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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  My Malibu - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Aimee - March 15 - 9:09 am

  I love my Malibu. I have fun driving it and have had no problems other than normal wear and tear with this car. Everything on the car works, the sound system (stock) is very good. This is only the second used vehicle I have purchased that I have been extremely satisfied with.

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  A Lot of Car for the Money - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By spud90 - March 15 - 2:00 am

  A truly "American" car. Plenty of power from the V6 and a quiet, roomy interior. This car is built for the freeway rather than hairpin curves. Just set the cruise control at any sane or relatively insane speed and those interstate miles quickly melt away. The electric power steering offers very little feedback and the suspension is somewhat soft, although I always felt in control of the vehicle.

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  1st road trip - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By sam jones - March 15 - 2:00 am

  I drove the vechile on a 2000 mile trip. it aveaged 19 mile per gallon with a average driving speed of 70. Its a real nice ride.

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  Very nice SUV - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By troyk - March 15 - 2:00 am

  Overall, I am very pleased with the Traiblazer. The power and ride are excellent. My wife says its easy to drive, and doesnt feel big on the road. One of my biggest complaints is the steering wheel radio controls. With the 6 disc changer, you can only switch discs, not tracks.

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  Awesome for $7800! - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Ace Aveo - March 14 - 9:40 pm

  Wow for 7800 bucks this is a great little car. Its basic transportation but I knew that going into it. I have 1200 miles on it and its been great so far. I got 34.4 mpg on my last tank and thats with a bunch of city driving. Overall Im very happy!

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  No Trunk Access If Battery Dies - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Alfred Refice - March 14 - 6:36 pm

  After I purchased the Impala, I found that the only way to open the trunk was the remote on the key-fob or a button on the dash - both of which are useless if the main car battery dies. The owners manual says if the battery dies the owner could access the trunk if a fold down rear seat is available. The base model LS does not have a fold-down rear seat, therefore, if the battery dies then all items in the trunk (such as jumper cables) are inaccessible.

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  2006 Corvette Convertible, 6 speed MT - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By romieb - March 14 - 5:21 pm

  This is the best Corvette I have ever driven. I have a lot of mobility problems yet I have no problem getting in or out of this vehicle. I have driven every generation of Corvettes and though all were fun, this one has been a pleasure to own. I think they finally got it right. Minor problems with the battery and power top.

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  Love my Colorado - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Vic Ray - March 14 - 5:21 pm

  fter 10,000 miles I performed a fuel economy test. I am getting 17.89 miles per gallon. I have installed a magnaflow exhaust system and am currently performing fuel mileage test after that. I am installing a AEM cold air intake system trying to get 20 to 21 mpg in the city. I love my truck and currently have 11,035 miles on it and no problems

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  Nice 97 blazer - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Dichard - March 14 - 4:00 pm

  Overall this was a very good used car purchase. The only thing I have had to do to this SUV is change the ball joints 3 times! Cheap OEM ball joints they just dont last. No other problems and I would recommend the vehicle. Very roomy interior and lots of space for all your traveling needs. Comfortable to drive on long trips. plenty of horse power in the Vortec V6.

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  Last Chevy - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By PW - March 14 - 2:53 pm

  Where to begin, probably the worst truck I ever owned. Four Wheel Drive front end was replaced, steering box of some sort replaced, speedometer cable/control, catalytic converter, battery leaked and went dead (15K miles), acid ate through the pump for the windshield washer. Tons of problems. Biggest pile of junk I have owned. Latest problem I have is it slips into 4wd, but the indicator light does not go on, happened twice. I am going back to Ford.