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:

• 

  Great Truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By pmlap - November 28 - 10:00 am

  Very nice, traded a 2000 Silverado regular cab. Great performance, good looks. Get about 13mpg. Could use a power sliding rear window.

• 

  I was satisfied... - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Martin - November 28 - 12:22 am

  I bought my 2 door Cavalier w/manual transmision in 2002 as replacement for lease of the same brand and make. I drive anually about 30000 miles and that car did all the hard work for me. I properly maintained changed oil every 3K to 4K miles plus all the required maintenance. However I have to admit that car is loud, not comfortable, not even sporty - thank to decade old body and engine design, but it will do a run for you if you need. It has never let me down or broken on me even after 97 200 miles that I drove on it. I hope that new owner will like it because I just recently trade it for Honda. Good luck and many miles without problems.

• 

  Solid Van - 2001 Chevrolet Astro
  By DJ - November 27 - 9:53 pm

  I had a 95 that only was in the shop a couple of times for non-maintenance work - a bad EGR valve and the exhaust system rusted out at 92k miles. Based on my experience I bought a new 2001. Its five years old and has 120k miles on it. Ive had a few non-maintenance repairs. At around 50k miles the turn signal switch went out. This was a $450 repair but about three years later, GM had a recall on the switch and re-imbursed me. I installed new front shocks at around 70k miles. At about 105k miles the fuel pump went out. This cost $750 plus the towing!

• 

  Colorado Z71 crew cab - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Justin Barbato - November 27 - 9:05 pm

  For the money it is the best compact pickup out there. I have about 8000 miles on it so far and it gets about 19-20 mpg. It cost me about 5 to 6 thousand less than a Frontier or Tacoma. Great buy.

• 

  Love the Caprice - 1996 Chevrolet Caprice
  By tony - November 27 - 1:43 am

  I have used the Caprices in my Funeral Escort business for over eight years and they have performed beautifully for us. The vehicle is almost undestructable. It is heavy duty all the way around and you can always count on it. If you perform the routine maintainence and change filters etc I believe the car will last for 400,000 mile or more and I have seen Caprices with that mileage on them. I think it was GMs best made vehicle.

• 

  Still Blazin - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Mister - November 27 - 1:05 am

  Ive had my Trailblazer LT for over two years now, and absolutely love it! Since I wanted to keep this one for a while, I got it with just about every option available, and have appreciated them all...especially the steering wheel controls. I did lose the drivers window motor and A/C circulating valve early on, but both were fixed with no problems. The ride is smooth, acceleration nice...all around fun to drive. I have OnStar, but would have liked to have XM as the newer models do. City mileage is a little shocking at 14-15 mpg, but highway gets up to 21. As others have stated, the gas tank should be bigger. Thanks GM for an excellent SUV!

• 

  Road Warrior Perfection - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Gandelot - November 26 - 9:16 pm

  I drive for a living, and after owning 3 vehicles in 2 years...Ive finally found the perfect vehicle for spending up to 8 hours a day/four days a week in. Comfort is incredible-Handling is great-Power is spelled C-H-E-V-Y.

• 

  Poorly Built Car - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Jarod Hart - November 26 - 2:00 pm

  When I first bought the car I loved it. Drove/handled well, smooth ride, etc. Even liked the power (although I now feel like it is a little on the weak side). That has quickly gone downhill since. This past year alone I have invested $2500-$3000 in repairs. Since purchase with 29,000 miles I have had to rebuild the trans (at 54K), replace a high pressure line for the a/c, replace struts and bearing plates, replace temp. sending unit, resolder rear defrost, rebuild brakes all around (including calipers), replace tie rod ends, thermostat, theres a short in the headlights causing my daytime lihts not to function properly and my highbeam indicator to continuously flicker.

• 

  Fun? Of course, its a Camaro - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Baron3800 - November 26 - 12:20 pm

  Although on the hunt for an LS1 Z28 for my next car, my v6 3800 Camaro has been bullet proof and a very fun car to own. As a long time Camaro enthusiast, of course I modified mine and a new intake and cat-back really wake these v6ers up. Also the handling is great and showing up even Mustang GTs in corners isnt difficult. And of course, the 3800 series II (10 best engine award winner) has been reliable as the day I bought it. Do not buy import trash and these fake sport compact cars, the v6 Camaro/Firebird is an insurance friendly sports car that has big aftermarket support and will get stares from many.

• 

  RPM Change while driving/Idle Change...? - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jaxarmyguy59 - November 26 - 10:08 am

  The Chevy dealer said that this was "Normal an that it was the alternator" kicking in. The truck while driving at any/every speed will idle up an then back down about 100 RPMs. I have put duel flowmaster exaust on it and now this is undeniable. You can also feel it in the truck itself when it kicks in almost every 30 seconds or so. Im pissed! I payed alot for this truck, and work hard for my money. I hate beign lied to an I feel like that is just what Chevy did! Do any of you guys know what this might be, or what it sounds like? Thanks for the help, -Jon