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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  2wd reg cab 5 cyl - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By dgibb - May 1 - 2:00 am

  have the inline 5 (not listed in the above pull down menu) uncomfortabl seats engine noise in cab very high cheap looking interior features lousy radio speakers

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  best truck for 2004 - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By rockets - May 1 - 2:00 am

  I like the power and handling. Body styling is great. Wish more space is provided for my subwoofer box.

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  Piston Slap is not normal! - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Ed753 - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Overall liked the truck and held up well, with the exception of the engine. At 16,500 it began knocking on start-up and got worse the next few months. I took it to the dealer because I obviously needed a new motor! Well to my surprise the dealer says "they all do that, that is normal" A day of research on the internet, and a couple sleepless nights, I traded it in to a wholesaler before the end of the week. I take very good care of my trucks and expect them to look/act/rune like new, and hold there resale value, but with a gas engine that sounded like a diesel, this one had to go. I bought a Ford.

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  Chevrolet 2003 Avalanche Z71 - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By tstempleton - May 1 - 2:00 am

  The best youll ever own! Room and fun for adults, kids and dogs. Handles great in the snow- 4WD is great. Feels like riiding in 1st class. Conversion to pickup is easy. This truck/SUV is fun for the family.

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  great truck - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By tomk200 - May 1 - 2:00 am

  great truck for doing anything...can haul everything comfortably...kids fit well in the back seats...good looking too...

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  cant go wrong - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By luv it - May 1 - 2:00 am

  We bought the Impala for the size and value and I think we got it right. I cant tell you how many cars we looked at before we bought it. It drives and looks great. I know there seemed to be a difference in the ride of the base model and the ls model. The ls you just cant complain. I have 2 sons who play sports so I appreciate the trunk room.I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  A GREAT TRUCK, WELL WORTH THE MONEY - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By rhonda - May 1 - 2:00 am

  My husband & I are very glad that we spent a little extra money on this truck instead of the Ford F150. Our friends purchased the Ford, and it is smaller inside, & the seating is not as comfortable. The gas mileage so far has been better than expected, considering the size of the engine. We feel very safe traveling in it. I is a very well made vehicle.

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  Good vehicle, bad customer service - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Darras - May 1 - 12:43 am

  Mileage wise this vehicle gets about what it advertises. Im getting around 22-23mpg in the city. Havent had a chance to take it on a road trip yet, so I cant speak for the highway mileage. My major complaint is that I ordered a cargo shade upon my purchase and after nearly 2 months its still on back order, and no one can tell me when I can expect it. I called GM and they contacted a dealership that had a cargo shade in KC, MO and the customer who ordered that cargo shade had to wait from July till Dec. If you want an accessory upon purchase then forget getting it in a reasonable amount of time. This bad experience has made me feel the car was not worth buying.

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  Good Truck, but... - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Matt - April 30 - 7:36 pm

  I purchased new in late 03. Has been a very good truck for me. About 1000 miles a year I would tow loads that are 75% of max according to the tech manual. No issues on engine or trans for 50k miles. In fact, it towed like a dream. At 53k miles I lost my transmission. No excessive driving or cliff jumping. It broke without warning coming out of a church parking lot and costs me $3k to replace the entire transmission. IMHO there’s no excuse for a transmission to break at 53k miles. Truck is out of warranty so the cost is on me. Chevy dealership says, “so sorry. What a rare oddity to lose a trans at 53k miles”. I’ll remember that at trade-in time.

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  Best Car at the Best Price - 2016 Chevrolet Impala
  By James Bolt - April 30 - 1:50 pm

  When my car unexpectedly died last month, I was thrown into the car market. I typically take a long time to decide, but this time, I needed a car. Immediately, I found the best car for the best price. The Impala has the highest Consumer Reports rating for a non-luxury sedan. It beats all Camrys and Accords, everybody. Then, in the month of June, GM offered 20% cash back on Impalas. 20%!!! The Impala I bought is loaded: V6 engine, Navigation, Leather Seats, Sunroof, Adaptive Cruise Control, 20" Wheels. Sticker was $41,720. After all the discounts, I paid $30.750 !!! Thank you GM!