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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  Suprisingly reliable! - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By twelveboy - April 6 - 11:45 pm

  My family bought this car in 2003 and it had 30k miles on it. We barely took care of it. I got it at 70K miles a few years later and drove it into the ground and it was always very reliable! Great acceleration for a standard V6 Chevy! Seats were uncomfortable on long trips but for the price and treatment we gave it, it was an extremely reliable car. It was sold to a friend of mine, it now has 115k miles on it and still has needed nothing in repairs! I cannot believe it!!!

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  Trailblazer - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Davidy1965 - April 5 - 10:00 am

  So far its been a great vehicle. Very roomy. It has a nice ride (better that our Buick Century) The drawback is the gas mileage, but with the size and weight of the vehicle, thats to be expected. Also, at highway speeds there is some wind noise.

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  Like this car alot - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By brbakery - April 5 - 10:00 am

  Nicely designed, sporty, comfortable, very pleasant, and not big at all, but tons of room- and I have no love of cars- they are a necessary expense. Has great standard features I would never get if I had to pay extra. Nice dash, recommend getting power driver seat. Havent gone through my first tank of gas, so not sure about mileage. Hope its good in the snow. Got a great deal with the rebate. Was looking at: Vibes. Previously owned: geo prizms (no frills)

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  My third one - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By klj89 - April 5 - 6:40 am

  My fourth Chevy I have bought. Its reliable and tough. Also its good with gas. I will always buy Chevy

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  Very Happy - lots of potential 5.3 l - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Bob - April 4 - 9:37 pm

  Purchased used with 50K miles. Typical 15 to 18 on the highway. 12 mpg with 16 ft boat. We installed a Hypertech Econ programmer. Boat went to 15 mpg, highway steady 19 to 20 between 60 and 65 mph. Installed a Flexalite electric fan. In my sons words "the fan is sick!" 23 mpg on the highway! Have not towed the boat. Only vehicle in the family that can carry all of us any distance (all over 6). Power increase is noticeable! This thing is within 1 mpg of our Toyota Camry! Why didnt GM build it this way?

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  old faithful - 1991 Chevrolet Blazer
  By khaki - April 4 - 3:53 pm

  I bought this vehicle from an orthodox priest so perhaps it is blessed? it starts and runs and goes anywhere. Given the age, mileage and price of $800 I am shocked that it only needed a new water pump and some shocks. Super reliable. I intend to keep it for a long long time. Any 18 year old car that is this faithful and great on snow is a keeper. The 4.3 liter v6 is maybe detroits best ever 6. Transmission still flawless. The upholstery is still good. The cv boot has been replaced and u joints should probably be hit now... But a great steady reliable piece of moving metal. Really needs a better stereo though.... No cd player!

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  Good vehicle - 2006 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Denver - April 4 - 1:45 pm

  I run my truck pretty hard high speed and for long periods and over the years I have averaged over 17 mpg highway and city combined, I have even pulled small trailers and the gas mileage was still good, Im going to purchase another Avalanche soon this will make my third one and am very satisfied with the overall performance.

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  My Metro did its job, and very well! - 2001 Chevrolet Metro
  By dragonfly2005 - April 4 - 12:19 am

  I bought this metro used with about 40,000 miles after I graduated high school. It was fair priced for it being newer at the time with few miles. It ran great up until about 65,000 miles when a cam sensor went out which cost about $200 to get fixed. I performed routine oil changes and have had nothing else go wrong (except normal wear and tear on tires and breaks). I have hit about 82,000 miles and it feels like the CV joint is going out, but i havent brought her in yet so Im not for sure. Id say the car was a great buy for the price and actually exceeded my expectations. It was a little shy on the power, but once you got up to speed it stays there!

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  Good value, reliable all around Car. - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Whit - April 3 - 5:24 pm

  We bought the car with 15k in 02. Now has 78k. Had a few issues, breaks, tie rods, wheel bearings front, gas fill issues and vapor recovery stuff, oh ya, tie rods, did I mention tie rods. Over all a good ride, and reliable 4 wheel drive that works easily. Would buy again for the price. My wife loves if for the dogs, and the very muddy roads in Maine.

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  Great in the woods - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By scott - April 3 - 4:48 pm

  I bought my Colorado used with 29,000 miles on it, and the day I bought I started putting it to the test. I have been through some of the worst mudholes, the deepest snow, I drove right through a swamp once, and it goes right through it in 4wd. The only problem I ever had with it is the transmission mount sits really low and can get hung up on things. This is a great little truck for getting in and out the woods for hunting, or just playing around in the mud. There really isnt anything that I havent put my Colorado through, and it still runs strong, and I havent had to replace anything on it and it now has 110,000 miles in it.