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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  GREAT TRUCK - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By ianns27 - June 30 - 2:00 am

  I could not be any happier. We had a 1997 blazer that we sold about a year before we got the Av. The blazer was nice but my Av is great. The comfort is nicer than many large cars and I am getting almost 17 mpg on the highway. And the guys at Homedepot and Lowes love to see me coming!!!!

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  final gm do something right - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cheuk - June 29 - 10:16 pm

  quiet.stylis..cabin..large room in back.pricing fair

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  Not had long - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By April Richardson - June 29 - 6:13 am

  I actually have 2 2005 Uplanders My LS has 209,000 on it I have been driving it over 2 years now I really love that van and not sure I could part with it Just bought an LT Uplander about a month ago It has 113.000 on it It does not run as quiet as the one with more miles First thing we had to have a pressure sensor put in the transmission and a new muffler Still need front rotors and brakes on it too I really love the one with all the miles I sure hope the one we just bought does as well

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  Running Great - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By JCH - June 29 - 2:00 am

  This is the best car/truck I have ever owned. This SUV is like a timex watch, it just keeps running and running and running. There seems to be no end in site and the interior has held up as well as the drive train.

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  2000 Malibu - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By MPB - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for 4 years and havent had any issues. The only things to have gone wrong were fan speeds 1 & 2 on the AC broke while under warranty, and the coolant light on the dashboard came on when it shouldnt have. Other than that, I have kept up with the regular maintenance and havent had a problem. Im very pleased with the car.

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  Its just a Chevy - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Still drives a Chevy - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Initially loved the cheap price I paid, but soon discovered it was a cheap car. No major problems, but a few things have broken including the a/c vent, seat, a few wheel covers, and the accumulator assembly had to be replaced. The CD player tends to skip if an entire CD is played, no matter how new the CD is. There is a lot of wind noise, you have to turn the radio way up when driving on the highway. Get up speed is good. The car is light and can be pushed around by the wind on the interstate. The car looks sporty, but you cant tell the year of the car by the outside unless youre looking at the front or the back. Inside looks like my old Corsica.

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  A very good car - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Pianoman - June 29 - 2:00 am

  I have no complaints except the fuel economy of this car. We have had it for a year now and I dont think I could find much better. We purchased the car at 12000 miles for $8900. We feel we literaly stole the car!

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  Happy, Happy, Happy - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By hernandezfam - June 29 - 2:00 am

  A little apprehensive at first to buy such a big truck but after driving around, I found it was easier to drive than it looks.The ride is smooth and the back seats are roomier in comparison to the Silverados. Great for the family!

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  Great Vehicle - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By sks - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Use the suv every day, off road around rivers on weekends. The six has more than enough power. Runs well on long distance highway as well.

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  The joys of a used HHR - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Chris - June 28 - 6:32 pm

  I went out looking specifically for a used HHR for my business. I happened to stumble across my car via anot her car finding website. My "must haves" were a moonroof and Bluetooth. My car was advertised at a ridiculously low price compared to others on the site. Went to the VW dealer that had the car and bought it after they took another grand off "because the website price was wrong". No joke. That was 2 years and 49,000 miles ago. Since then the car has needed NOTHING other than standard maintenance. I bought it with 85,000 miles and was really worried about the 100,000 G.M. fall-aparts. Im at 134,000 and as I said, apart from oil changes, a set of tires and one visit to the dealer for the ignition recall, nothing has broken or gone wonky. The only thing I see as kind of a negative is although it gets within its EPA gas mileage ratings, I feel that gas mileage could be better. I get a consistent 24 mpg all-around but feel it should do better. All in all, its a great little car and I wouldnt hesitate to recommend it to anyone.