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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  Gilbert - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Gilbert - December 23 - 11:40 am

  Completely frustrated with this vehicle, been to the dealership countless times with repairs and totally frustrated with the fuel mileage. Having been a long time GM customer for me has come to an end. Would not recommend this vehicle to anyone. It is not surprising that GM is losing market share in North America, I know I will not buy another GM

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  Camaro Z28 1996 - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Dr. J. A. Jaar - December 23 - 10:20 am

  Excellent car. GM did not realize how good this car is when they stopped its production. I will keep it for a very long time. We have two more cars, This one is the star.

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  Tough Ol Gal - 1997 Chevrolet Astro
  By antioch116 - December 23 - 9:58 am

  My 1997 van is approaching the 200k mark and she still rides fine. Ive had problems with the following: catalytic converter(twice),fuel gauge stuck on "E" even though I just filled up, drivers window broken, air condt knob broke, rear hutch window doesnt stay up, sliding door stuck, tranny, oh yeah..the "service engine" light stays on even though Ive spent over 1k to figure out why, just to name a few. But all in all, its a pretty good van.

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  A Great Car For the Money - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Matt - December 23 - 1:49 am

  We bought this car with just 55K and so far it needed nothing and is holding up quite well. The little 2.2 is more powerful than you would think and the transmission is smooth. Fuel economy is an average of 35-40 MPG. The AC and heater are strong and the CD/cassette player has great sound and is RDS equipped. The interior while well designed is full of cheap plastic but its still holding up well. The seats are comfortable but look and feel cheap. Interior room is not bad for a small car.

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  A Good and Quick Commuter - 1994 Chevrolet Corsica
  By Matt - December 23 - 1:37 am

  We bought this car with around 100K on it. All it needed was new tires and brakes. Overall it has been a solid reliable car. The only real problems we had with it was a bad wheel bearing and a dead heater fan. The engine and transmission, like most GM vehicles, are solid and reliable. The V6 is quite quick. Im not sure about the 4 cylinder but I hear theyre slow. Fuel economy also isnt bad for a V6. The interior is not a strong point as there was a lot of loose trim panels and the front power window switch cluster broke so the the switches just dangled from the wires.

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  My first 4000 miles - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By corvette Jim - December 22 - 11:31 pm

  I drove a 2005 Corvette with no intention of buying one. The speed & headlights sold me. It is a very comfortable road car. I took a 2000k mi. trip up hwy 1 to Oregon. I averaged 25.6mpg on Hwy and 20.5 in town on unleaded reg.fuel. I put a Borla touring exhaust on the car as the factory exhaust is too quiet. I am happy with the Borla touring exhaust and X pipe. $1625. The doors are very big and you need plenty of room to get out w/o hitting the car parked next to you. The SB2 package is real nice with the two 6 way adjust. seats, HID, Boze stero & telescoping sterring wheel.It is superior in performance,styling & comfort to the Nissan 350z,Porsche Boxster & the 911 The 911 Turbo is a contender.

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  Worth every penny - 2014 Chevrolet Camaro
  By SMC - December 22 - 9:26 pm

  This is a fun car and made to be driven with the top down. This car is a 5 with the top down and a 3.75 out of 5 with the top up. (With the top up you will notice its not as quiet as a sedan and the visibility is limited.) This is not an expensive car, but a real head turner and when you drive it expect to get a smile and an envious thumbs up.

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  A lot to like! - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By GJC81966 - December 22 - 5:23 pm

  Just purchased a 2005 Impala Base model with 13K miles, have had it almost a month. Very, very quiet interior, easy to read guages, logical controls that are well placed and easy to use with gloves on in the winter time. Seat is bit soft for my taste but its very comfortable nonetheless. Handles as it should, not a Porsche, but a quiet, well built, easy and low maintenance 6 passenger sedan with great fuel economy. Edmunds needs to get over the dash/interior -they make it out to be junky - which it is not. Its functinal, easy to read, easy to use - what do they want in a 4-door sedan? Add a few more thousand for real wood if thats what makes them happy - for me, its perfect!

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  Hate the Car - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By STEVENS57701 - December 22 - 11:06 am

  I have had my equinox for 1 1/2 yrs. Ive had the window molds replaced 3 times, an electrical system replaced once. The weathering on my drivers door replaced once and now my rear drive unit is being replace. Thats along with the 4 times I had to have it pulled in because I couldnt jump the battery, then the battery was replaced. I thought the car was awesome. I live in ND and in the country so snow gets impacted in places and make sthe car run funny. It doesnt do well in the cold and lots of snow. I have decided that it wasnt worth my college graduation present as many problems as Ive had with it, it leaves me with an unreliable vehicle.

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  2nd TrailBlazers in 3 years - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Mark J - December 22 - 4:04 am

  I do lots of driving. My first T- Blazer (2002) racked up 80K in 2 yrs with only reg. maint. I then purchd an 04. Already has 30K. Excellent ride, ft seats could be better, rears are best in class. No road noise at all. Steers, brakes, corners excellent. Lots of compartments- including sunglasses!! My 02 had an aux pwr outlet in the rear and a glovebox light. My 04 does not. Cmon GM, how much did that really save? Headliner wont stay up. Gas mileage could be better, but it is a truck w/280 HP. 14-16 hard city driving, and 18-22 @ 75 MPH. Not that bad, but I am sure all trucks could be better. Bose radio is a must. Excellent agressive styling. Well laid out interior. Great to tow/haul.