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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  Love to Drive - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By kjelvis - April 1 - 2:00 am

  This truck drives like a dream. It has a soft ride, smooth transmission, and is relatively easy to manuever for a large truck. The leather seats are incredibly comfortable, and there are a lot of bells and whistles available. The only complaint is poor fuel economy, even for a truck. I only have 600 miles on it so far, but am averaging about 13.5 mpg.

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  Unpleasant surprise - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Kevinb - April 1 - 2:00 am

  I love the Blazer class and have owned one since 1989. (Every three years I leased a new one.) With the phasing out of the Blazer I went with the Trailblazer. I was very disapointed in this the vehicles performance. I have had to bring it in for four different repairs in just two months. Two of the repairs were major. The interior is very cheap- no light in the glove box, interior light switch is near impossible to turn on, and the sunshade covers half the window (wrong half). Also- what is up with the seatbelts?? these are the worst seatbelts I have ever seen.These little things do add up and unfortunately for me I didnt spot them before I purchased.

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  Solid Auto - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By bradley2 - April 1 - 1:41 am

  Good Car.

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  Truck of the year for a reason - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By allchevy - March 31 - 10:13 pm

  This is my first diesel and I am absolutely amazed at the quick response in acceleration. Ive only put 1600 miles on it but average 15 mpg around town and just over 17 hwy. The interior is absolutely great. Instruments are easy to read and with the steering wheel controls, dont have to look around to do most of the common things done while driving (cruise control, radio station, volume). The dash information center is great, mileage avgerage, distance to go before refill. The added feature of integrated brake control for trailering is fantastic. The 180 degree rear doors are really great when loading goods or people in the back seat. Diesel is very quiet. You can actually talk while driving.

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  Its been a good car for me - 1998 Chevrolet Metro
  By JS - March 31 - 10:05 pm

  I bought a new Chevy Metro back in 1998. It now has 160,000 miles and is still running fine. I have absolutely no complaints about my Metro. It has served me quite well as a dependable, economical commuter car. It is very fuel efficient and has been very reliable mechanically.

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  Buyer Beware - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By "BUYER BEWARE" - March 31 - 10:06 am

  I bought this Chevy used. I knew the risk but car looked great, low miles and great used price. Did not buy an extended warranty because the car only had 28,000 miles and was in excellent condition. Three months and two car payments later the trnasmission falls apart on a car with 31,000 miles. Unlike many of its competitors, Chevy does not offer a 5 year warranty on the power train of the Trailblazer. Wonder why? Chevy knows this should not have happened but we still had to pay big. (Chevy did split the price with us). This car is junk. Do not buy! If you have to have it, buy a very good extended warranty.

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  3rd and LAST S-10 - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By Carlos - March 31 - 7:22 am

  First 2 S-10s I owned were 4-cylinder 2-wheel drive. Good bang for the buck little truck, but dont expect more than 100,000 miles out of them. The last one is a 4.3 4x4. Fun truck, good power and handling, great 4-wheel drive, But wheel cylinders and ball joints are junk and need to be replaced frequently, very expensive. I have replaced all the wheel cylinders at least once at $500 each. I replace at least two ball joints every year. Other front suspension problems as well. The 100,000 mile coolant needs to be changed at 60,000 miles or your heater core will get clogged and heat will stop working. Gas gauge stopped working in last two S10s, too expensive to fix.

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  Love this car! - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Kelly - March 31 - 3:26 am

  I was looking for LTZ during the 0% sale and ended up with the SS due to availability, and I am glad I got the SS! Its fun and powerful, yet safe for a family. I hate the cupholders, only design flaw though, and Id buy another even though thats important for my commute (traded in 01 Impala LS with 102K+ miles). It has everything that I wanted and much more. Only downside is its a gas sucker even with the 4-8cyl flexibility, but I knew that going in, its a V8 with 303 horses for goodness sake, of course its not great on gas! Thats why I was looking for the LTZ, but like I said, glad I bought the SS! 250 miles so far, and Im still learning all the features, cause I just like to drive!

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  Fun - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By pandion - March 30 - 9:56 pm

  I love my Cobalt SS/SC. I just wish I could have gotten the gunmetal rims. I don’t think it’s as fast as most like to boast, but I have driven some very fast cars before this one. The styling is nice inside and out. It’s a little difficult to get comfortable in the seats; you just can’t seem to get just the right height and such. I’m 59" and still can’t seem to get comfortable. The back window is next to useless because it’s so small and the wing creates a blind spot even with the lower profile wing that I got. Handles very nice. Gas mileage could be better, but what else would you expect from a supercharger.

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  Great Truck - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By John - March 30 - 6:26 pm

  I have had 2 Ford trucks and had nothing but trouble with them. This 2500HD is my 2nd Chevy and this truck is the best by far. I love driving this truck on the road. It handles very good in all kinds of weather. I have only 1 complaint. The "bad gas mileage