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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  Superb - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By robbbbert - September 6 - 2:00 am

  The Accelartion is excellent for me as i am a first time buyer and the price is completely unbeatable. The style of the car is also very cool for younger people and so far the car has been very reliable.

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  Good Ride - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By BobbyD - September 6 - 2:00 am

  Its been everything I have expected except the Transmission! At 7000 miles I had to have it rebuilt! Now the pushbutton controls on the dash for the Transmission has a mind of it`s own occassionaly.

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  Worth Every Penny - 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Justin - September 5 - 8:43 pm

  Ive always liked the way these Monte Carlos looked and after a test drive I knew it was coming home with me! For the smaller V-6, acceleration is rather impressive. Whoever designed the interior got it absolutely right. The controls are all easy to reach and where you would want or expect them to be. The trunk is enormous as well.

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  Chevrolet C3500 evaluation - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By Bill Riordan - September 5 - 3:50 pm

  This is an excellent vehicle, equipped with 6.6L Duramax diesel engine and Allison five speed automatic transmission. Have gotten 16 miles per gallon on highway trip, driving at the posted speed limit (70+).

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  If I Had it to do over, would I? - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By Tim Kennedy - September 5 - 2:00 am

  Bought the car new. Have had my share of warped rotors. Also problem with steering shaft. Also the security light came on one day. The next day the car would not start. After about 15 minutes it finally started. Ended up being the ignition switch. Had it replaced for a hefty $500.00. Then after that the bypass tube cracked and all of the anti freeze leaked out. That was close to $300.00. I am seriously thinking about buying a Hyundai. The quality has really improved in the last several years. Come on America, build a quality car for a change. Oh not to mention that all of the top surfaces had to be repainted at least 5 times.

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  C5 Heaven - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By vette50yr - September 5 - 2:00 am

  Its incredible the transformation that takes place when you sit behind the wheel and start the engine. What a rush! The price cant be beat when compared to comparable higher priced sports cars. The ease of storage for the removable roof panel makes open air driving a snap! My previous Corvette was a 62. Chevrolet has come a long way and has reached near perfection in the final year of the C5 generation.

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  Yee-Haw - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By nitehawk - September 4 - 10:40 pm

  Just bought my Cobalt SS over the weekend, so havent had it long enough to give it a true rating on gas mileage or reliabilty. That being said, car is great looking and fun to drive, and for what you get, the price cant be beat. Not an econobox, roomy interior (Im 6 ft tall) up front, good handling and performance. Pioneer 200 watt stereo with sub-woofer is awesome. Good sized trunk, sunroof, this car has everything. With my trade- in (98 Mustang conv. V-6) GM rebate ($1000) and dealer discount, drove it away for $16,400.....unbeleivable. One note, I noticed that Chevy says the center console-armrest is not an option on this model (only on the LT & LTZ), yet mine has one?

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  I cant see the light - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By swhit3 - September 4 - 2:53 pm

  What a fun car to drive. It handles the road very well, even plows through the deep snow, I was concerned I might spend a lot of time in the ditch. It did great with the snow! Needs to have fog lights as a standard feature to help with the poor visibility of the low beam headlamps.

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  Great Truck! - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By BLS1Golf - September 4 - 2:00 pm

  This is my fourth Chevy truck since 1997. I absolutely love it. It has a very strong engine and great ride. Drives very heavy, which is good also. Love all the features as does my wife. Came out of reg cab 4wd and enjoy the extra room. Gets much better gas mileage than the 4wd. I average about 18.4 mpg. In contrast, my wife has an Explorer and I can t get but 16.5 out of it with a V6 and lighter vehicle. Highly recommed the truck. Ready for an interior upgrade. The new Ford really looks nice as does the Nissan. The 07 update should be great and I bet will blow those two away.

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  Love this fun car - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Karen - September 4 - 8:36 am

  I just got my Cobalt last month, but I love driving it already!! It handles well for a car of its size and has lots of zip. I couldnt be more pleased with it so far.