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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  GONE! - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By happyitsgone - September 13 - 1:53 pm

  The car had a nice feel like a older full sized car. The quality was horrible i have never had a car that required more repairs and was on a downhill slide then that car. Fuel regulator, wheel studs, water pump, transmission, etc... The resale value was horrible, just recently got rid of it and purchased a nissan.

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  Great to drive, stinks to fix - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By KC - September 13 - 11:59 am

  We bought this used in 2006. It had 24000 miles on it, ran great, and just enough room for our family of 3 at the time. Over all, the SUV worked great for the first year. Then small things started to happen more and more. First we had to replace our brand new breaks/rotors only after a year 1/2. Second the trunk hatch went out and had to replace that, third our back windshield wiper broke. ($1200 to fix this alone) We also, only after a year of replacing the first set, have to replace our rotors yet again. Something is wrong with the front end, never in a crash, so we are just trading this in this weekend. Last children in car seats dont have leg room from the front/back seat.

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  Reliable SUV - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Slip42 - September 13 - 11:33 am

  I bought my 2006 trailblazer used in 2006. I have 78,000 miles on it. I have never had it in the shop for any reason. I do regular maintenance and have had no issues. This is my first Chevy SUV and I would buy another one for sure.

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  a clean mean machine - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Don Bennett - September 13 - 9:30 am

  I have driven the vehicle 88K miles mostly on the hwy. smooth and comfortable. Gas mileage could certainly be better but with the non existence of problems and getting 104K miles on the original brakes I wouldnt complain at all. I came from driving 20 suburbans and the longer wheel base was the only thing missing other than carrying capacity which I didnt need any longer. GREAT CAR

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  The Affordable Supercar - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By BikerJoe - September 13 - 7:35 am

  The Z06 is truly a supercar that not only performs as well as cars costing hundreds of thousands, but beats most of them on the track and around town. I demand performance and drive mine fairly hard. My Z06 never lets me down, whether zipping through the curvy mountain roads at insane speeds or in stoplight to stoplight g-force fun. Also, I dont know where the mpg rating comes from in this listing, but I never get lower than 21-22 mpg average for a tank, and I get about 28-29 while cruising the highways at 74 mph. On a recent trip to Kentucky, I drove for 1200 miles and averaged 25 mpg, even though they were very mostly hard-driven miles. Interior is only okay. Build quality is awful.

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  Great SUV - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By johnv100 - September 11 - 11:41 am

  Just bought a used Suburban with only 45K miles to tow my boat and haul the kids. So far, my family and I love it. The gas mileage is not very good (avg 13.5 mpg), but no ones buying this truck to commute anyway. I love the exterior design. Leather seats are good, XM radio is great. The kids love the DVD player. Very roomy, and plenty of power to tow a boat and the whole family. Parking brakes are flaw designed I found lots of complaints about them. Mine aint working either. Interior plastics look cheap, but I dont mind. Replacing OEM rims with larger chrome rims and low profile tires makes the truck look awesome.

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  Safety is Number ONE!!! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cindy - September 11 - 11:20 am

  My daughter loved driving this vehicle. It drives very smooth, like a car, but she is up higher and can see better. Recently, a car sideswiped her on the freeway, causing her to lose control. She hit a cement guardrail almost head on doing 55mph in her Equinox. She 360d across the freeway and ended up against the opposite guardrail and yet SHE WALKED AWAY with just some soreness and a small seatbelt mark!!! The vehicle was totalled because it did what it was designed to do - take the impact and protect the passengers. And OnStar called her just like in the commercials. We are definitely getting her another Equinox to replace it. Her safety is number one!

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  The perfect first car - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By inlovewithyellow - September 11 - 9:49 am

  I got my tracker when I was 16, and found that it was the perfect first car. It was easy to drive, with just enough room without being a beast on the road. I felt safe and had no serious blindspots. The 4 cylinder engine was the perfect balance between power and fuel economy. It did anything I asked, from driving up curvy, curvy mountainous roads, to in- town driving, to going three miles up, three miles down on Mt. Currahee (a gravel, washed out road up a mountain...very off road). I could stow gear, friends and even haul bricks. After 6 years, it started to have a few problems starting, but started when given gas. It quit when idling at a stoplight once, but the dealer could find nothing.

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  Request - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By JR - September 11 - 1:46 am

  Love GM HATE the independent front I would pay extra for a solid front axle. Tires are not proportionate to the truck.

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  Still Kicking After 200,000 - 2000 Chevrolet Prizm
  By eyva2nc06 - September 10 - 10:05 am

  Overall, this car is pretty good. I have over 200,000 miles - 7 years. The check engine light comes on and off. Been doing this for over a year. Mechanic says its a malfunction. Car still runs fine - no problem starting up. A/C broke a year ago - too costly to fix. Door handles are flimsy and broke, but still work. Car uses ALOT of oil. Have to refill it several times between oil changes. Replaced the clutch after 125,000 miles.