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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  Beyond Impressed - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Jagrmaister - February 24 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car during the 0% craze last year (was building a 600hp+ Mustang) but ditched that project after 10 minutes of seat time in the Z06. Hands down the most enjoyable ride Ive ever taken. The black one I tried driving off the lot with crapped on me before out of dealers sight, but the Quicksilver has held up very well and the only problem is some infamous GM paint (runs by the lower door panels), a creak here and there in the interior, and a fuel sensor gauge (fixed once, living with it now) that likes to die out. Overall performance and looks the car gets a 10/10, and Id score it higher but might be a bit trite. Everyone deserves a Z06.

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  First & Last Chevy Ill buy, EVER - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By k2dunk - February 24 - 2:00 am

  great driving truck, BUT GM engineers oughta have theirs put in a vise for these V8 engines Cold start Knock at 12K miles Dealer TSB says its carbon Right Seems to me they just cant get those pistons right Every AM that rattling noise in garage so so discouraging And me Born and raised in a Chevy house I cant wait to get the wife in an Armada 3 more months,gonna trade that sucker.Me I wanted a Vette, forget that 350Z or G35 here I come. Shame on you GM. Google for cold start knock do your own homework youll see.45K and climbing.Ive now heard the Trans isnt so great either.Hopefully shell stay together a little while longer.700 not enough...

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  I love my truck! - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By spt - February 24 - 2:00 am

  Have been a fan of Suburbans for 30 or so years. Bought 98 LT, loved it!!! Just traded up to an 04 LT (fully loaded) - boy what a ride!

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  Car for the whole family - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By zonadogg - February 23 - 9:16 pm

  After driving other GM SUV models, making the shift to a car was a bit strange. The Impala SS changed that; great truck room, roomy interior, and oh by the way, it has a few ponies under the hood for daddy. Only bad thing; one color doesnt always fits all. Just take this baby on the open highway and let your foot get a little heavy. This car brings back the fun in driving without making you broke!

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  Traverse Rules! - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By BSTinman - February 23 - 8:43 pm

  My wife loves driving our two kids around in this family SUV and Im not embarrassed to get behind the wheel myself. Weve been very happy so far with this car. My 4 year old son throws a fit if we have to take our other car (a Pontiac Torrent) somewhere. I love the bluetooth phone technology and the AWD handles great in the snow. I highly recommend this vehicle for anybody who drives a lot with a car load of people.

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  Beware of the flaws - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By medsy - February 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought my ext trailblazer 3 months ago and I have numerous problems with it: - Very annoying Squeaking that the dealer say they could not prove it, well I hear it every day. - The rear climate controls just do not work, well Im taking it to the dealer for that. - Foul mildew odor comes out of the ventialation system after I shut off the air conditioning. For god sake, it is a brand new car. - The underhood light work sometimes! - I was driving one day, the front dash just went dead, no dials or lights were working. Stopped and restarted the car and the front dash went live again. The dealer says this can never happen.

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  A bit disappointed - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By oxguru - February 23 - 2:00 am

  I have been rather disappointed in this vehicle, considering my fathers 1993 Chevy Silverado is still going strong at over 100K miles. I only have about 66K miles, and have had, in the past three months, to put almost $1500 into this for things that should still be working fine. I have been pretty good about regular maintenance, so Ive been pretty annoyed of late. Time to trade in for a (gasp) foreign car make.

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  this truck owns - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By tj sullivan - February 23 - 2:00 am

  every thing owns and it looks great

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  Isnt there a lemon law? - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By eakwave - February 23 - 2:00 am

  I have had to fix or replace the air conditioning, brakes, clutch, head gasket, and two valves before I even hit 50,000 miles. Of course, most of this happened about six hours after the warranty was up so it all came out of pocket. Gotta love Chevy.

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  stay away! - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By davehatescavaliers - February 23 - 2:00 am

  after being ripped off in 2001 for $3000 more than the car was even worth, its been one problem after another with this little piece of you- know-what. im considering replacing it with a 12 year old accord with 108,000 miles if that tells you anything. that honda will be a real step up.