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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  08 ext cab 5.3 Z71 - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Doc - March 14 - 2:46 am

  All in all, a much improved truck from my 04 Z71 ext. cab Silverado. The ride is great, handling is much better. My first road trip averaged 18 MPG. Hopefully it will get better as it breaks in. Chevy did away with the "plug & play" trailer brake controller harness. Youll find the wire bundle under the dash, plus 2 taped wires under the hood that have to be connected, plus an added fuse to buy. My biggest complaint: The doors lock automatically, either when shifting or at a factory set speed. There is no way to disable the auto locks. #2 is the required use of the keyless remote. Unlocking the drivers door with the key sets off the alarm. No way to change this either, Im told.

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  S-10 2.2 liter engine LB - 1994 Chevrolet S-10
  By sssmmm - March 14 - 2:00 am

  Ive had the truck for nine years and last year I had to spend $1200 on head gasket. Windshield wipers work occaisonaly. Hauls loads fine, just wish the mechanical systems were up to the quality of Japanese automakers.

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  green machine - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By builtfspd2 - March 14 - 2:00 am

  have no complaints at all. no real mechanical problems experienced except for small rear end seal leak.

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  1500 - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By playnoutdoors - March 13 - 12:02 pm

  Truck is very comfortable to ride in on long trips. It has descend power and torque. Truck was not real reliable. Transmission went out around 100000 and i do not tow with truck.Truck could not keep tie rods on.replaced tierods and ball joint every 25-30 thousand miles and tie rod keep braking.I have never use 4wheel dr. The milage is not good. i know its a v8 4x4 but averaging 7.5 to 9 city and 12 highway is pretty dang poor. I set the cruise on the highway between 65 and 70. i live in a town of 20,000 people so there is not a lot of stop n go traffic and the closed freeway is an hour and a half away. i drive with a light foot and never let the truck get above 3000 rpm unless i am passing

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  Good Buy - 1997 Chevrolet Venture
  By A Good Van - March 13 - 2:00 am

  We bought our Venture after having Twins and it was the best purchase we made. This was our first mini-van, but it has held up to a lot of abuse from family trips. Anytime we go anywhere as a family, we take "the Van". It has been very reliable, except for the bad intake manifold gasket, that should be recalled on a number of GM vehicles (there is a petition online regarding this). We have over 75,000 miles on it with very little complaints.

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  camaro rs - 1991 Chevrolet Camaro
  By camaroguy - March 13 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. It has over 140,000 miles & still runs strong & nothing can beat the looks.

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  No brainer - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By carzilla - March 13 - 2:00 am

  We sold our 00 Honda Odyssey after #3 son came along as it was just too small. I choose this vehicle through a process of elimination and was quite pleased to find that it drives better, is quieter and is more comfortable than the minivan in every way. If you need something this big I highly recommend it. There are really no good alternatives for 3+ kids to ride in comfort and safety. Please dont put your children in rear facing wagon seats (Mercedes, Volvo, etc) which are in a crumple zone.

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  Fun Vehicle - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By mdgolf - March 13 - 2:00 am

  One great vehicle to drive....performs like a pickup but drives like a SUV....the best of both worlds

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  ZR2 BEST VEHICLE EVER MADE! - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Greg9900 - March 12 - 10:00 am

  I researched every truck made before I bought mine.I read alot of bad reviews on Blazers and mostly good ones for foreign trucks. Ive driven them all.But this 2000 ZR2 (not a pickup) is definitely the all around best truck Ive ever had. First, for an SUV it gets great gas mileage.Second, its just about as powerful as the Durango I had which also is good but I drive 50,000 miles a year so I needed better gas mileage. Its even faster than the Durango. It is by far the most agile and absolutely the best handling truck Ive ever driven including the Jeep GC. I also carry upwards of 800 lbs. on the worst roads in the country (NJ) and the suspension remains perfect.

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  Very Useful - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By BBL - March 12 - 10:00 am

  This is something that you can bet that others will copy. What a great ride and excellent traction off road and in snow. Pulling a mid-size car on a full trailer was no problem (60% of max) with this vehicle. Straight and true on the windy highway and through twisty back roads. This truck err uh... SUV was made to haul. No Problems in the first 16,000 miles, at all.