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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  Barbie car - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Dave Bransky - May 5 - 1:37 pm

  I purchased this Tracker to be a second hand vehicle, but with the price of gas the Tracker is becoming my main driver. The only problem I have had with this vehicle is that it is on its third heater core, and if it wasnt for the fact that I have bypassed the core, I would probably be on my tenth. Dealer has no reason for this problem, but has paid for all the heater cores that have been installed.

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  Love it so far! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mikek - May 5 - 1:00 pm

  I test drove a FWD LT w/16" rims in red. In my opinion the Galaxy silver AWD w/17in rims has a much better feel and a far better look.I am still getting used to people in other cars tapping their passengers and pointing at my car, and taking second looks. A very nice driving experience.

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  Grandma Car or Sports car - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By Andrew - May 5 - 8:41 am

  When I bought my Impala a few months ago I got a lot of heat about buying a grandma car but when my friends drove it with the 200hp v6 0-60 in under 9 sec. they decided its a nice grandma car. I drive 180 miles per day, and get over 27 mpg cruising at 75mph. When I get out I am not stiff at all. Probably the most comfortable car Ive driven. I am 64" and have plenty of leg room. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a reliable, roomy car that performs well.

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  Clearance Specials - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Marko221 - May 5 - 8:30 am

  I purchased an extended cab 1500 with the "Limited Edition" package that isnt advertised much. It came with chrome 20s, special suspension, 3.73 tranny and the 5.3 V8. XM satellite radio is free for 3 months. What sold me was the 0% financing for 72 months during the July 4th weekend. Biggest complaint is the turning radius. Seems too small for a long vehicle. Excellent power. Im chirping tires during rolling acceleration. Stiff suspension bounces you around when bed is empty. Seating for 6 is huge! I can stuff 6 adults comfortably and can still feel the power during acceleration. The overall look is mean yet distinguished. Ive had many Chevy owners asking me if this is the new model.

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  2000 Tahoe Burns Mobil 1 - 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By SmokinTahoe - May 4 - 3:23 pm

  Purchased a 2000 Tahoe new, was going to try and keep for 10 years. It has been using a quart of oil every oil change, and now up to about a quart every couple months poor GM, I guess they desire for the others guys to un-plug the life support.

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  Proud Of Her - 2002 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Proud Owner - May 4 - 1:50 pm

  I just love my little Tracker. She is fun to drive and has more room inside than I expected, especially when you sit the back seats up straight. The only thing I would have changed would be to have her pull more weight.

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  So far so good - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By OtotheG - May 4 - 12:30 pm

  I bought this vehicle used and so far the family loves it. It had almost 100k when I bought it and have no problems as of yet. Weve only had the SUV for about 8 months but have had no problems. It hates cheap gas, runs badly, but with Chevron gas no problems. The gas mileage isnt so bad considering its a huge vehicle. We tend to drive on road trips 5 hours plus per trip and its great having all that room. We fit everything in there. 2 car seats, baggage for 5 people (2 adults & 3 kids, stroller, infent bed, golf bag, toys and a couple loose things. Do your homework, test drive, haggle and carfax. Good luck.

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  Whoa, Gas Prices.. - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By asdf - May 4 - 11:15 am

  Well bought this for my 18 year old to get her Drivers Lic. We love driving it and if you are nice you get very good gas mileage. We have gotten 30 in the city. If you are bad and drive it hard you will get 22 - 25 MPG.

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  Oh, the irony - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Author Name - May 4 - 4:03 am

  I bought this car as a cheap commuter. I have about 60 miles, round trip, of commuting daily and wanted a basic vehicle with good mpg. My only real complaint with the Cruze is that there is no cruise. You would think that even in the base model, you would get the vehicles name sake as a standard option. Other than that, Ive put about 30,000 miles on the vehicle and required no maintenance other than oil changes and other routine work. Its not slow, but its not fast. It gets competitive gas mileage. It does well in snow and icy conditions, for a front wheel drive vehicle. For the level of options, the price was competitive, except the lacking cruise control. Overall, its been a great little a-b car that I plan to drive until it blows up. At the rate the car is going, that will probably be a while.

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  Fell in love with it again - 1995 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Keith S - May 4 - 12:17 am

  Was actually looking to buy a 97 or later used Corvette but when accidently came across the ad and pictures of the car. Then it came back to me how much I was impressed by the look of the later C4s when I saw them. And at first I thought "no way Im a Torch Red kind of guy, but the more I thought about it, hey, why not -ts a Vette! I love the look, size feel and reactions to this car. Yes it is impossible to get in and out of and yes it is loud, but hey it is a sports car!