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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  the blaze - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By cck - January 22 - 2:00 am

  have not had many problems with mine. the egr valve stuck open once and i had to put a fuel pump in it but its been good to me with 115,000 miles on it

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  Love Suburbans - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By suzysuburban - January 22 - 2:00 am

  This is our second Suburban! It is the only car we will consider! We have 3 kids and 4 dogs. We haul kids to soccer, swim team and drive in style when my husband and I are out on the town. This car manuevers in tight spots and can go anywhere!!!

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  Couldnt give us anything else! - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By DoonaVint - January 22 - 2:00 am

  We love this car! It has everything we could possibly want on it and under the hood. The 3.8l V6 is super, it has excellent get up and go on the highway yet still gets decent gas mileage in town as well. The berry red metallic paint is eyecatching and always changing depending on the light. The interior is wow! Love the leather seats. Dashboard is arranged so everything is easily seen. It was a toss up between a sunroof and a rear spoiler when looking, my husband wanted one and I wanted the other we were both willing to give up what we wanted so the other could have what they wanted, luckily we found one with both!

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  06 Impala, the best yet - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By L Johnson - January 21 - 8:03 pm

  Purchased this vehicle in September 05. My wife & I may keep this vehicle FOREVER. Its FUN (a little torque steer on hard accel can be forgiven & easy to get used to), Laser Blue is BEAUTIFUL; lots of looks & comments; all good+. It can get good gas mileage but its hard not to jump on it once in awhile which doesnt help mileage. Engine & exhaust sound fabulous. My brother purchased a new Mustang GT (which is also fun to drive) but he & I both prefere the SS if you are driving any distance. I would rate the Bose sound system at an 8 (very good, not great). More fun to listen to the exhaust sound (especially with the sunroof open but OK without).

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  Loud Z34 - 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By montez34 - January 21 - 9:10 am

  I have owned this car for almost 5 yrs bought with 78,000mi and it has been pretty reliable, it has never left me sitting anywhere. It now has 133,000 mi and a few problems, it doesnt want to shift from 2 to 3 when cold, shifts fine when warm, replaced intake manifold gasket, timing belt, and rotors. I think this car is fun to drive and looks good even with problems. It had Flowmaster mufflers when I bought it and I put a K&N intake on it and Splitfire plugs, mufflers rusted out about a year ago and its loud as hell now. I think it has held up to my abuse pretty good though and I hope to keep driving it for along time because its a summer car only now after I bought a truck.

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  Malibu - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Brady - January 21 - 3:16 am

  I bought the Malibu because I average around 20,000 miles per year and wanted a car that can hold four 6 plus adults comfortably and do it getting great gas mileage. I used to drive a S-10 Blazer and with high gas prices I wanted something more economical. The Malibu LT gets better gas mileage than anything in its class, very reasonable priced and has remote start which my wife loves. Overall I am very happy with the car and would buy it again.

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  excellent - 2004 Chevrolet Astro
  By William Gamble - January 21 - 2:00 am

  I have had 3 Astro Vans and I find them to be very built very reliable very dependable and The most confortable Mini Vans on the street. But trying to find one anymore is becoming very difficult. Is GM not making them any more and why. It seems that all the dealers in the area dont have any in their inventory and dont seem to want to get any WHY ?

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  WHY? - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Joe Joe - January 21 - 2:00 am

  How can they still be buying ball joints and oil lines from the same vendors after all these years?! I like the looks of the Equinox, but Im scared to buy a Chev again!

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  Excellent Truck - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By K. Curtis - January 21 - 2:00 am

  We bought this new in 2001, and other than a few minor cosmetic things, it has been a great truck. We have had not problems with it and it is really fun to drive. Its a great looking truck and I love it. I would definitely look at them again when we get ready to trade.

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  Great SUV - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By tone - January 21 - 2:00 am

  When I bought this ( we call it the bus) I expected 12 mpg but I am getting 18 which is a surprise. I will never buy anything I have enjoyed more!