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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  95 Camaro Z28 one of the best! - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Tony - October 10 - 4:52 pm

  I still cant believe GM did away with the Camaro! This is one of the finest sports cars ever built. First of all it had styling. This car really turned heads. It had performance. The stock 350 LT1 had plenty of hp for the average driver and was easy to upgrade with lots of aftermarket parts. It was a comfortable car to drive. I have a lot of fun with this car. Minimal repairs. I would recomend this car to anyone who would like to drive a fabulous sports car without emptying our your bank account. I perfer the 6 speed transmission for extra performance but the automatic still offers great performance too. I would purchase another one if I didnt have three already!

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  Love my Tahoe - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By tahoe john - October 10 - 4:11 pm

  Brakes could be beefier but its good looking, powerful, quiet (relatively) and I love the size--not too big, not too small. Gas mileage, well, its an SUV.

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  Problems Overheating - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Stuart - October 10 - 12:19 pm

  My daughter bought this car with 90,000 miles on it. This past Febuary 05 we replaced the thermostat, in the last few months it has started overheating again,Oct 9,2005 I replaced the radiator and thermostat again. It is still overheating. Next item I am going to check is the caytalitic converter.The fan is OK. We dont know what else to do to get it to stop overheating. As a result it has been parked for the last 4-6 months. Next we are going to check the head gasket. I would appreciate any help or advice. The car has about 115,000 miles on it.This overheating problem is a real aggravation since we cannot pin point the cause of it.

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  A sandlewood color lemon - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Tj80 - October 9 - 11:55 pm

  Car rattles constantly, window trim is now loose, interior quality is very poor major gaps in plastic trim. Fold down seats no longer work after being worked on 3 times. Also transmission is slipping at high speeds, as well as the front bearings had to be replaced because either they wore away or were never put in in the first place. Also car is rusting from the inside out. Save your money. Buy something better than a GM piece of junk.

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  This car will suprise you! - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By plattsfire1 - October 9 - 2:58 pm

  I was looking for a vehicle that got better gas mileage than my old Ranger, and ended up with so much more. This car has a great interior with very comfortable seats. It handles great on the road, but the electronic power steering is almost too good. You have to pay extra attention to avoid accidental drift. The extra amenities that come standard are incredible. Im 64", so the power adjustable pedals and telescoping steering wheel are GREAT. And I was absolutely shocked at the acceleration. When you put your foot down, this car goes. And when other cars tend to whine out, this car just keeps going. So fast in fact, that when accelerating out of turns you must really be on your toes.

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  Good to be back in a small car. - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Jeff - October 9 - 11:46 am

  My last small car was a Toyota Tercel, after which I drove trucks for 14 years. I test-drove and looked at every other small car I could find before buying this. I am currently driving it locally around town (computer says average speed 21 mph), and like the 29 MPG Im getting after putting a whole paycheck into my truck every month. Its nimble, turns very tight, and has decent acceleration. Since I dont drive very fast at all, I love it. The drivers seat took some fooling around to get comfortable, but my long legs are happy. This has the same engine as our 05 Malibu, which has run perfect for 2 1/2 years now. We did buy the center armrest for our LS, I recommend it.

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  Great sports car - 1999 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Bob - October 9 - 10:31 am

  This sports car is quite a lot fun. Great for almost all occasions. Recommend the convertible! Nothing like a top down cruise on a nice summer night. Loaded with features. Instrumentation has everything.

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  Good Truck with issues - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Who Dat - October 9 - 9:06 am

  This truck has 4000 miles on it and I have had some minor problems so far. One chrome door handle broke off, the fuel cell indicator failed, and the dealer had to install noise reduction tape on all four doors. Besides the inconvenience of going back for repairs it has been a good truck. I hope the long term reliability is good, may have to get an extended warranty. We have six 09 Silverados at my work site, all have had some type of problems. Not sure if I would purchase another GM product at this time. The cloth seats are a lint nightmare to clean.

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  My New Malibu - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By shebraatz - October 9 - 1:29 am

  I went from an SUV to a sedan primarily for mpg increase. I hadnt owned a "car" for 10 years. This vehicle is a pleasure to drive and only going to the gas station half as often is a nice break. Itll be interesting to see how much I like it once the winter roads start appearing and I have Front Wheel drive instead of 4 Wheel drive.

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  Colorado is Fun - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By B Trombey - October 8 - 10:23 pm

  I enjoy driving this vehicle. It has a nice smooth ride that is greatly improved over the S10. It handles very well, the gas mileage needs to be improved a little bit, but its not terrible. It is consistent. Drove it from Michigan to California with no problems whatsoever, has more than enough power for going up hills. The suspension is much better on the Colorado than on the S10, the biggest improvement, I think.