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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  Able SUV - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By andy - December 22 - 3:15 am

  The Blazer 2dr SUV is a tight, comfortable and able SUV for the money. It has a very able tow rating of 3500 lbs, comes with the factory hitch and plenty of horsepower to do the job. Even though my Blazer was purchased 4 years old it is still a very tight body with no wind noise and excellent handling.

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  Great Truck - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By rl1961 - December 22 - 1:55 am

  I love this truck. I owned a Toyota Sequoia before this, but there is no comparison. Chevrolet thought it all through and delivered a great SUV!

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  Malibu Mamma - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bob - December 21 - 8:06 pm

  This vehicle is one of the better values that Chevrolet has ever put out. Ride and handling and fuel economy is outstanding, for this class of vehicle. The LTZ is very well equipped for the money. So far it is a joy to drive. I smile every time I pull up to the gas pumps.

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  Chevrolet Trucks Rot Fast!!!!!! - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By noreasterstyle - December 21 - 2:41 pm

  Imperial Chevrolet is horrible!! At least their service department is!! I have a 2008 Chevrolet Duramax 2500HD LTZ...a $55,000 truck when new. It is rusting all over the top of the cab. This truck gets detailed several times a year meaning it is taken care of! It has a 6 year, 100,000 rust / corosion warranty. But the service manager, Bill, decided they wouldnt cover it - no reason, just wouldnt. I called Chevrolet and was told its the dealers choice to cover warranty stuff or not - the company relys on them! Really! As a compormise they would give me a discount to have the rust cut out and/or sanded out!! What!! It is under warranty!! This dealer is awful - their service department is t

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  Fast and the Finesse - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By RAP1111 - December 21 - 10:45 am

  Incredible power, which is to be expected from this car, but also great ride and comfort features. The handling makes you feel extremely confident as it feel like it is being force down to the road even as it is getting close to its 186 MPH top speed and always seems to have lots power available at any speed. I am so glad I have had the abilty to take it out on the autobahn.

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  Americal built - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Pete - December 20 - 11:50 pm

  I have driven this truck in summer, fall and winter it has been reliable, safe, and very useful. I have had NO trouble with it at all. The fit and finish are comparable with the Toyota and Nissan that I test drove. It is quiter than the Ford and more economical than the Dodge.

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  1995 Corvette - 1995 Chevrolet Corvette
  By 1995 CORVETTE - December 20 - 8:36 pm

  I love this vehicle. I was a little bit hesitant at first to purchase this vehicle because of all the stories, "I wouldnt want to pay the repair bill!" ect... It has not givin me a problem yet. Ive put 96,000 miles on it and all Ive ever done was change oil and basic tune-ups. You will love this car!!

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  Things that are difficult to correct - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By tom j. cerniglia - December 20 - 6:50 pm

  Excellent audtomobile for the purpose for which it was purchased. Problems with the fuel tank covered under warranty. Currently problem with engine light constantly on cannot be easily corrected by dealer. Seat and mirror memory is sporadic. Am told by dealer it could be belt noise?

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  Wow... Malibu BEATS Accord and Camry - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Andrew - December 20 - 1:26 pm

  I took my Mom out for a new car, to replace her 2005 Accord V6. I provided insight and acted as a discussion partner for her thoughts. Mom absolutely loved the Malibu. She said it was way quieter than her 2005 Honda, which I had never even noticed having any wind noise. She also liked the simple layout of the controls in the Malibu vs. the Accords complexity. When we took the Accord for a test drive you could instantly tell the improvement in the ride of the Malibu over the Accord. Accord was noisier at acceleration and the wind noise around the mirrors was horrible! She also stated that the Honda seats always felt like she was on a hard park bench but the Malibu felt comfortable.

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  Great vehicle - 1991 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Erik - December 20 - 12:37 pm

  I bought my 1991 RS with the 305 V-8 from a private owner. Never seen winter except this year and had only 70000 miles. I really enjoy driving this car. It is not very expensive and you get a lot of power and performance out of it. The gas mileage is (in my opinion) the only really major flaw. I manage only 13 mpg on average, which is suburban driving. The quality of the ride is very nice even though it sits so low to the ground. The ride height can prove to be a problem due to bottoming out on pretty much anything, but careful driving helps to solve that. The t-tops leak but not too bad. only what would be expected. Overall this is a very nice ride and well worth the money.