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 Value For The Cost - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Chetter - August 29 - 2:00 am

  The 04 Cavalier is a good value if you stick with the base models. There is no point in loading it up. Its reliable, and somewhat sporty, but the handling is a bit loose.

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  A Female Owner/Drivers Perspective - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By mmomom2 - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Over the last seven years, I have gone from a Suburban to a Venture van, and now to the Trailblazer. The Trailblazer is definitely the better one for my money. It has the solid feel and comfort similar to the Suburban without the tank-like response. It has a sportier appearance while still giving me plenty of cargo room and better economy. Its a keeper.

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  Most Functional Truck Made - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Biff - August 28 - 10:58 am

  I gave up my 2001 Toyota Tacoma d-cab for a used Z-71 with 50,000 miles over 3 years ago. For a family of 5, the usability of the back seats is second to none. Where the Toyota 3.4L V6 screamed to tow my boat, the Avalanche handles it like nothing. The flexibility of the mid-gate is terrific. The bed tonneau panels are easy to remove and have remained water tight. The truck has a smooth ride on the road but can still perform off-road. Now I have 87,000 miles and only problem has been the rear power door locks have frozen up and need to be opened manually.

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  Keeps on rolling - 2000 Chevrolet Tracker
  By maggie - August 28 - 6:27 am

  My Tracker has been in my family coming up on 9 years now. Bought it new in Dec 2000. Mine is the rear wheel drive, soft top version. It has a manual transmission. I (the mom) drove it for 7 years with never a problem. Outside of routine maintenance, it has cost me no money. My son bought it from me 2 years when stationed in sunny southern CA. Again, no problems with it. Routine maintenance only. He recently drove it cross country, from CA to VA with no problem at all. Very soon, he will be purchasing a newer car and the Tracker will go to his younger sister who is in college. For basic transportation, with no bells and whistles, this is a great little car.

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  2nd 08 Malibu in town - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By blue08bu - August 27 - 8:16 pm

  This is my 3rd Malibu 66,71,08. People keep asking me "is that the new Malibu?" Chevys unlimited ad budget must be working. Nothing but compliments on its looks. I had a choice for a lease car between a Pontiac G6 & the Malibu. I never have ordered a car without driving one first much less without seeing it. Boy am I glad I chose the Malibu sight unseen. Since it is a lease vehicle my company speced it out with the 3.5Lt.V6 , 4 Speed auto & hydraulic steering (cant get it this way "retail"). It looks great, rides great & drives great.

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  best money I have spent on a car yet - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By joe - August 27 - 2:13 pm

  I see some people had bad experiences here, you cant make everyone happy. This is an amazing car for the price and mine has over 129K miles on it! I have had autos from domestic and foriegn makes and our Equinox is incredible. The GREATS: ON STAR!!! Handling, int. space, handling in snow, exterior looks, exhaust sounds sporty. The GOODS: fuel MPG, pick up, rear seat comfort, easy to work on. Nice sound features The BAD: Front leather seats not comfortable on trips, road noise, int. plastic losing coating. OVERALL: the car is $25K with leather and all wheel drive!!! What do you expect?? We have had no problems,and this one we love!! ps.Our Honda needed a new motor and Nissan 2 trannys so...

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  Great mileage - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By idlework - August 27 - 8:03 am

  Great mileage...loved it so much we went back to dealership 4 months later to buy another for daughter in college. EXCELLENT Mileage on highway. City MPG fluctuates. Both cars had service engine light come on at 70,000 miles-both O sensor. Daughter hit herd of deer at 50 mph, car lost but she was unhurt. Small but safe. Hate the tires that come with it from manufacturer--both cars needed replaced within 15,000 miles. Heat and air nice. Got hatchbacks and everything fits when seats folded down! Put a 5 ft Xmas tree in there every year...also bought 6 ft kitchen counter top at Lowes and it fit!

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  155xxx and still going strong - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Bert - August 26 - 11:46 pm

  I bought my blazer about 2 years ago, and havent had any big problems with it. Sure Ive had a few small ones here. and there. It has 155xxx miles on it. Any car you have is going to have there problems. I drive my Blazer year round. On, and off road. It has been a really good suv so far. It runs great, and drives really well. Gm does need to make some improvements to the interior but over all I have had good luck with my blaze. 155xxx, and still going strong.

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  Great little car - 1998 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Ranradio - August 26 - 1:20 pm

  This has been a no problem car since new. 4 wheel drive works great. Use it for driving to work and back, has never let me down yet!

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  Ya gotta love it - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By rodebykr - August 26 - 2:00 am

  In response to a March 2002 review, yes, my tailgate has opened on its own several times. The trick is to close it firmly & try to open before you move. If its tight, it will stay closed. If not, it will sound like you ran over something when it drops opens! I had a problem with water leaks in the 3-piece bed cover. The seals did not appear to be attached well & water sometimes poured in. Per the dealer, the seals are not factory installed, but are installed at some later time. To correct, the dealer first tried to reseat the seals. This wasnt a complete fix, so they borrowed a cover off another truck & Ive had no problems since.