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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  Support your domestic companies - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Aaron - May 1 - 2:33 pm

  Had this vehicle for about a month now. Very responsive 3.4 L V-6, great handling. The fun of a car with the storage of an SUV.

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  Like that TrailBlazer - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Louis - May 1 - 1:40 pm

  We own the extended version and love it. Lots of room for 5 boys, the dog and plenty of other gear. Great road trip vehicle. We were looking at mini vans but found this to be more practicle and the 4 wheel drive comes in handy up here in the north-east during the winter.In fact we are a multiple TrailBlazer family.

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  Great car - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By loub52 - May 1 - 7:13 am

  After heavily researching the Honda Accord, Subaru Forester and a variety of SUVs, 0% APR on the 2006 Chevy Impala SS prompted my wife and I to take a test drive. Glad we did. Total miles so far: 1,500. The interior is simply configured, no hard to find controls. Plenty of room in both the front and rear seats, and it has a distinctive exterior look. Then we drove it. Wow. More than enough power to handle any traffic situation, merging or otherwise. We have a family of 4 (kids age 11 and 16). Longest trip so far has been 260 round trip miles.

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  great truck - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By scottd2431 - May 1 - 2:11 am

  I love my 2000 5.3l silverado Z71 it has great get up and go great reliability it has towed a trail most of its life and the transmission lasted till 220,000 miles with hard driving on it too has 238,000 on it engine has never been rebuilt never had any issues with the engine at all amazing vehicle will never get a different truck absolutely love it hands down amazing

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  The Smile and thumbs up car - 2004 Chevrolet SSR
  By Ron Cox - May 1 - 2:00 am

  I bought this as a second car, but got rid of my Mercedes CL500 after two weeks of driving this SSR because it is so much fun. I just didnt want to drive anything else. EVERYONE seems to love this car. The only problem, if you want to call it that, is that it attracts an extraordinary amount of attention everywhere you go, fun though. Fun is what it is all about. As for the one complaint... not enough power, (is there ever enough ?) well Im supercharging it next week and that will bring it up to about 460 hp. That should help offset the 4700 lbs.

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  Great Car-No Problems in 30,000 Miles - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By Navig97 - May 1 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Impala in May 2000 and have 30,000 miles with no problems. It is a pleasure to drive and I would not hesitate on buying another Impala.

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  Not a bad small car - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By cavowner - May 1 - 2:00 am

  bought this car about 5 years ago. it had 60,000 miles on it. When I traded it in for a larger vehicle it had a whopping 122000 miles. the only things I had to fix on the car were maintenance items such as tires, brakes, alignment, and muffler. I really have nothing BAD to say about the vehicle. I had to trade up to a larger vehicle and had to say goodbye to the cav.

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  Sweet to Drive - 2004 Chevrolet Blazer
  By kim s. - May 1 - 2:00 am

  I love my truck..its comfortable and reliable...good on gas considering its size...Rides smooth and is very easy to switch to from 2wheel to 4 wheel....I cant think of anything bad about it

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  Fun Chevy Blazer ZR2 - 2004 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Grant F - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Just a fun 4x4 for city and off-road driving. Being a 2-door, it is nimble in city traffic and a great off-road vehicle, with its skid plate protective undercarriage. With the Factory 3" lift and 3" wider wheelbase, the ZR2 is the most stable SUV, that I have ever driven. The Chev Blazer ZR2 is a total fun SUV to drive !

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  alright - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By Msm32490 - May 1 - 2:00 am

  My review is its not the greatest but its ok.