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:

• 

  WONDERFUL - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By shanelle - July 25 - 2:00 am

  wonderful truck, massive power and lost lasting engines

• 

  Best SUV Owned - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Lezley - July 25 - 2:00 am

  After the birth of our third child we need something large to bus our rambunkious family. The suburban is the fourth SUV we have owned and it is above and beyond the BEST SUV out there. It is fun to drive and handles much like a touring car despite the size. We like it so much we are considering the purchase of second suburban (his and hers).

• 

  Love it - hate it - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Tina V - July 25 - 2:00 am

  Bought the car because of what it offers -- cargo capacity with ample room left over in the trunk, which I couldnt find in other comparable vehicles. Not impressed with the quality. Have had 2 transmissions (within 20,000 miles). Still having problems. Other minor irritations exist. Its a great driving car for long drives and we have enjoyed it for that reason alone and piling up the tents, coolers, baseball gear, kids, etc. Strictly for that, I stick with the car and do like its styling. Its a macho machine. I just wish our ownership experience didnt include so many trips to the dealership!

• 

  great ride - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By mcr - July 25 - 2:00 am

  Good Handling Strong Truck

• 

  An Attention Getter! - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Magic27037 - July 24 - 10:00 am

  I love the vesatility, except it takes two people to remove the panels, at least for a woman.Perhaps a man could do it by himself. The truck is really fun to drive, and has a lot of power.

• 

  Why an Avalache? - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Pete Smith - July 24 - 10:00 am

  Too new to review except that the selling points to me were the combo of an SUV, which I was coming out of, to the usefulness of a truck which I need in my shipping business.

• 

  I like it. - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By blupupher - July 24 - 10:00 am

  Very impressed overall with entire vehicle. It comes with some features that are new to me as a former Dodge truck only owner, ie automatic headlights, speed compensated volume on radio( although not needed, it is very quiet at hwy speed), strong I-6,and smooth acceleration and ride.

• 

  I hated my wifes car - 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By mlittrell - July 24 - 2:00 am

  This car came with my wife. She loved it and I hated this car with every fiber of my being. It was uncomfortable, it couldnt get out of its own way, and felt like it would tip over at every corner. The good thing is that there werent any options to break. It was pretty reliable, except for the yearly recharge of the freon, the replacement of the master cylinder, and the alternator. For a GM vehicle with almost 80k mi, I would say that that wasnt bad. It still looked pretty good when we sold it, but my father in law and I are very good about keeping our cars up. I wasnt surprised that the dealerships really didnt want it as a trade in.

• 

  I will never buy another Tracker - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Marilyn F. Young - July 24 - 2:00 am

  I have problems with the brakes. Eight times my brake were replaced. I took the car off the lot, a week later, leaking power steering fluid. The car is terrible.

• 

  my van - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By me myself and my van - July 24 - 2:00 am

  I have my van about 2yrs and I still love driving it around. I have 4 full size teenager boys and one dog + one husband. We all fit in the our van very comfortable.