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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  The Ultimate Family Transport - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Ron - June 23 - 4:53 pm

  I was never a proponent of the "BIG SUV", but needed the room and comfort for our family of 5 making monthly trips between Long Island and Boston. Excellent handling, great drivability, roomy, comfortable, quiet, real 3rd row seating, excellent cargo capacity, did I mention roomy? And surprisingly easy to park. It doesnt get much better than this for family transportation. GM has a real winner in the Suburban - keep it up!

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  Chevy Uplander LT - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Wes Cleaves - June 23 - 12:00 pm

  Ours has 2,200 miles. It has a much quieter engine than our previous 98 Olds Silhouette, with great acceleration and gas mileage. Little road noise. Superior handling. The ride is a little on the firm side, but very controlled. Very attractive exterior styling--many believe its an SUV. The interior is good too. Driver controls are well designed and positioned. However, black on white radio display is harder to read than green on black. Also, the smaller speedometer numbers are harder to read. It seems that the drivers "leg well" is narrower than the former model. Also, leg room for second row captains chairs seems less. Conclusion: an excellent vehicle and value -- vast improvement over former model. Highly recommend.

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  knee room - 2017 Chevrolet Camaro
  By denny dubs - June 23 - 9:36 am

  in 2012 i was looking into a mustang and chose a camaro because of the knee room the camaro has and lack of in the mustang. so when it came time to buy new, i went to view the camaro. The very 1st thing i noticed was the console being much wider than my 2012 model causing a lot of discomfort to my right replacement knee. Unfortunately i HAD to pass on buying this car thus causing my dream of owning 2 anniversary models to fade. oh well

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  Wow - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By lovinit - June 23 - 8:26 am

  This has got to be the best vehicle I have ever bought. I usually drive German cars. It is a far cry from what they used to be. It is just amazing. Plenty of power to pull my boat and still getting 22 hwy and 20 with the boat. Thank you Chevy, I love you guys

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  Worst vehicle I have ever purchased - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By chk8abanan - June 23 - 6:23 am

  This is the worst vehicle I have ever purchased. It has not gone longer than 12 weeks without being in the shop. The plastic seat handle on the driver seat and the rear gate broke off in the first 10,000 miles. I had to have the door lock mechanism replaced, ball joints replaced, and 4WD was serviced for several defective internal parts. I have had numerous electrical problems including the AC staying on when switched to “off” position, lights flickering on and off, losing sight of my dashboard gauges due to lights going off.

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  Great Car for the Money - 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Show-me-2 - June 23 - 3:20 am

  Well Ive owned this car for four months and really enjoy it. Gas mileage using regular gas is great 27 city/highway, I get 34 on the highway. Since this car is a Flex Fuel car I started using E-85 and the mileage dropped like 6-8 miles to the gallon which was very disappointing, otherwise this car is great.

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  97 Vette - 1997 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Heyref13 - June 22 - 10:58 pm

  Great driving fun! Good comfort in a sports car. Attention to detail is excellent. Truck space better than most passenger cars. Its hard on tires. Electronics need overall improvement and are expensive to repair. For the first model year of a completely redesigned car, it is Grandpas dream come true! I would buy another Corvette in a heartbeat!

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  Awesome Buy! - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By thermal izod - June 22 - 6:38 pm

  Economical and fun to drive, my Impala has ample power, and lots of room and comfort. It has a smooth quiet ride, and is easy to find aftermarket parts for, such as my cold air intake and Flowmaster cat-back exhaust system. I couldnt be happier.

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  Spending a lot of time in the shop - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By HT - June 22 - 3:56 pm

  I really like my truck, but Ive spent a ton of money to repair every little thing from the alternator to the transmission. In two years, Ive spent over $5,000 making various repairs. My mechanic is surprised that I put so much into a car known for its issues, but I love my truck. The cost would have been more money had I not gotten the extended warranty when I first bought the car. I will say that when its not in the shop, this truck has been able to handle everything Ive thrown at it. This is a gas guzzler. Ive averaged 13-15 MPG, buts thats the price you pay for owning an SUV.

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  Uplander - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Jason - June 22 - 1:44 pm

  The auto sliding side doors are nice, but what if my teenager gets mad and wants to slam the door? She cant! I dont like the safety feature that will not let the sliding doors open until the vehicle is in park, but I can understand why they did it. Makes for a longer drop-off time in the school car-pool loop though.