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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  Whats it worth? - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By sherian carter - February 17 - 2:35 pm

  This has been the best car I have ever owned. I purchased it after totaling a Buick LeSabre because of the sturdy structure of the car. Gas mileage has been excellent. The only problem Ive had was a transmission that was covered by the warranty. Ive received compliments on the car over and over again even being 5 years old. If I could replace it I would like to have the same car again.

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  Love the Trailblazer - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Colin - February 17 - 12:43 pm

  Buying the Trailblazer (or any SUV) was a very different type of vehicle for us. Being 66" I needed the headroom and legroom, which I found in both the driver and passenger side. We are extremely pleased with the ride, comfort and the pleasure in driving it.

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  Turn and run! - 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Shanzman - February 17 - 7:00 am

  Where do I start? First off, if you live anywhere north of Illinois, do not get this car. Horrible heating! Within 3 weeks two spark plugs blew out of the head. I had to re-thread both of them. They did this on a cold start! It had a leak in the car,(Water) Which I could never pinpoint. I would have four inches of standing water in the rear floor wells. I have had two coil packs go bad. This is a joke to even think you can replace them. They are on the front of the engine and its takes a mechanic two hours. Replacing the heater core is supposed to be easy, Wrong! It is plastic, yes plastic from the top of it to the lines that hook up. The suspension, is rough.

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  So far so good - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Valerie - February 17 - 5:06 am

  I just picked up my new 2010 Equinox from a local dealer who made this purchase a pleasant experience. I just traded in my YUKON XL so this is quite a change! So far I really enjoy it, it has great pick up, fun to drive and has plenty of interior room. Will have to write another review after I pass 3,000 miles.

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  This truck does what you need it to do - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Steven - February 17 - 2:39 am

  I couldnt be happier with my truck. It has decent passing speed to get around annoying drivers. Plenty of horses for a 4 cyl 5 speed. Does better on fuel than I expected. Im getting about 25 on the highway and about 16 in the city. The ride is sweet when you arent taking it down dirt roads. There is plenty of room inside and comfortable seating, but if you want to lay the seat back and snooze, forget it! The seat wont even move. But if you want a truck that will do what you need it to do and not empty out your bank account or drink a lot of fuel, you gotta get this truck.

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  I Thought I Would Never Buy American - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Ken Chief - February 17 - 2:07 am

  I was on my way to pick up a Toyota Seq. and stopped at one last dealership. My wife fell in love with the Suburban and I have been stuck with driving our minivan ever since. We travel a lot with our 3 kids and always have a lot of gear. With kids, get the split bucket seats in the back for easy entry to the far rear seat. I have towed my 3,000 lb boat with a loaded truck on a 2500 mile trip and it was a breeze. Its been about 18k now and not a problem yet. We love the room, comfort, DVD system and the handling in the snow. I am very impressed. If it werent for the employee pricing last year, I would have never stopped to check it out. I have owned Highlander, Camry, Odyssey, Audi

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  Harmonic Vibrations - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Frank - February 16 - 7:26 am

  After owning four Chevrolet trucks, the fifth one was a horrible experience. The treatment from GM was nothing but criminal and stupid. I took the truck back within the first 500 miles because of a vibration similar to an unballanced tire . They never could correct this problem. Their way of avoiding warrenty terms was to state the vibration problem, rear end whine, and stuttering brakes, were a normal characteristic and therefore they refused repairing or rebuying the vehicle. After buying 14 GM vehicles in the past 16 years, I will never buy another. No wonder GM has lost 6% of its market in the last 5 years. Why would anyone believe their new 100000 mile warranty is anything but a farce?

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  Love my Z! - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By SHVD98Z24 - February 16 - 1:51 am

  I bought this car used with 23000 miles on it and it now has 41000 miles on it....6 years later....I know...I only drive it 3000 miles a year but its a blast. I have done bodywork and stereo systems, lowered it, big rims, you name it. The stock parts hold up well. It isnt like the foreign cars where you have to upgrade 2 other things to upgrade one. The engine is strong...as strong as any non turbo foreign motor. The only problems I have ever had are electrical and thats from adding stuff on. The ignition system is pretty complicated in these cars.

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  What an amazing car!!! - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Silly Sara - February 15 - 10:30 pm

  The car is easy to drive. I love how you can just get in it and go with the remote start. I like the easy access to the radio through the steering wheel controls. I like the safety of the automatic door locking feature when the car goes into gear. I have never seen a car with a telescoping steering wheel before, that amazes me! There is more than enough room inside the car for passengers as well as cargo. The passenger seat folding flat just adds to the cargo space what will they think of next? Pretty cool how the information displays on the radio (low fuel, etc.).

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  Tahoe 99 - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By riquello99 - February 15 - 8:57 pm

  Ive had my 99 Tahoe for a year and some change. I was most definitely enjoying it before the gas prices went soaring. Even with over 100k miles, it still has pretty good get up and go. I had to get the transmission rebuilt at 126K but, I was told it failed because of faulty maintenance. Its extremely comfortable inside. Over all I love it.