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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  SS is the clone of Ferrari 575M - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Johnny Chang - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Very fun to drive. Looks like a Ferrari 575M and drives like one.

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  2001Suburban LT - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By MOM Mobile - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Great vehicle, but it should be for the price!

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  AVTK - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By BCW - September 19 - 10:00 am

  This is a great vehicle. I can use it to go out to go out in the evening to nice places OR to haul pine straw from my local Home Depot.

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  MY TRUCK IS RUSTING - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By DEPRESSED - September 19 - 10:00 am

  This truck was purchased at the very end of 2001 so has now been through two Michigan winters. After only 18mos of ownership, RUST has developed along all of the doors lower, inner edge seams and along the inner underside of the hood. Rust is the equivalent of cancer in a car, almost impossible to stop once it has gotten a start. In this day & age, there is no excuse for this lapse in quality. My opinion has gone from one of joy to despair as this truck is not going to last as long as I had hoped...just more money wasted. Too bad, as this truck has been mechanically trouble free.

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  Great deal - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By jkp1187 - September 19 - 10:00 am

  Handling superb -- compares favorably to the 2003 Nissan Maxima. 280 ft-lbs torque really gets your attention. Little body roll for a car this big. Very tight suspension and seventeen inch wheels make it very sporty. Reliability should be good (at least, compared to domestic or European automobiles,) as the 3.8L engine has been around since the late 80s. Complaint: Chevy doesnt know how to design an plush interior. Buick leather is much nicer, the interior just has too much plastic, and bucket seats need a little more lateral support.The XM Satellite Radio, however, was a nice touch.

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  great engine - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By melvin younes - September 19 - 10:00 am

  power window on front driver side broke with only 14000 miles and 6months into ownership.build quality not what it should be for a 29000$ vehicle.wind noise is very high on the highway you can really hear the wind blow any speed above 60.one of the instruments on door have broken of.turning in this vehicle and going around corners is very rough.doesnt take corners smoothly.not enough features for a vehicle of this price.

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  I would recommend this truck to anyone. - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By StangGT - September 19 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my 2003 Chevy Silverado (2DR, SWB, 2WD, Auto) at the beginning of the new model year. While I was somewhat impressed by the new styiling, I had a few doubts. Over the past months I have grown to love the look (with the addition to a few after- market accessories). The truck rides like a car, on and off road, and has the feeling of a luxury vehicle. Ive never experienced any problems and Chevy has made sure that I never will. After driving every other truck out there, I would highly recommend this particular one to anybody (let me add that I have only driven Ford until this point!). Keep it up Chevy.

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  Finally the SS legacy returns - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By ska_guitarist - September 19 - 10:00 am

  I love it Simple as that.

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  Dont waste money!!! Trust me... - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By nuendo84 - September 19 - 2:00 am

  had a 97 model, Dexcool in a car is something you dont want- thats the new antifreeze. Person I bought truck from didnt change it because youre supposed to be able to go 60k with it- NOPE! let one little trickle of air (from a radiator cap), or green antifreeze,or let it get old and kiss your engine GOODBYE! ALSO- the suspenion after 40-50k starts to suck. Shock was leaking, tie rod ends were dead, I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER CHEVY ANYTHING AGAIN! Had bad problems withe a 1995 Formula Firebird LT1 at 80k miles!

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  Ms. Fed Up - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Honda Luver 4 life - September 19 - 2:00 am

  I do not have a happy report about this model. back to the dealer a total of fifteen (15) times, Ive had my driver door serviced for loud noises, ignition switch & lock replaced,AC serviced twice, battery replaced for leaking acid, check ingine light stayed on for days,my theft deterent system had to be reprogrammed, the coil had to be replaced, going 70mph on the highway the car just shut off on me (and this happened twice), fuel pump had to be replaced, cd had to be replaced. I never know when Im gonna stall on the highway driving this vehicle.