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:

• 

  good truck for the buck - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By tony f - February 15 - 2:00 am

  the 2.2 engine is torquey but disappears at highway speeds the interior is cheap but rugged get up the hill with no problem with its 4.10 gear ratio awesome gas milege spotty build qualty but who cares least it wont rust out that bad like the old ones do truck built to last the colorado is to me a glorified s-10 the improvments is nothing to bragg about when I test drove it

• 

  ITS A LEMON - 1997 Chevrolet Astro
  By UEBRIGHT3 - February 15 - 2:00 am

  NOT A GOOD VEHICLE TO OWN. TRANSMISSION WE OUT WITH IN 2 WEEKS. DOORS DO NOT STAY ALIGNED. OVERHEATING PROBLEMS. WAS IN THE SHOP 10 TIMES FOR ALARM SYSTEM. LOST THE ALTERNATOR WITHIN 2 MONTHS. NOT BUILT LIKE A ROCK. WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER ASTRO VAN.

• 

  OK car. - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By argekay - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Bought used with 75,000 miles. Had to replace the turn signal assembly on the steering wheel due to inoperative brake lights. Engine has very noisy metallic sound when started cold. This is a known defect. Noise goes away when engine warms up. Fuel gauge is useless. It is not accurate at all. Cup holder is broken due to flimsy design. That being said, the car is reliable all around. Nice quiet and solid ride. This is the best chevy product I have owned, but my next car will be a Toyota Camry.

• 

  Road Warrior - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By brewerfan - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Car has been a work horse for 6-years. Very dependable with little to no maitance (expept oil changes). Actually went 135K miles before changing the plugs and was still getting 28 mpg on the highway. Body design and interior leave a bit to be desired, but all in all a very good value over the course of the six years.

• 

  Simply put Camaro Z28 - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By 2000Z28 - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Best car Ive ever owned. "A corvette with a back seat" Can not find performance like this for the money. I own a 2000 Camaro z28 with t-tops, it is seabring silver metallic with black leather. It is just beautiful. It can be sporty, a muscle car and it can be classy all at the same time.Great for everyday driving, or for just cruisin around. I love this car so much and would never trade it for another so called "sportscar".

• 

  Good American Car - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Ed - February 15 - 12:36 am

  Serene ride, comfortable driving position is giving the sensation that you are at the command of a solid vehicle. Well equipped, good sound system and lots of electronics controls, temperature, gas autonomy, oil usage, etc. Good gas mileage for the size of the car. Interior temperature warms up fast, Im from Colorado and this is very important here more now that is winter. I did not find the windows controls far from reach, perhaps confusing as you always find them at your door side in other vehicles. Break wise, I did not find my self in a situation that demands strong breakage so far. Lot of cargo space. Easy acces. Generous rear mirrors.

• 

  2017 Corvette Gand Sport - 2017 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Lerdo Lerdo - February 14 - 10:05 pm

  Its new, but so far I am enjoying the ride. Lots of power, great handling and confortable.

• 

  USAs best automotive effort - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Golfbone - February 14 - 10:00 am

  This car in Precision Red is just stunning to look at and thrilling to drive. It has 2 distinct personalities...take it easy and it cruises like a Caddy but step down and it sounds and feels like a Tornado! Nosebleed fast with flat stable handling and with the MSRC suspension the ride quality is excellent. Huge trunk with the top in place makes this a great trip car for 2. Incredible performance value that you can live with, drive every day, get 20MPG and out handle 911s and Ferraris, pack 2 suitcases and golfclubs all for 50K. Dont buy it though if you want European sewing machine type power ...this is American all the way! Vrooom...snarl...VROOMM...blub blub blub.

• 

  Initial review - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By NOXY - February 14 - 10:00 am

  Overall nice vehicle. Surprised ride much better than previous sedan. Well behaved at highway speeds 80-85mph. One month of driving have 3800 miles. Downside vehicle delivered with 2 problems. washer reservoir leaking. Turn signal lane change feature eratic.

• 

  Poor equinox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By 987sep - February 14 - 10:00 am

  The exterior of the new Equinox is very apealing. But after owning one for 2 months I regret the purchase. After our first long trip I found the seats to be very unconfortable. Head rests cause very little upper back suport. Also have had issues with strut noise and small issues as well. The overall quality I feel; is poor. I think the Equinox is a good concept but needs some work to improve the overall package.