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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  Unbelievable for the money - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Phil - August 24 - 4:11 pm

  Has this car almost 1 year. Bought at an unreal price. I am a salesman and have put 27,000 miles so far and not one problem. Last week I got 34 miles per gallon on a road trip. Not one rattle has surfaced, and tires and brakes are still close to their original specs. Peppy for a 4 cylinder. This car has been a real surprise. If this keeps up, I will get another one in two years.

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  Love My Truck - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By GWEN - August 22 - 11:58 pm

  I love driving my truck. It took 8 years for any major repair. Fuel pump, rear end bearing, brakes, water pump. Cost $4000 to fix, but I have not found another truck or any vehicle that I would rather have. I get 20 mpg.

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  I love my car! - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Trevor - August 22 - 8:05 pm

  I bought my 04 Cavalier back in 04. I love the way my car handles, I love the way the car looks (especially since I lowered it and added rims to it). I find the car has great fuel mileage. I own the Z-Type which is the Z-24 without the power options and 16" rims. after 2 years, the car has treated me good with no problems.

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  so far, GREAT TRUCK!! - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Anderson - August 22 - 3:46 pm

  More power & gearsI live in MN. I have the Z71 off road. Been a great truck during the winter and summer. This is my first new truck. I love it. I am getting about 18 to 20 MPG on highway. New style black truck with 18" rims looks very sharp. The fuel mgmt does help but doesnt seem to stay in 4cyl for very long even on strait level areas. Truck drives and handles very nice. Kind of tough to park in tight areas but thats to be expected with a truck. Quiet smooth ride. I have used the remote start and it is great. My only complaint about that is that it shuts off after 10 minutes. Should be at least 15 minutes for a MN winter to defrost windows and heat truck up.

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  65 Stingray + 40 yrs to 2007 Coupe - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Mert - August 22 - 2:31 pm

  C6, 3LT, chrome wheels, paddle shift, Monterey red, Nav. Life is good! The interior and exterior are excellent. Build quality is much better than I had expected from previous reviews. Got the cashmere interior and Lloyd floor and trunk mats. After 40 years (65 Stingray) and a couple dozen new cars, it is good to be back in a Corvette that drives and rides as good as my last Lexus LS430 and prior to that SC430. Speed, style and comfort.

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  Economy Commuting Work Car - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Carrie - August 22 - 9:44 am

  When looking for an economy car that primarily would be used for work/commuting, I looked for in this order: reliablity/dependability, gas mileage, price, and options/looks. Amoung others looked at: Ford Focus, Saturn ION, and the economy one from Toyota (which I cant remember the name of but, not much to be disired either). After test driving and having the vehicle I have which is the Chevy Aveo. I am happy with its performance, maintenance, options, price, and gas mileage, and I like how it handles curves. I feel safe and comfortable. Even though its slow going up hill at the rate of speed I prefer, but its keeping my gas mileage reasonable. Overall, I dont regret purchasing it

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  Good choice - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By tallbored - August 22 - 9:11 am

  I have the LT 4x4 regular wheelbase with the amazing 4.2L 291hp six. This car is underated by many consumer magazines. This is still the most powerful 6 cylinder SUV you can get. V8 power, 6 cylinder fuel efficiency. I pulled a 5500 pound trailer last month about 400 miles, and the TrailBlazer took it with ease. It can also pull my two ATVs to the camp and back through moderate off road conditions with no problem, thanks to the automatic four wheel drive. After 11,000 miles, I find that my highway mileage is around 23, city mileage is as low as 17. The dashboard is intuitive, but ugly. Check the Envoy out if you worry about that kind of thing.

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  Economical and reliable - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Maggie - August 21 - 4:06 pm

  I purchased this car with nine miles on it, so all of its miles have been mine. Its solid on fuel economy and roomy for a small sedan. Ive had very few problems with it (an automatic window motor was replaced under warranty and Ive had a tire and battery go, but thats been it). I have two small peeves: the back windows wont go all the way down, which my 11-year-olds hate and the temp control is right where your drink is, which means an extra step when you dont want to be fumbling with a travel mug. Other than that, its been a great car thus far. Im going to keep it until the 11-year-olds get their licenses--if I live that long-- so Im taking very good care of the car.

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  Tire woes.... - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By linda1951 - August 21 - 11:42 am

  I bought this Maxx SS with just 48000 miles on it in Jan. 2013 the dealership pushed the fact of the low miles. I did ask for a bit on its history, they gave me a page that explained just oil changes. I knew better but was hoping it wasnt to bad with repairs. My problem is the car wears out the drivers side front tire. Just that one but it will kill off the tire in less than 20000 miles. So no matter what kind of tire you put there, it wont last. So the reason for the low miles on the car, the person that first owned it just didnt drive it much. So though I love the car, how it handles and all that. I too dont drive it much. :(

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  I LOVE my truck! - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Mrs. Conway - August 21 - 10:00 am

  I replaced a 1996 Safari with this vehicle. I like the room, the handling, the power. For the cost, its hands down better than my van ever was. It has more than enough power for merging onto our traffic clogged interstate, yet with the windows up, it blocks out all the road noise. The visibility is excellent. All in all, I LOVE my truck!