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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  Its Great - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By 1jim - October 5 - 2:00 am

  This was the first Corvette which I had ever driven (and purchased). The fit and finish are outstanding. The ride and seating are both very comfortable..especially compared to being a passenger in 1970-80s models! I am 62", 230 lbs, and I am very comfortable for several hours of driving.

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  Maxxy is a gem - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Sean 418 - October 4 - 10:43 am

  This is an excellent car. I really purchased it for my parents. It was for Mothers day. It was a 2004 leftover. There were quite a few. What a shame they are not selling.If they were labeled "Toyota, Nissan, Honda or Hyundai they would be flying out of the dealers lots. Great performing car. First car I have had with a dvd player which hardly gets used. Love the visiablity. Great buy. I highly recommend this car. It is my 2nd Malibu. Love the sun roof and vista roof . Its like a old Olds Vista Cruiser. Wish I had the Sirius instead of XM. Like the information center. Hatchback is useful. Excellent buy

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  blazer known reliability - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By SCOTT ADAMS - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Fuond to be verry reliable.Moderate performance from the 4.3 but can easily be tweeked ap a bit with K&N intake fuel injection add ons that wont void warrenty.

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  Great value - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By chevy dude - October 3 - 3:20 pm

  This car is beautiful. I cant stop looking at it. Oh yea, and it runs great too. I have an LT1 with dealer installed aftermarket heated leather seats. very comfortable.Ive taken long rides, short rides, highway, back roads, rain sleet and snow and this vehicle never ceases to impress me. The OnStar service gives unmatched piece of mind and security. Before this I had an Oldsmobile Aurora and I thought that car was the best....I was wrong.

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  Sometimes you get more than you pay for - 1999 Chevrolet Tracker
  By RCWest - October 3 - 2:00 am

  Im really impressed with the Tracker. You just cant beat a 4x4 with good fuel economy and a low sticker price. Aside from my dealer fouling up a simple mechanical job, it has been a great vehicle mechanically. It is very fun to drive and you can park anywhere in this little thing. I havent taken it on any serious off-roading adventures, but I couldnt resist racing off into our pasture occasionally. It seems to be just as at home in the dirt as the pavement. Overall, it really is a great little vehicle.

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  Its a lemon, but it runs good. - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By TSgt Vaz - October 3 - 2:00 am

  I purchase this vehicle for one purpose and it was for my family. They have enjoyed traveling around the US with it. I have had alot of electrical problems with this Suburban, but it has performed wonderfully for me. It has 116,000 miles on it and it still running good. I just travelled 7,000 miles this july. My family was very comfortable riding in it.

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  Lots of problems - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By bikrchick - October 3 - 2:00 am

  rebuilt transmission, steering gear, heater core, 3 instrument clusters, 2 alternators, bad brakes, bad spark plug wires, bad strut mounts, mystery problem with voltage idiot light and digital odometer display

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  WORLDS BEST VEHICLE - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By CHRISTOPHER - October 3 - 2:00 am

  IVE PURCHASED 7 NEW CARS IN THE PAST 12 YEARS AND THIS BY FAR IS THE MOST DEPENDABLE VEHICLE IVE OWNE INCLUDING A MAZDA, HONDA, NISSAN, SUBARU AND 3 FORDS. IVE TOWED MY TRAVEL TRAILER ON 2 LONG TRIPS INCLUDING YELLOW STONE PARK WITH MY AVALANCE, THE RIDE WAS VERY COMFORTABLE. MY AVALANCHE HAS ONLY BEEN TO THE DEALER ONE TIME FOR A SHOCK REPLACEMENT. BY FAR THE BEST VEHICLE IVE OWNED AND WILL TRADE FOR ANOTHER AVALANCHE EVENTUALLY. THE GAS MILEAGE IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS MY SUBARU OUTBACK I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER FORD. UNFORTUNATELY I HAD MANY MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THEM. THIS IS THE FIRST CHEVY I HAVE EVER PURCHASED AND IM VERY IM- PRESSED.

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  The Tahoe experiance - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By thelastknight - October 2 - 9:33 am

  I found a way to save some money. First ask the dealer to throw in the scotch guard for the seats. Then when they ask about the extended warrenty. Have them go talk to the manager to lower the price since the extended warranties include the scotch guard program. Saved me $400.00 and I bought the extended warrenty. I love this vehicle. Im still breaking her in so I could have a few more to say but thank you Chevy for the rebates and intrest rates! Killer truck

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  ITS GREAT - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By ROUNDS97 - October 2 - 2:00 am

  THIS TRUCK HAS GREAT HANDLING AND SPEED IT ALSO HAS TOWING POWER BELIEVE ME I KNOW I HAVE TOWED A 22 FOOT DOVE TAIL WITH A OLDSMOBILE ALERO ON IT TO NEW MEXICO ITS THE BEST TRUCK I HAVE EVER OWNED