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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  Good Car. Bad MPG Killing my pocket! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Alex - June 23 - 6:53 pm

  I love my car, the car drives great, I bought it in 05 and I absolutely love it, however the gas is killing me. I have to spend about $50 on Friday to fill it up, then by Monday have about 1/4 tank left leaving me to fill it up on Tuesday again, so basically I am spending a good $200-250 a month on gas alone. Gas mileage needs big improvement, and noise reduction as well. Also a navigation system option should be available. Other than that the car runs and looks great. I am looking to change cars if I find one that gives me better MPG, I think I will be trading it in for a better one, well see.

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  Last of the Big Two-Doors - 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Wheelz51 - June 23 - 10:00 am

  Have had this car since Aug 01 & love it. It has 145,000 miles & seems to be running strong. Have replaced the alternator twice as well as the fuel pump. Havent had the gasket prob (yet) as others have described. I love the split bench seat and column shift & wish GM would bring that back. I use a wheelchair & the 2-door makes it much easier to load my ride. Curious as to why the 98 gets 30 mpg & 99 drops to 20! Well keep this car til it dies, hope to get another 100K. Because of needing a large 2-door, my next ride will probably be the Toyota Solara.

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  AWESOME, WHY BUY ANYTHING ELSE - 1999 Chevrolet Corvette
  By mozvette - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Wow, what beauty and power, American muscle refined. Step on it and you know what I mean. Everyone looks at this baby. The best buy. I like Porsches and Bimmers in my rear view. Love it.

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  Great Grocery Getter - 1993 Chevrolet Astro
  By Bonneluvr - June 23 - 2:00 am

  My Astro has been a great vehicle. Other than the idler arms needing replacement at 50k miles (typical for that vehicle), the only major repair was an alternator at 80k. With 105k on it now and no rust, it still looks and drives wonderfully. Ive had the carpet covered since it was new so youd never know this van was 10 years old.

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  Its been good to me. - 1994 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Big Chuck - June 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought this Suburban from a private party in 1996 with 34,000 miles on it. I use it mostly driving solo, but do, on occasion, haul a 29 trailer behind. I dont think you can beat the ride and comfort. Gas mileage has averaged 13-14 with mostly city driving, but have gotten about 18 on expressway driving at 70-75 mph with the cruise on. Ive got just over 148,000 on this now and am considering switching to a truck so that I can tow a 5th wheel.

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  Tahoe Review - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By nadine - June 23 - 2:00 am

  This is my 3rd Tahoe 1994 4x4 2DR Diesel, 1999 4x4 LT, and currently 2001 4x4 4DR Lt with Autoride. I have had wonderful experiences with all. My favorite however is the comfort of my 2001, it is an absolute creampuff, and it is all factory - no modifications, but all the bells and whistles. The gas mileage is better now with the new Vortec engines and smaller tank.

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  Truck for the right price - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Matt - June 23 - 1:53 am

  Never owned a Chevy before because they always seem cheaply made. The Colorado is better, but GM still has a long way to go if they expect to compete with any other brand. Love the looks from a distance, but the plastic grill, interior, seats, wheels, you name it look like a toy. The interior looks and feels like my kids toys. On the good side; good size truck for a family vehicle with decent power and MPG (although not good enough to justify purchasing the 5 over better engines. I towed an enclosed 4x8 trailer loaded with about 1k lbs from Grand Rapid to St Louis (mostly flat) and the tranny drove me nuts shifting gears all the time. All in all, this is a OK truck for my wifes DD.

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  So much better than my previous Z-71 - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By CHRISB - June 22 - 4:40 am

  My lease was up on my 06 Z-71 LT3 truck in October 08, so I decided to buy the new 08 for about $2500 more than it would have cost to buy the 06 off of the lease. Wow! What a huge difference a redesign can make. Same basic powertrain, but 5.3 now with flex fuel, same 4L60, but I am almost sure that GM has stopped using that junk rear end supplier that plagued the previous body truck. They claim the new truck is 146% stronger in the frame, and I would say that much and more. I like the Active Fuel Management, but it doesnt seem to work above 70, or on an incline of any sort whatsoever. Overall A+

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  Best One Yet - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Slickeeboy - June 22 - 2:00 am

  Great overall truck. This is my third one and is by far the best. Good torque for off-road and the posi doesnt hurt either. The 190hp 4.3 moves the heavy S-10 model better than I thought it would.

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  Extended warranty saved. - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By J Rice - June 22 - 2:00 am

  Nice looking and fun to drive - but glad I bought the extended warranty. Bought used 3 years ago with 30,000 miles, have since put $6,000 worth of work thru the warranty - fuel injectors, water pump, oil pan gasket, ABS sensors, alternator, replaced engine-bearing failure, sunroof motor,door lock switch, brake rotors - you name it. And all this in a car that has been well maintained and has only 75,000 miles currently. Planning to dump it before the warranty expires.