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 Vette - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By bikes2kill4 - October 3 - 2:00 am

  This is my third Vette, and overall the best. With a very few upgrades we got 415 hp! Fun to drive and will blow most everything else away on the street! Good job GM, if the 2005 Vette is anything close to this one a new winner is on the way!

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  Z06 - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By vette6 - October 3 - 2:00 am

  Best car I have ever driven, fun to drive, hugs the road and will beat the pants off a Porshe.

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  A new vette owner for life - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By AndyCollazo - October 3 - 2:00 am

  I love this car, I went into the dealership to order a 2005, and after seeing the 2004 sitting there and being able to take it home for $15,000 less... here I am, a very happy vette owner. You owe it to yourself to spoil yourself with a C5, which BTW, it ranks as the best vette of all time. Plenty of power, I upgraded the stereo to a In- dash DVD player/navigator for $2000, and Im still $13,000 under the 2005. This is the last pop-up lights dont forget that and the last C5, it should hold its value nicely over the next few years, and I dont see myself parting with it for a long time.

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  Last GM vehicle - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By disappointed - October 2 - 9:20 pm

  At 11,000 miles it needed a new wheel bearing. At 16,000 the caliper on the same wheel assembly literally fell off. There is a trough where the recessed windshield wipers rest. It looks nice but is ridiculous if you live where it snows. The washer outlets are also in this trough rather than on the hood aimed at the windshield so they are useless when it snows. Snow packs tight into that trough, and it has to be dug out constantly. Too many blind spots to list. The drink holders are a joke, one is on the floor, 2 others are on a cheap slide out from the center console, and there is no way they hold anything other than a standard size cup. It has a very poor resale value.

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  twice satisfied - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By whking - October 2 - 2:00 am

  This is our second Impala LS. The first (00) has more than 80k and has had no problems, brakes lasted until 75k. We still have it and now have 3k on 01 LS used with similar great performance. Car is underrated.

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  My Second Corvette - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Patti Costello - October 2 - 2:00 am

  Whats not to love!!! I had a 98 T top and traded it in on this 2004. This one is a six speed manual, Spiral Grey with a black convertable top. The top is manual, not power, but easy to put down and back up. The car is much faster than the 98 was and it is a real head turner. The tires are run flats and I have used that feature only once, but was very glad I had it. For those of us "GIRLS" that are looking to drive this magnificent machine, run flat tires let you go up to 50 miles on a flat tire to get help. The heads up display is awesome! Watching your speed right in the windshield! What a rush and you dont take your eyes off the road. Thats a real plus!!

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  love it - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By jgettling - October 2 - 2:00 am

  Had to purchase a vehicle quickly, but, as it turned out this was a great find. It has plenty of power and a comfortable ride. Love the XM radio and On Star.

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  2014 Silverado V6 work truck - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By hardworker777 - October 2 - 1:12 am

  I got a new 2014 silverado work truck whit 15 miles on it at first it was excellent, at about 200 miles the truck started to have a bad idle not smooth anymore and when its cold it can be felt more changed fuel types higher octane of 91 and tried E85 and no change. i already tuck it to the dealer 2 times at 2 different ones and they say the same thing,they say "it has no codes is working ok, it could be how the truck works after brake in and we have no updates or recalls for rough idle, we dont feel anything" they would feel it if it their truck and its a warranty issue. I been searching and looks like Im not the only one whit that problem whit a GM truck

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  Somewhat Disappointed - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By KennyGolub - October 1 - 11:00 pm

  Beautiful ride! Very comfortable and great looks. Downside: I cant trust it to start every time. After first night at home, the battery died. They replaced the battery and three days later, battery was dead again. They still cant find the problem, now I have to wonder if it will start whenever I take it out.

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  I love this car - 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Brandon - October 1 - 8:10 am

  I bought my monte new in march 2007. I have not had one single mechanical issue with it since. Seriously, not one. It is very comfortable and looks awesome. At 28,000 it is still running like new and shows no signs of slowing down.