TO FIX> 200 MILES ON CAR! Open rear windows if test driving and u will find heavy earsplitting wind noise. GAS ECONOMY MUCH LOWER than listed. XM SATELITE is not FREE, PRICE IS IN STICKER! Motor runs rough and motor peripherals whine upon starting when cold. Rear leg room very limited! SHOCKS substandard, feel like used making for bad turning. Phantom clunk in front end. GM says nothing in writing, stuck with car. Get it in writing!

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  Great SS - 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Mark - September 6 - 12:29 am

  Im really enjoying my TrailBlazer SS. If you have owned a previous TrailBlazer, I promise your experience was nothing like the SS. It looks, rides and drives like a totally different vehicle. I drive mine daily, and hate when I have to get out. Fuel economy is about like that of a 1/2 ton truck and the power is awesome.

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  LS Should Mean, "Lousy Seat" - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Tony - September 5 - 6:56 pm

  Worst vehicle I ever owned. Steering intermediate shaft needs lubed every 3000 miles. Engine knocks when first started. I get maybe,12 MPG. Seats are the worst I ever had the misfortune to sit in. If ninety % use their vehicle for transport of the driver only, why dont these idiot engineers design a vehicle that a person over 52" can get comfortable in. I mean does it make sense to cram a person in a cocoon shaped drivers compartment with their feet stuck in one position, the floor curved, so their feet are never on a flat surface, a steering wheel that will not adjust fwd and aft, seats that only adjust the bottom half, arm rest that stick in the air when top half is reclined.

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  Great Looks... Little annoyances... - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By So Far So Good - September 5 - 1:36 pm

  I have owned the 2007 Tahoe for a month now. The looks of the Tahoe sold me, plus the idea of another child. I love driving the SUV. It is smooth, powerful, and drives nicely; not like a truck. Does anyone else get the Wind whistle noise around the driver side mirrors at highway speeds. Its annoying!

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  2007 Chevrolet Avalanche - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Jeff - September 5 - 12:09 pm

  The Avalanche has come a long way in just a short time. The ride is so much smoother. Never mind the new look insude and out.

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  ZR2 package is the way to go - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Andrew M - September 4 - 9:15 pm

  I bought this car as my second, and I have not had any major problems with it, only minor. Rust on rear rotor caused weird noise, along with washer on driver door causing water to leak. Plastics are cheap inside the car and come apart/ blemish easily. The ride is excellent and it handles better than a truck should. It is a monster through the snow and the clearance is tall enough for anything. I would recommend this car for anyone who has to deal with off-road use as a common thing. Amazing off road and bad weather car, but because of small gear ratio, not that great of a highway car.

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  Sticker - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mbsbug - September 4 - 8:54 am

  Watch what the window sticker says when purchasing this vehicle. On the side where everything the vehicle has is listed it says: "Unit produced without XM satellite radio". The salesman and I skimmed the list of features and assumed it had satellite and low and behold it didnt. Funny it didnt list that it didnt have sunroof! Thankfully the dealership where I purchased my Equinox honored the satellite radio and had it installed and hard wired. Con for this vehile it cannot get satellite through the radio. Something about the electrical system. Besides that.. I love this car.

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  Its like riding in a limo - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Robs Place - September 4 - 8:06 am

  Sometimes my 6yr. old and I sit in the back of our Maxx with the seats fully stretched and watch movies while my wife becomes the limo driver. The skylight in the back really adds to the overall ambience. Its never been so much fun being a passenger. I recommend this car wholeheartedly.