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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  Awesome - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By fronkie - November 5 - 8:30 am

  the corvette is americas best sports car and quite possibly the worlds best sports car.

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  Best of all - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Nemecek - November 4 - 10:00 am

  very nice ride on road and off road, quiet inside, all instruments and controls easy to read and driver fiendly, sweet stereo system (bose)

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  DuraMax/Allison towing machine - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By BlackSilver - November 4 - 10:00 am

  I pull a medium sized (10,000# dry weight) 5th-wheel RV, often in mountain and hilly terrain. This truck is absolutely perfect for this application. The Duramax diesel with the Allison transmission is the best matched "power pulling" combination Ive seen outside of the big rigs. Quiet and strong, the truck is ALWAYS in the right gear for the situation. The downhill performance is almost spooky, since the Allison automagically downshifts to save your brakes on long downhill runs. The LT interior(leather seating, dual zone independent climate control, etc.) is every bit as plush as any luxury car, and makes long trips downright pleasant.

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  Great Car!!! - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By 02monteSS - November 4 - 2:00 am

  I love this car! Its a dark blue SS and I have 13000 miles on it. Gas mileage is great (average over 26 mpg), the interior is just perfect, both fit and finish and design, the 3800 is an increadible engine (great torque curve and reliablity).

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  Chevy Silverado 1500 - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Chevy4me - November 4 - 2:00 am

  I am a former Nissan Frontier owner. I loved my old truck, but I needed more to tow and to stop my boat. During the buying process I driven Nissans, Toyota, Dodge, Ford, and Chevys Trucks. Though each was respectable the Chevy was best all around in the areas of usefullness, practical, economy and being fun to drive. My Silverado even gets better mpg than my Frontier.

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  Colorado - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By F McCoy - November 3 - 7:33 pm

  I have the 3.5L crew cab Z71. The ride is very comfortable. The exterior design, in my opinion, is more sleek than the larger trucks. Performance is great, and gas mileage is excellent.

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  Dont Complain Until You Drive It - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Nathan7771 - November 2 - 9:03 pm

  This is an amazing vehicle. The 1st American car Ive owned in years. I needed something that would provide good mileage in these outrageous gas-priced times, but didnt expect an inexpensive car to provide the class, comfort and quality that the Cobalt does! Exceptionally well designed and engineered. Fit, finish and workmanship rival the cars from Japan and Germany that Ive owned. The powertrain is an absolute joy. The Ecotec 4 mated to the 5 speed manual work perfectly together providing spunk and great economy. Then theres the 7 speaker Pioneer sound system. Smooth, very quiet, exceptional build quality, its all here!

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  I love my HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By shortdrivetocrazy - November 2 - 7:26 pm

  I have owned my HHR for two weeks now. It rides great, drives easy, is comfortable. I am getting great gas mileage in town (22mpg). The ride is quiet, good stereo. The storage and cargo space is nice. Chevy really hit a good one here, and its nice to see them going back to some old school stuff. This should work out well for them. This vehicle is hard to get right now, the dealership I bought mine at, cant keep them in stock.

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  Luvin it - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Holly - November 2 - 4:56 am

  Ive had lots of cars and I think this may be my favorite one so far. I got the bright orange metallic and I love it! Interior design, outside appearance, drivability, acceleration. So much fun.

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  best car on the maket - 2017 Chevrolet Impala
  By james vaughan - November 1 - 6:40 pm

  this is the best car I have car I have ever owned,driven.safety features are off the map.the performance is tops=the 305hp will really move.it has instant power.My 73 gto couldnt hang with this veh. the interior is really sharp