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:

• 

  grab one - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By richard d - October 19 - 2:00 am

  great car!i never ever expected it to be such a comfortable riding car. mine is a yellow convertible and it is a stunner. just a joy to drive because of acceleration,handling,comfort,and styling. grab a c-5 because the c-6 is a design disaster.

• 

  tahoe review on z71 - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By john henry@verizon.n - October 19 - 2:00 am

  very nice car should have 350 engine for better pulling power, z-71 needs bumper protection down side mine already has several nicks from people opening doors in parking lot

• 

  Great car - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By robert painter - October 19 - 1:40 am

  This is a great work car for me, or anyone. It runs exceptionally well on highway and back roads. Fuel economy, cant complain. Engine and suspension give it a very sporty feel.Overall, it is a great car.

• 

  Lemon - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Sebron34 - October 18 - 7:25 pm

  We bought this car in 2013. It was one year old and had 15,000 miles on it. Soon after we bought it we started noticing a noise. It was a grinding noise. After several times going into the dealership for repairs they determined it was the drive train that had gone out. luckily it was under warranty. The previous owners had taken the remote to the entertainment system and all but one set of headphones. Now we have never figured out how to make the movie play to the internal stereo it only plays to the headphones. The seat warmer on the drivers seat will turn on but turns off 1 min later and wont turn back on. The glove box connector broke making it so the glove box falls out onto the floor now. Then a year ago the alternator went out freezing up the car so we couldnt even jump start it. For some reason there is a anti theft system that kicks in when the battery is dead and you have to take it to the dealership to get your key out of the ignition. Then also a year ago the air in the car started blowing really hot air on the drivers side and cold air everywhere else when the A/C is on. Now the car has 75,000 and the computer just went out on it. The alternator also died again. I put my key in the ignition last night and the car ate my key and I had to tow it to the dealer to have everything fixed. This is a car that they dont want you working on, but yet it is broken all the time.

• 

  Fun car! - 1999 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Lou Cole - October 18 - 2:00 am

  True sports car with the great control for the road. Power to burn. Super stable at high speeds. A real head turner.

• 

  Good Car - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Jeff Grant - October 18 - 2:00 am

  This car was a great price, its reliable, dependable and is just what I needed for a college freshman son.

• 

  Love the Style! - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Lou Cole - October 18 - 2:00 am

  Drives like your always on a new road. Great to change from six passenger to hauling cement in two minutes.

• 

  Scrap Heap the malibu - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By multicatz - October 18 - 2:00 am

  this "car" is nothing more than junk on bad tires. it is totally unreliable, makes strange sounds and beeps, and the horn honks for no reason. the radio has heavy static or gets 2 stations at the same time. the CD player ruined 2 tracks of a CD. the tires do not hold air. it has never been aligned properly. it gets a miserable 15mpg city and barely 20mpg hiway. it also randomly locks us out, locked me in once. dealership, salesman, and service are rude. none of the problems have been resolved. i was told the noises do not exist, then I started recording them. now there is no explanation. the service department even "scolded" me for not filling out a good service report. a real lemon!

• 

  Love those Blazers since 1982 - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By christina Savo - October 18 - 2:00 am

  I have driven nothing but blazers and trailblazers since 1982. I get a new car every two years. They provide me with total comfort, safety in all types of weather and reliability,.. meanwhile my friends are taking their cars to the dealerships. Each time I buy a new car, I consider all thats out there...and each time I choose again a chevrolet Blazer and now a trailblazer. They have made me a loyal owner for over 20 years now. Thanks Chevrolet and GM!!

• 

  Great light duty pickup - 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By bacilluscereus - October 17 - 11:08 pm

  After 3 years and 22,000 miles, no real complaints. Dealer replaced Chevy bowtie logo on tailgate twice under warranty due to cosmetic flaking, and recently re-programmed the setting on the defroster to eliminate an interior cabin fogging issue, but all else is mechanically perfect. Gas mileage on the 4.6L V-6 is not as good as I was hoping (only ~19mpg highway empty bed with no A/C running and 55mph speeds, & 14mpg city). Interior treatment is an expanse of bland gray plastic and the dash seems poorly designed in terms of storage, with 3 cubbies too small to be of any real use. However, these are relatively small issues. I like the truck overall very much and will keep it for yrs.