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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  Good Truck - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By Riderfun87 - October 22 - 8:39 am

  I bought this truck in spring 06 w/70k miles. It was been very good to me even though i have been hard on it. The only issue i had was the CAT and O2 censors went out and i had to get them replaced. Im thinking that was due to taking it off roading a few to many times. The truck averages about 18 MPG driving around town and has gotten as high as 21 MPG doing 70 on long trips.

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  Very Reliable - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Josh - October 22 - 3:53 am

  I purchased the car when it had 141,000 and it now has 156,000 The car is great. The engine and ride are both smooth and it is steady at 20 MPG. The only thing I would change is the turning radius. It can be a pain but, overall the car is the best Ive ever owned.I wish they were still making them.

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  Happy so far... - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Derek - October 21 - 12:38 pm

  We recently purchased a 2008 Chevy TrailBlazer 1LT... our first American built car after a trio of Nissans.We are very happy with our purchase so far. Excellent ride,expected fuel mileage 15city/21hwy,excellent space for each passenger,a real surprise. We were not set on a TrailBlazer but after our purchase we would not hesitate to purchase a newer more updated version if it was produced.

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  Inexpensive van for mom of four - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By mom of 4 - October 20 - 9:00 pm

  Overall a good van. No frills at all. Just good reliable transportation. Ours was purchased used with 12,000 miles on it. Price was super great so we could afford it.

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  Decent truck - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By Travis - October 20 - 7:26 pm

  Ive owned this truck since 2004 (I bought it with 120K miles) and Ive put about 50K miles on it. Recently Ive been using it to do a 400 mile round trip each week: its comfy for the long ride, its been reliable, and I regularly get between 22 and 25 mpg on these long trips. Ive had no major problems with it. About 10K miles ago, the fuel gauge stopped giving an accurate reading (it drops rapidly and then hovers above empty). And simple maintenance is all but impossible because everything is packed-in tightly. Granted Im not mechanically inclined... Installing a custom stereo was a pain-- the dash is hard to remove. Id love to get a new car, but this thing just wont seem to die.

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  Bum Equinox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Rachel Carter - October 20 - 6:16 pm

  I loved my car from the moment I bought it but shortly after the problems started. It would start about 50% of the time and I had it in the shop several times before it was discovered that the fuel pump system had faulty parts. Recently the wiring system has become faulty and is blowing fuses to the point that my car literally dies! The trade in value is horrible and the gas mileage is nothing to brag about.

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  Good Purchase - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Nick Gibson - October 19 - 6:26 pm

  This truck has performed great in the 65,000 miles that I have owned it. I have had to replace two things on this truck so far (excluding brakes, filters, etc.). At 36,000 miles, the rear universal joint went out, but this was most likely due to the fact that I drive on the interstate 80% of the time and run over 90mph nearly all the time, just below the cutoff point on the engine. At 72,000 miles the fuel pump went out. This also may be attributed to my habits, as I usually let the fuel light come on and stay on a while before re-fueling. Ive been told this is extremely hard on the fuel pump because it sucks in air. Other than that, no problems.

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  nice car,could be better - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Bob Spin - October 19 - 4:02 pm

  Had no problems so far with the vehicle at almost 35000 miles,comfortable heated front seats, large blind spots to rear, mirrors could be much larger as in former Pontiac Grand Prixs previously owned, much road noise, when sun roof is opened impossible to hear or talk above 30mph, noisy tires

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  Still enjoy drving it - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Russ - October 16 - 7:00 pm

  Its a good daily driver that still turns heads almost like when it was new. I only drive about 11k mi. per year, but take some 7+ hour road trips. Its a big comfy car that looks sporty and gets great gas mileage. Seems very stable at high speeds. I got an extended warranty still in effect which has paid off. Stuff that failed: hazard flashers in 1st year; 3 year - main computer died as did the battery; 5-year - catalytic converter failed and burned up the intake manifold and seals, alternator went out, in the shop several times for the intermediate steering shaft (fixed now?), and a front wheel bearing went out. Some other weird computer quirks with interior lights and auto locks.

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  ninis trailblazer - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By dholland - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Excellent, reliable, sturdy rig with a smooth, almost luxury car feel.