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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  Fix the Little Things! - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Fred - March 20 - 5:58 pm

  Started looking for an 02 Explorer, and then read about all the problems with them. So I switched over to the TrailBlazer. Liked almost everything I got. But a couple of little electrical issues keep this from being a great car. 1) Memory mirrors dont go where they are supposed to when preset is recalled. Dealer says it needs to be replaced, but I will just live with it. 2) OnStar system is not working. Needs to be fixed. Would have been nice to know before I signed up for the service. I think this is more a problem of the dealer not fixing a few issues before selling it, but with only 51K on it, these shouldnt be issues in the first place.

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  Two Vehicle - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By STEVE SURDICK - March 20 - 1:29 pm

  This vehicle has been used to tow our show car all over the country and hasnt missed a beat. Storage is one of the best features. We will be looking at the new version when it becomes availiable.

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  Good Car - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Satisfied Driver - March 20 - 11:25 am

  Bought the car used in 2001. Very reliable car except for some of the interior plastic. The car was very low maintenance other than the usual tires and exhaust. The blower motor for heat and a/c died and needed a replacement fuse after 4 yrs. The driver and passenger power window motors also both died. All in all the car was a great buy aside from the little things. I would certainly recommend it as a cheap, sporty little car.

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  Great So Far - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By KBUD - March 20 - 9:36 am

  I have had a 60, 64SS 71 77 89 95 and now an 07 Impala. I have it 10 months now and I have to say, Im impressed. Sufficient power, comfortable front seats, road driving 32. In town, 26 average. Actually quieter than my 03 Mercury Marquis. Probably the best (mileage car) I have ever owned. By the way, I have a contact in Oshawa Canada where these are made and I am told the Impala quality control is strict and tight with constant inspections. Its not Grandpas old big monster Impalas, but I am rolling with the times and this looks like a winner.

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  Riding on a cloud - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Vettbabe2006 - March 20 - 8:30 am

  I recently traded my 1998 Corvette for a new 2006 Victory Red Coupe and I must say, Chevrolet has hit another one out of the park with the C6! The Corvette just keeps getting better with each new class. Driving my new C6 is like riding on a cloud. I love my new car and I would recommend it to anyone considering a luxury sports car.

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  Nice car but... - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Dee - March 19 - 7:12 pm

  This car had 8100 miles on it when we bought it in Dec. At first we had no problems but now it makes an awful noise on right side when hitting rough road or potholes. Definitely something wrong somewhere. Also a rattle in right front door (that just started). Otherwise, its nice looking & fun to drive. Handles well on the freeway or in the city. Im not sure at this point if I would recommend this car, & doubt if we will keep it over 3 years, if that long. We had a 1995 Pontiac Grand Prix that rode better with no rattles, but it was getting too many mechanical problems. For the price we paid, this Malibu probably isnt a bad car.

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  02 Trailblazer - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Jon - March 19 - 7:05 pm

  I love this car. Weve has it since it was new. Our set-up will tow 5500#, and the other gear ratio will tow 6500#. We used to use it to tow a small travel trailer, but has to buy a truck when we bought a larger unit. It was great to use to tow a boat also. They all come standard with a 4" Reese hitch receiver. If you just want performance, it has 270 Horsepower and has plenty of get up and go. In the snow it is great also. I remember Christmas the first year we owned it. There was about 14" of snow, and some roads actually hadnt been plowed all day. This car when right through it all and never got stuck. We drove right thought the snowbanks at the end of the unplowed driveway

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  06 Suburban 4x4 LT - 2006 Chevrolet Suburban
  By smokem - March 19 - 11:59 am

  Overall, this is a great vehicle. Obviously, people buy this car for the size and room, gas mileage is a secondary factor, if at all. (This is why I gave a "relatively" high rating on fuel economy. Our kids love to ride in the 3rd row seats, and it is very easy for them to get in and out of the 3rd row because we have the 2nd row bucket seats. The ride is smooth, quiet, and enjoyable. The interior is very nice, but the 07 is much better (dash, leather, etc.). I like the exterior body style of the 06 better than the 07. When comparing to the Ford Expedition and Toyota Sequoia, the Chevy included more sandard features. The Ford and Toyota "nickels and dimes" you with the same features.

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  Overall Nice Truck - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Steve - March 19 - 10:00 am

  Like the truck overall, however, the passenger seat belt apparatus on the side of the door rattles every time one goes over a bump. The 4 speed transmission did not perform well when hauling a toy hauler trailer (shifted in and out of higher gears and reved up to around 4500 rpm). Got very poor gas mileage while towing trailer (6mpg) and once when stopped engine compartment smelled like burnt oil. ON-Star didnt indicate any problems with engine or transmission and later Chevy technicians could find nothing wrong. Worried about pulling trailer in actual mountains instead of the Black Hills of SD. Dont like the cloth seats, shows to much lint and is hard to clean.

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  Our third Malibu - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By larry tobias - March 19 - 8:19 am

  This is our third Malibu in a row we have leased. We like the cars styling, reliability, size , and comfort (although the front seats could use a little more support under the legs). The mileage is good overall (about 22mpg around town, but over 33 mpg on the highway. We like the cars little computer system it has on board, that tells you miles to go on the gas you have left, oil life indicator, dual trip milage counters, outside temp. and ice warning indicator. The trunk is very large. All in all we are very satified. We got a lot of car for $18,000 dollars, which translated to about $250 dollars a month for our lease, with zero down!