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:

• 

  Another GM lemon - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By Matt Bell - March 5 - 4:50 pm

  Has electrical problems. Intermittantly wont start. Also has transmission problems when slowed down under heavy load, I lose gears. Appears the torque converter runs away. GM cant fix electrical problem. I filed and was awarded a lemon law buy back. GM is miserable to deal with and has been dragging their feet every step of the way. Would not recommend any Chevrolet truck to anyone. Personally will never purchase another one. I am already out $6000.00+ and still waiting for GM to buy the vehicle back from me per the arbitrators decision.

• 

  Chevy continues to make me proud. - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jeffdog9000 - March 5 - 8:53 am

  After about 5 weeks I took this baby for a 1500 mi. trip. Then a few months later I hooked a heavy double axle horse trailer loaded with a refrigerator and entire churchful of peoples belongings and hauled them on my bumper hitch and pulled them with my Vortec-V6 on a 600 miles round trip. I drove 80 mph with the max AC blowing full blast down the interstate. Other than oil changes every 7k miles or so I have not had to do anything to this truck. At 95,000 miles I swear the brakes or belt would need replaced, but it keeps on keepn on. Not to mention I feel completly safe in my truck!

• 

  Great Car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By David S. - March 5 - 8:03 am

  Both my wife and I just got Cobalts (one each). She went from a Cavalier I came from a Jeep (I miss my Jeep). I do have to say that this is one of the smoothest drives I have ever had. The interior is excellent and the mileage is nuts!!!

• 

  Great Little Car - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Mr500CM - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Solid transportation, great in snow. A much better deal than its Toyota twin!

• 

  LP - 1998 Chevrolet Corvette
  By lpalmer - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Car is very fun to drive. Water pump went out at 78000 but other than that the car has been perfect.

• 

  venture - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By larl - March 5 - 2:00 am

  It is a good van. safe for the kids

• 

  Best truck ever - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Aval Z71 - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Unless you are a rancher, this is the best all around truck ever. It tows like a Mack, rides like a Caddy, and changes like a Letherman pocket knife. It has taken my family and towed my 14ft trailer with two full size quads all over So AZ.

• 

  Chevy has delivered the WOW - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By dwight - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I recently purchased a new Chevy Cruze to replace my Mazda 3. I didnt think I would end up buying a Cruze, the car sold itself. The Cruze is marketed to compete with the Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. You cant compare these vehicles. The Cruze beats them easily. The quality is several car classes above its competition. You have to drive one to fully understand how up scale this car really is. It drives like a luxury class vehicle. Its quiet and is packed with upgraded features. Chevy has outdone themselves with this car. My prediction is, this will be a hot seller.

• 

  Great car for the money! - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By mikeylikesit - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought the Cruze last week and now have 600 miles on it. Really impressed with the styling, inside and out. Im 6-4" and weigh 255 and I fit very comfortably inside this vehicle. Almost no road or engine noise, good job with noise reduction effort on this car. It feels as if you are driving an expensive sedan. The dashboard controls are easy to read and everything is within reach. Huge trunk space also! Chevy really did a good job on this car!

• 

  2nd time, shame on me - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Troy - March 4 - 2:16 pm

  Cannot say enough about the power of the 6.6 Duramax, handles grades up and down quite well. The seats are very comfortable, both front and rear; with three kids, it had to be. Not nearly as impressed with the finish as this is the second new GM/Chevy product I have owned in the past 12 years and both were of far less quality finish than the competition. Fortunately for GM/Chevy, it was the heart, not the looks, Shame on GM/Chevy for their lack of quality control on the exterior finish.