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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  1999 Hardtop - 1999 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Jerry - December 18 - 1:30 pm

  Simply a great car with no problems. It is fun to drive & lots of power whenever you feel the need. The optional active handling system & great brakes makes it one of the safest cars on the road. Surprisingly on the highway at 70 mph in 6th gear it will average 32+ miles per gallon.

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  Mechanical disaster - 1996 Chevrolet Suburban
  By B.C.U. - December 18 - 12:42 pm

  The nickname for our 96 2WD is old leaky. We are the original owners and it now has 110K miles. It looks good and runs good except for when it is in the shop--which is often. No embellishing, here is the run down. Four alternators, one water pump, one A/C compressor ($1000), multiple A/C leaks, intake manifold gasket ($800), power steering leak, multiple coolant leaks from network of connections on the heater core hoses, multiple instances of coolant leaks from quick connectors, multiple brake refits (every 12K miles). The tranmission gave up the ghost at 70K miles ($2600) and most recently a significant oil leak from the timing chain cover ($400).

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  Poor Mans Mini - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By arlcova - December 18 - 12:00 pm

  The hatchback is a great, practical, "city car" because of its ability to squeeze into tiny parking spaces, good gas mileage, good manueverability, and small turning radius. I am 64" and fit very comfortably (a major reason I purchased). Lots of cargo space too, when seats are folded down, and surprisingly roomy back seats. Its designed for people on a budget--its not sexy, nor does it have the "fun" feel and amenities of sportier models. On the other hand, its reliable basic transportation that meets or exceeds all of my expectations for a car in its class. With GM card rebate and other incentives I got mine for around $7K. Cant beat that!

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  2004 Colorado Z71 Fun - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Wieland - December 18 - 10:32 am

  A fun small truck, with plenty of get up and go with the 5 cyl engine. Tows a 2000 lb boat with ease! The drivers seat feels a little off center, especially with a little back support cranked in. Everything easily within drivers reach. A real nice thing to have would be radio controls on the steering wheel! Pushing 20 MPG on the highway at 60MPH, dropping steadily as speed increases. The dash panel cover just looks cheap.

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  DISGUSTED DRIVER - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By rscott - December 18 - 12:07 am

  It is obvious that I got a lemon compared to the positive remarks I read about the truck. I had nothing but TROUBLE. It was first in shop over a month for AC replacement. Then Tires, Tires AGAIN. They never got the tires/wheels balanced correctly. They finally gave me a new set and I still had to take the truck back several times to try to keep the balance right! Then a shortage in the Radio. Problems with the CD player. Brakes were terrible. I cant leave out the fact that when I drove over 70MPH the speedomoter whould flip over to 120MPH!, never corrected.This was the worst vehicle I have owned and will NEVER buy a GM product again!

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  Finally got it. - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By liquify - December 17 - 8:33 pm

  To be completely honest, Ive allways been an F-body fan. I dreamt of having this car in high school and I got it. Now thats out of the way, this truly is a great car. With $123 invested in a simple lid, the car runs 12.9 1/4 on street tires and puts down 310 hp to the rear wheels with an automatic. Just impressive. I have had the car up to very extra legal speeds and its rock solid. On the corners, it could use a better wieght ditribution, but itll still outhandle 90% of the cars out there. There is a leak on the drivers side window. I average 19 city and 28 highway. With this much power on tap, thats awesome. For my money, this car is everything I was expecting.

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  Probably My Last GM Product - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By elucas78 - December 17 - 9:14 am

  I have owned Chevy trucks for the last 14 years and kept coming back, until now. We were looking for a half ton crew cab and found this 2009 used in April 2011. Within 2 weeks of buying it, the Service Air Bag light came on. Took it to the dealer a couple times and the computer needed reset and a sensor needed replaced. It happened again, but this time the instrument panel needed replaced. Then last month the engine started ticking. Took it in on August 29th to find out it needs a new cam and lifters. This is not what I expected on a 2 year old vehicle with 35,000 miles. Well it has been 3 weeks and I still have yet to get it back. So, this will more than likely be my last GM product.

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  Amazing for a Chevy - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By malibuman08 - December 17 - 4:36 am

  Its a great car and I would honestly consider it better than my wifes 2007 Honda Accord. Although the Accord is faste its a v6, the interior of the Chevy isnt quite as nice as the accord but its better than my previous Toyota Avalon

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  First two weeks with a 2003 - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By kapptin - December 17 - 2:00 am

  So far I have been very pleased with my new 2003 LTZ 4wd. I have always been a Chevy fan and found that the TB was an excellet choice for mid size SUV. The only real thing that Chevy could have done better on is the front seats, too much slip side to side. I have leather and you have to hold yourself in place on sharp turns. Very happy with performance and handling. Great ride and easy to drive for around town use.

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  Most reliable SUVon market - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Dylan - December 17 - 12:19 am

  I have 63,488 miles on my Suburban, and I only had it at the dealer 2 times, for tire rotation and oil changes. Never failed to start up in the -20 degree temperatures in the morning. Definently a best buy