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:

• 

  Its a good car - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By brian Spears - August 18 - 10:21 pm

  I think the Chevrolet Aveo is a wonderful car. It sits up high, seats are firm. It has a lot of room, especially with the back seats folded up. The engines not too thirsty. I get about 37 miles to the gallon on the highway, but thats with a K&N air filter, running synthetic oil as well. I firmly believe that it is just as good as a Honda or Toyota, of similar size. The car is getting even better looking in 2007 with available leatherette seats, six disc changer and refreshed exterior.

• 

  1999 Camaro - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By camarokid1999 - August 18 - 2:38 pm

  I have owned my Camaro for about 2 and half years now and I have loved the car. The power is great and the top speeds are insane. The car has 84000 miles on her and she has had the transmission replace and the rear inner bearings. Other than that the car has been great. The stock air intake on the car dampers the performance, but can be easily and cheaply replaced. The car is amazing stock, but its crazy with some mods. Pacesetting makes a great set of headers for the car that will give it a great sound out the rear end and boost up its hp, but it kinda takes away from the low end torque. Also would recommend getting wider tires for the rear end if any performance mods are done.

• 

  Fun to drive - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Corey - August 18 - 12:47 pm

  This is a nice little truck. It has nearly perfect dimensions and there is a balance of performance and fuel economy. When pushed, the engine has a reassuring groan and sounds like a very strong engine. Seating is perfect for four and provides a pleasant ride. Steering is responsive and tight, not loose like the Silverado. At highway speeds the truck is stable and quite with a little more than average wind noise. The A/C is strong and the sound system is only average, the small speakers are taxed when larges amounts of bass are wanted. Driving at night is good on low beam with a nice wide beam. There is plenty of storage inside with a two tier center console (cds below, small stuff on top)

• 

  Thar she goes and goes and goes.... - 1995 Chevrolet Corsica
  By GHC - August 18 - 12:35 pm

  I bought this car in January 2002 from my friendss mother-in-law who had sadly passsed on. It only had 17,000 miles and now I have over 58,000. In that time, it has had at least four alternators which I understand is a problem with this car. I am going to ask my mechanic about installing a reflector shield between the exhaust manifold and alternator. I read that solution on this website. The white paint is peeling but it was recalled for that. I touch up with Rustleoum. I really have no rust, it gets 29MPG and it is a smooth riding car. The A/C was nice before I was in an accident. I occassionly get water somehow in the car because I smell mold. I love this car. She goes and goes and goes...

• 

  Terrible Car - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Ken - August 18 - 12:12 pm

  Poorly made. Cheap plastic all over the inside. Seat already falling apart. Middle console made of cheap plastic. A/C compresser locked up, threw a belt, overheated. Two weeks to get a part due to backorder (which should tell you that there are problems with this vehicle). I should have never purchased GM. Im going back to Honda and Toyota.

• 

  Hard Chargin - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Vman - August 18 - 8:13 am

  I bought the 2007 Chevy Silverado, crew cab 315hp and it is by far the best pickup I have owned so far. I am avg around 17.9 mpg city. The interior is very car like with the most comfortable seats for long driving conditions. The truck drives very smooth, it tackles hills with ease, my feet barely touch the gas pedal and the truck takes off.

• 

  Isnt bad, but needs improvment - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Chris - August 18 - 8:00 am

  I have a black 2000 ZR2 Blazer with 53k on it now, had 24k when I bought it a little over 3 years ago. I like the looks and features, but have had a lot of the same problems others here have posted. Ball joint on passanger side went bad, seat level on passanger seat broke. Tons of rattling of panels of doors, and in the back, spare tire blocks 96% of view to the rear. Gas gauge broke, heater core went, cd player went dead, and the sun roof had to be changed out 3 times. The MPG for this SUV stinks and the power seems to be bad during the hot summer days, at least mine is like that. With all those problems, I still like the car, but would trade it in if I could.

• 

  Chevrolet Traverse -- one fine vehicle! - 2017 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Brian M. - August 18 - 5:41 am

  You get a lot of vehicle for the money! Our 2012 Traverse was a great vehicle that gave us no trouble and fully expect the same from the new Traverse.

• 

  Nice Car, Well Loaded, Poor Gas Milleage - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Roni - August 17 - 7:46 pm

  Comfortable car. Very nice interior and exterior design, and for the price, very well equipped. On the other hand, poor gas mileage for this engine. Noisy with the struts.

• 

  Moms Car - 1998 Chevrolet Astro
  By Zip - August 17 - 11:41 am

  Reliable. AWD better than 4WD. Never a problem on ice, snow, or in rain. Regularly maintained by dealer. On second set of tires. Only major work was windshield wiper motor at 95k. Sorry to see them go.