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:

• 

  2002 Camaro - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Pitpens - September 17 - 2:00 am

  I love this car!!

• 

  Loaded AV in SETexas - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By American Man - September 17 - 2:00 am

  Just bought my Avalanche (AV). Full function buckets are awesome Ride package is better than any other truck I have had in the past (Dodge, Chevy, Ford). Convenience package is great (O/S mirrors are good choice, adjustable pedals for the wife are a big hit as well! Appearance is sharpened dramitically without the body hardware! With the Z66 package, the truck sits up nicely (17" rims/tires). Engine provides ample power.

• 

  50th anv. - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By MARTOIA - September 17 - 2:00 am

  great car very fast, tour ride makes a big improvement

• 

  2003 Chevy Tahoe 4dr LT - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Reuben James - September 17 - 2:00 am

  Suberb vehicle, plenty of room inside. Not mechanical defects to date. Seat warmer controls are too close to the window control turning the warmer on each time the window is open or closed. Runs well on regular 87 octane gas lessening the "fillup shock" of a normal high performance SUV. Great towing capability. The autoride feature is well worth the expense if you have a boat or camper.

• 

  Z71 Rocks! - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By mikey10_21 - September 17 - 2:00 am

  Even though I have only had my Z71 for about 1 month I LOVE it! I dont even mind paying $2.13 for fuel (too much).

• 

  I love it ! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Mary Lindsey - September 16 - 5:36 am

  It handles just like a car. The styling is very nice. I am really enjoying my SUV. I have found driving on the highway much better.

• 

  American Muscle - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By REDHOTSS - September 16 - 2:00 am

  This car is amazingly fast. I have had no problems at all with the car. People complain about the interior, but what do you expect for $32,000 new US. The great thing about this car is that if you dont like the interior you can easily change it.

• 

  99 Z24 - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Malteselegacy - September 16 - 2:00 am

  Great car! All my friends make fun of the car,because they call it a commoner car. They paid over $30000 each for their crappy imports,while I paid less than 25 and my car is going strong. I bought it brand new and have had it for 4 years now and it has over 65000 miles and still going strong.

• 

  Money Pit - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Larry Caron - September 16 - 2:00 am

  I love this vehicle for taking trips. It rides better than my car due to the large wheel base. The Tahoe gets about 13 in town and 18 on highway. The only problem is that I dont trust it for any trips any more. The tranny dropped at 80K. I am now at 103K and I have spent about 5,000.00 in repairs so far. I love the car other than the repairs. A 30,000.00 vehicle should not have to cost an additional 5,000.00 in repairs

• 

  3 years of ownership - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Don in midwest - September 16 - 2:00 am

  Purchased new. Now 42,000 miles. Starts, runs, everything works. Good balance of size, interior, price. Very tight steering system and corners well. Can do a fairly long road trip with out comfort issues. Dealer has been very good. Had some problems early on. Replaced an engine(3.1L) due to knocking (bad pistons, damaged cylinder) Replacement engine clatters like a diesel when cold but doesnt seem to be an issue when warm and apparently still goes many miles. Gets great mileage 32 mpg highway. Original Firestone tires were junk, started making noise at 30,000 miles. Even though rotated at 6,000.Have not seen the brake problems I hear about.