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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  Bang for your buck - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By gordon shumway - January 15 - 10:00 am

  i had mixed feelings on this car until i drove it for the first time. it drives as well as much more expensive sedans and has a powerful engine for the price. the cargo room is plentiful and rear passengers have as much legroom as the driver. a blast to drive for $20,000.

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  Best_Truck_Around - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By JRID - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I love this truck! It isnt perfect, but I find myself wanting to drive it constantly which is contrary to my (normal) desire to conserve gas. Anyway, it is very quiet, smooth and a pleasure to drive. My first tank of gas netted 21 MPG and should go up after the break-in period. Even though it has good power, I find myself cruising at moderate speeds as the temptation to drive fast is not there. Its just plain fun to drive in a relaxed manner. I did kick it up once to see what the "bean counters/lawyers" limited the top speed. It "nosed over" at 98 MPH, but it got there damned quickly!

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  EXCELLENT CHOICE! - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Chevylover! - January 15 - 10:00 am

  After doing extensive research on several mid-size SUVs the Trailblazer was my #1 choice! Despite the editors reviews I find it to corner just fine, the steering is great, and the interior is very clean in appearance. I do not find that it looks low-quality in any way and that car turns heads!! I have a V-6 and, after driving a Maxima for 6 years, it has just as much pickup and engine performance! It drives very smooth and is very comfortable and FUN to drive!!

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  Great SUV - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By mbperkins - January 15 - 10:00 am

  Great SUV. Would like better gas mileage. Would like to see bigger tires and rims on LT models.

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  Silverado is great! - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By christacey - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I have owned Ford, last year bought a new ext. cab Silverado and it has been great. I fit two preteens, a baby and my wife (five of us) and despite people saying there would not be enough room, there is plenty. The cool instrumentation is neat and the way the mirrors go down when you go backwards. Tough dependable Chevy truck.

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  The Die-Hard Ford in me has Died - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By etedder - January 15 - 10:00 am

  Although still very new, Im sure that Im going to love this truck. First, I wanted a real truck, w/few frills as possible. I wanted a truck, with towing power and decent fuel mileage. So far, Ive got exaclty what I asked for. Drive-to-work fuel mileage is 18+ mpg. It handles my 18 bass boat very well, w/no problems accelerating on interstate ramps. All of my previous trucks were Fords (6 total). When I discovered that a similarly equipped Ford was $3-$4000 more, I decided to look elsewhere. The Dodge Ram (Hemi) was 2nd choice, but fuel mileage is an issue.If you have a budget, with similar needs, this is your truck.

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  Constantly in the shop - 1996 Chevrolet S-10
  By Marshall Green - January 15 - 6:08 am

  This was the worst vehicle I ever owned. A year after having it I got rear ended and my oil filter fell off. Not knowing it, I started to leave, naturally with no oil in the engine. The new engine cost me $6000. The heater core broke and fluid poured into my cab. The wheels were constanly out of alignment. The water pump went out, exploding coolant all out of the bottom. This happened of course while I was 1500 miles from home so that cost me a pretty penny at a dealer. The ignition swith along with spark plug wires went out at the same time. There were more things but I dont have all day. Terrible, terrible vehicle. I would not recommend it to anybody, unless you want to get stranded

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  I really like mine - 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Sheri - January 15 - 5:59 am

  I have the LT model and I love it. It handles really well. Turning radius and parking are not a problem. After reading the comments on sore bottoms, I feel like the seats could be more comfy, but Im not certain if Im noticing something I otherwise wouldnt have. I have to say, that the seats are much more comfortable than the ones in the Toyota Sequoia. Maintaining the legroom, it would have been nice if there was more cargo space w/out having to fold down the rear row of seats -- I didnt want a full lenghth Suburban. The styling is elegant, if not trendy. And speaking of legroom, the drivers seat has plenty of legroom, this is important if you are tall like me.

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  Great driver, not so great problems - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By scott reese - January 15 - 4:47 am

  Drives great especially the performance of the V-8! Love the styling of the exterior, the interior is average. The cloth seats are uncomfortable in front but 2nd row are fine. The Bose stereo is awsome. Weve had no major problems except the apparently common gas tank cracking (which should be recalled)covered by the extended warranty. We had a p.s. noise and the dealership replaced the rack and pinion? Belt squeak started at 25K(vehicle now has 60k).The belt,tensioner,water pump was replaced and then a belt cleaning?! I fixed it with a new belt last week! Fan clutch ticked for a year then quit.

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  Never go back to imports - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Apollo - January 15 - 4:16 am

  This Corvette is absolutely incredible! I have only had it about a month, but it is so smooth and extremely well put together. I drive a lot and my most recent two cars have been American made (after 5 Japenese cars.) I had such good luck with my Lincoln LS (110,000 in three years) I decided to get another new American made car. There will be no going back for me. I have had the opportunity to own and drive some of the best Japan has to offer. They make a fine automobile and spend a gob of money on the little things that make you think you have something special. When you drive this car, you KNOW you have something special. 25 miles to the gallon all around and it is not even broken in yet.