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:

• 

  Its all about the Z06 - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By JesusSaves - August 3 - 2:00 am

  This is definately one of the best cars ever built. It will out accelerate a 360 Modena and even the formidable 911 Turbo, and out grip them too. If you dont belive me, just read the magazines (Car and Driver, Road and Track, Motor Trend) and manufacturers specs for all these great cars yourself.

• 

  trailblazer ext - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By ernest - August 3 - 2:00 am

  good on road can carry passengers and cargo with ease 3.73 ratio a must in ext for road preformance does cut milage to about 17.2

• 

  Immaculate 88 Sentra to this.... - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Happy Camper - August 2 - 9:30 pm

  Compared to the old Sentra, this thing rocks, until you talk interior. The lack in braking with the LRR tires is also a bit of a drag. Got the XFE, and on the highway, its getting an amazing 44 mpg. Overall I couldnt be happier. I love this car. Thank you GM for not going hybrid, and for building an affordable little mileage monster. Im also way happy with what the base model comes with. Crank windows, manual seats.. no biggy. I love the DIC, and the stereo is great. While shopping, I saw others that wanted 3K for A/C, and used an idiot light as a temp gauge. Had no where near the gidup, and I seriously doubt they could match the MPG. Also used a timing belt.. Ill take a chain anyday.

• 

  Capital "U" in Utility - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Ed Butera - August 2 - 8:52 pm

  At just over 38K miles... Where this vehicle shines is its utility: weve towed an overloaded trailer from IL to AZ and moved an 8 couch in the cabin, just to name two examples. The cabin is spacious and comfortable (minus the stiff foam in the seats) for both people and cargo the fold-flat front seats and sliding rear bench are brilliant. It rides nice and smooth, though the suspension makes a lot of noise over bumps. Decent fuel economy, despite the outdated engine paired with an "unsure" transmission (it likes to hunt for gears on even small grades). Only problems so far have been the battery that quit and was replaced under warranty, and the squeaks and rattles that suddenly appeared.

• 

  paid for finally - 2004 Chevrolet SSR
  By graveygrabber - August 2 - 12:19 pm

  I bought it new and still love it! People still ask what kind of car is that? do you believe its 6 years old, and they want to know how much it is ."they dont make them any more. Why not?" "$52 grand when it was new, thats why!"

• 

  Cash for Cluncker Deal - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By lesrice - August 2 - 7:28 am

  After driving a Fit, Yaris, Soul, G5, and a Focus, the only thing left out there after week one of cash for clunkers were manual Cobalts. It compared well with the other models and got better fuel economy (posted). The G5 had more features for the price, but they were the first cars gone by day 4. The Cobalt doesnt have all the features of the other vehicle, but it does have a trip computer, On Star and XM radio. With rebates, the price was 12,500 before my 4,500 cash for clunkers taking the price to 8,100. I can live with what it doesnt have for that kind of money. Time will tell and I will follow up with future post as we observe real world mileage and wear and tear.

• 

  love the van - 2003 Chevrolet Astro
  By vegagal - August 2 - 12:25 am

  I had an astro before this one drove it for 10 years no problems except the sliding door locked and couldnt open inside or out. It made 24 MPG. Bought a new one because we liked the old one for the room (took out the seats and we could haul 4x8 sheets of plywood. They have good clearance and AWD grip the road when lots of snow and ice ( better than our 1/2 ton 4WD pickup) Also has 5000# tow capacity. But we were very disappointed with the gas mileage on the 2003. We lost 8 to 10 MPG cant understand what happened? It has the same engine as the old one and we drive it the same way.

• 

  Great Traveling Car, too many repairs - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Colorado Traveler - August 1 - 12:05 pm

  Bought 1 year old with 27k miles. Drives like a dream, even in extreme snow/blizzard. Problem is reliability. Had AC replace at 50k, transmission at 60k, transmission at 90k, transmission at 110k. Never towed anything, just issues with transmission. With complaints said, we feel ultra safe traveling, even in extreme blizzards when other cars are spinning off the road. Put Yokohama AT/S tires on it, and can go anywhere in sun/rain/snow.

• 

  Good Car - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Craig - August 1 - 9:31 am

  I bought the car with 72k miles for $1500 dollars. A friend was buying a new F150 and $1500 was all the dealer was going to give him, so he sold it to me for that. I immediately had to do the notorious intake gasket replacement at the popular $800 cost. Besides that it is the best darned $2300 purchase Ive ever made. It has 153k miles on it now and still gets close to 30 on the highway and 24 mpg on my 22 mi daily commute to/from work. Good in the snow which is a plus in NE Ohio. I did have to replace the gas tank at 150k, thanks again to the NE Ohio winters. The engine thermostat is impossible to get to for the average garage mechanic...$200 to have the thermostat replaced.

• 

  A bullet proof Chevy - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By Johnny B - July 31 - 11:27 pm

  Completely reliable, at least for me, without fail. Not once. Ive had her for about 2 years and 31,000 miles, and the only times Ive ver been stranded were because of tire problems, and once because of a dead battery. (when I first purchased the truck) its not fast or flashy, but it gets very good fuel economy, especially if you drive conservatively. When I do I believe I get about 26-27 mpg. Sound system is nothing amazing, but leaves nothing to be wanted either. Abs has always worked properly for me and saved me from a few near-wrecks. This truck is fun on gravel, and good at light off-roading which I have done my fair share of. Simple, effective engineering and a good looking truck.