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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  All that wears a Bowtie... - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By The Capn - July 22 - 11:26 am

  We purchased our Malibu Maxx after discovering it was a twin under the skin with the Saab 9-3 and the Vauxhall Vectra wagon, which we drove in the UK on vacation. There are a lot of sneaky neat features on this car, and while not a top of the line Mercedes, it is fun, manouverable, and a lot of car for the money. Worth a look.

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  super vehicle - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By john hicks - July 22 - 2:00 am

  Took a test drive just to kill some time between appointments and wasnt in the market,or so I thought.I couldnt get it out of my mind.Bought three weeks later.I love it.

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  Love the Avalanche - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Shellzz - July 22 - 2:00 am

  I love my new Avalanche. It serves several special purposes for me personally. First, I wanted an SUV type of vehicle, with 4 doors, that would comfortably tranport passengers. But I have a farm, dogs, horses, etc., and needed a truck that could have bed to haul things in, like hay and feed. We also camp, and wanted a comfortable vehicle to travel the highways and mountain roads, but be able to throw camp fire smelly tents and clothes and muddy items in the back. We found the perfect vehicle! The combination of SUV and Pickup is great.

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  Love my Avalanche - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Dustin Lewis - July 22 - 2:00 am

  Wasnt too sold on the look at first; however, this vehicle has proven to be the most practical vehicle I have ever owned. My kids love it when we store the back window, open the sunroof and roll the windows down. Ive used the midgate once and it is wonderful to carry that extra load.

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  wow - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By cokebuggy - July 22 - 2:00 am

  I love it

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  Nice car, good on gas and fun to drive. - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Arthur - July 20 - 7:20 pm

  Had my Cobalt for a few months now, and Im really happy with it. My last car was a Honda, and Ive noticed that the Cobalt just feels more solid -- right down to the "thunk" the doors make when they close. Ive crossed 32mpg on the highway, and the car rides like a much bigger vehicle. Cant beat this car at the price. I think Chevy came up with a winner this time.

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  Love my car - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Lee Damron - July 19 - 2:49 pm

  I really like this car bought it new and have approximately 70,000 miles on it. I keep it in my garage and it still looks like new

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  Cool Car! - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rini65 - July 19 - 11:16 am

  I have had my Equinox for 6 months now, and love the car. It looks good, has great power, and lots of leg room in the rear seats, and the front. It also rides very nice, almost like a car. This SUV is perfect for my son and myself, not too large, but enough room to tote around lots of stuff. The gas mileage isnt great, but its better than my previous car, an Explorer. Its a great car all around.

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  Great car for the price - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By jmj38 - July 18 - 2:00 am

  The Aveo Special Value Edition is an excellent vehicle for the price. With current rebates and incentives you can own this vehicle for less than $8000. Its quick and is fun to drive. MPG is around 32 MPG combined so far. Handling is good at city speeds, but gets a little "loose" on the expressway.....probably due to the smaller tires and light body weight.

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  Leap of Faith - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Icandu - July 18 - 2:00 am

  The Chevy Aveo looks like a winner. Great styling and roomy. Believe it or not,the cabin,except for the front seat hip room which is a few MMs narrower, is roomier than a Corolla.The drive is good and the performance is fine. The fit and finish seems very good and after test driving the Aveo,the Kia Rio,and the Accent back to back,the Aveo came out a clear winner in all aspects.Especially the low noise levels compared to the other two.The car is built by Daewoo (lots of junky cars here) and sports a GM badge(just drive a new Cavalier and youll remember why you swore off GM so many years ago) Well see if GM lets us down this time,so far so good.