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:

• 

  Awesome - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Leanne Carlson - December 5 - 4:40 pm

  We love our new Chevy Unplander Mini Van. It has everything we were looking for. We also own a Chevy Lumina Van. And the new uplander has some many thing that we have noticed an improvement over the Lumina. Chevy has done a great job with the new Uplander

• 

  Completely satisfied - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Tom - December 5 - 2:50 pm

  Ive owned the 2005 Malibu for about 6 months and have 9000 miles on it. The ride is very smooth and comfortable. The engine is quiet and very powerful with great acceleration. Im get 29MPG in overall driving with some highway and some stop and go traffic.

• 

  I Love My Aveo - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By zensmile - December 5 - 2:13 pm

  It is a fun car to drive, kinda like a super go-cart for big kids. I really like the way this car drives and it is peppy for being only 1.6L--a great city car and good for short trips (200-350 miles).

• 

  Good comfortable car - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By joe - December 5 - 2:00 pm

  Though the Maxx (looking at it as a sedan)is not the best looking in its class, the versatility cant be beat. Very comfortable and easy to drive, exceptionally quiet for a Chevy, almost as much room as a midsize SUV (how often do we really haul stuff?), and better mileage than same. My commute is 40 min. one way. The LT gives you enough creature comforts (that, and saving $10,000) to pacify those of us who almost went to the next level and bought that Maxima....almost.

• 

  My Chevy Trailblazer - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Elaine Wade - December 5 - 12:47 pm

  I have been very pleased with the overall performance of my Trailblazer. It is very comfortable for long and short driving periods, with adjustments for a drivers height and back comfort preferences. Despite the reviews about poor performances on handling on curves, I have found my Trailblazer to be very smooth on curves which I usually take at above average speeds. I have enjoyed it so much, as have my children, that my daughter purchased a 2006 Trailblazer also. This is one of the best midsize SUVs on the road without the need for the Lexus or Cadillac prestige price tags and logos. I can drive it off road, which I do, wash it and go to church or to a social function in style.

• 

  My Dream Truck! - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By JelliedMooseNose - December 5 - 10:26 am

  This truck is awesome! It is all Ive ever wanted in a truck. My 4.8 has adequate power now that I have a K&N Cold Air Intake in combination with a Dual Flowmaster 40 series exhaust. The handling is great and at times I forget how big this vehicle is. This truck has been reliable with no major problems at all. Gas mileage is reasonably well, but like they say, "If I wanted MPGs I would have got a Honda!"

• 

  New for me! - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Patrick Nichols - December 5 - 8:19 am

  I have owned my Malibu for 4 months and drive many miles. The vehicle has impressed me with its smooth accelleration, quick handeling and good response.

• 

  2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx LS - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By aundy28570 - December 5 - 12:25 am

  Just brought this car with 151000 miles. Little high but figured if previous owner kept up maintenance like they said then would be ok for a little while considering seemed to be a reasonable deal. Had for 5 days and already to dealership to find out multiple problems. After reading reviews some of these should be recalled such as power steering gear, serp belt needs replacing, remote intermittently works and few times problems with starting. Other problems include replacing oil pan gasket and side mirror switch. I am so dissapointed and to make matters worse the dealership is really high on labor. The mirrors and remote key is not a big issue but the other problems can be safety concerns!!!

• 

  Tough car for the money - 1991 Chevrolet Camaro
  By toughcamaro91 - December 4 - 11:50 pm

  I got it with 104, 000, it hadn’t been taken care of. It had sat for 2 years straight one time. it ran great, shifted strong, it was reliable, only had few repairs done to it, one was the valve stem seals which are notorious for going bad on these cars, all that does is cause it to blow a puff of smoke out when first started, it quits after that...only $170 to fix. Despite how hard I drove it, was extremely strong...later it developed major oil leak....sold it at 115,000 miles but it still ran great

• 

  Give this car serious consideration - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Bill - December 4 - 9:12 pm

  Ive owned Ferrari and Porsche in the past, sort of turned my nose up at a Corvette, however the C6 rendition is quite a car! The interior isnt as good as it should be, but the price vs. performance is astonishing. The paddle shifting 6 speed auto is a blast. Quiet until you romp on the throttle, then turns into a bellowing beast. Handling is excellent, ride is compliant, seats will probably fit everyone well, acceleration is impressive, but it will "putter" around town like any other car. Im impressed.