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:

• 

  mine not listed - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Margaret Payne - December 29 - 12:33 pm

  04 Colorado 4wd ls ext cab Z85 4spd automatic transmission vortec 3500 220 hp 3.5 5cyl engine. Great ride, the only problem I have is the tires. The tires are not very good and break tracksion on wet streets in rwd.

• 

  Interior Needs Redesign - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Blackwell - December 29 - 12:31 pm

  Maybe because Im short-windshield view is very narrow between the top of steering wheel & bottom of sun visor. The elevated position of the wiper is VERY distracting! HATE the steering wheel-instrument panel&ignition are hidden from view-you have to crane your neck to see around it & grope to insert the key. Window controls are too far toward the rear of the console. Front doors do not open far enough for easy entry. Dash lights cant be dimmed to level I find comfortable for night driving. Black XM radio antenna looks like a wart-should match the body color. Noisy inside-not yet sure if noise level is engine noise or road noise from the tires-I may change tires. Poor radio sound adjustment

• 

  Best car for the money!! - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Ken Paulson - December 29 - 7:29 am

  Best car I have owned to date, very reliable! Cant wait to drive it again!!

• 

  This is an awesome truck - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Steve Smith - December 29 - 6:10 am

  I just bought my new Tahoe, and it is amazing. All the cool features make it a classic Chevy SUV. It has a very desirable, agressive looking new style that turns heads everywhere. This truck is so much fun to drive too. Its my favorite Tahoe Chevy has made yet!

• 

  Good Car - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Daniel - December 29 - 5:20 am

  I had this car for four and a half years without any major problems with the engine or transmission. The dash did crack though and the car had three recalls for minor things. Overall I was satisfied with it. The reason why I got rid of it is because I found out about its poor crash rating. According to many reports this is the most unsafe car on the road especially regarding side impact.

• 

  An excellent car - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Jack - December 28 - 6:23 pm

  An excellent car for the $14.5K I paid totally. Many wonderful features. The engine, the transmission, the air condition are great! All these are expensive key parts.

• 

  2003 Malibu - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By sailordave - December 28 - 6:03 pm

  For those saying poor gas mileage, try checking your tire pressure, air filter, and quit the jack rabbit starts. My city mileage is about 22 mpg. Good handling and acceleration. Large trunk. Good value for what you get.

• 

  CHEVY BLAZER ZR2 ROCKS! - 2005 Chevrolet Blazer
  By CHRISTOPHER MCGUIRE - December 28 - 3:42 pm

  THE CHEVY BLAZER ZR2 IS BY FAR THE TOUGHEST VEHICLE IVE EVER DRIVEN. WHO CARES ABOUT GAS MILEAGE I WILL NEVER GET STUCK IN THIS VEHICLE. iT MIGHT NOT BE A LUXURY VEHICLE BUT DAMN ITS COOL. BRING YOUR CRV OUT OFFRADING AND ILL PULL YOU OUT WHEN YOU GET STUCK. cRV,ESCAPES HAVE NOTHING ON THIS VEHICLE....BRING IT!!

• 

  WORTH IT - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By LIZ - December 28 - 1:36 pm

  FUN TO DRIVE,VERY FUEL EFFICIENT...HANDLES THE CURVES VERY EASY.THE CAR COMES WITH A LOT OF FEATURES THAT MOST CARS WOULD CHARGE EXTRA FOR...EVEN THOUGH I OWN THE MOST BASIC MODEL AND I DO NOT HAVE POWER LOCKS OR WINDOWS

• 

  Serious performace - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By lil red corvette - December 28 - 1:19 pm

  This is my first experience with a true performace car. Ive driven Z3s and other roadsters and they were fun to drive but this car is serious! In fact I now wonder if I shouldnt take some more driving lessons so I can get the most this car has to offer. Theres nothing worse than a low performace driver in a high performance car.