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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  Love It! - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By JJ - March 13 - 8:10 am

  This is the best vehicle I have ever owned. I have only had my Nox for about 4 months and I was recently rear- ended. I was so scared to get out and see the damage. I was shocked to find a few scratches - the rubber part of the bumper holds up GREAT. Wonderful in the snow and I have the basic model. Great room & sound. Im getting ready to trade up to the LT Model. I get lots of compliments on this vehicle.

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  TRAILBLAZER- PROS & CONS - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By JOHN CASSATA - March 13 - 1:00 am

  LIKE IT VERY MUCH. NEEDED LEG ROOM AND LIKE RIDING UP HIGH VERY MUCH.NO KIDS,JUST WIFE. PLENTY OF ROOM.EASY TO GET IN AND OUT OF. ALL FEATURES I WANTED IN A MID- SIZE SUV.

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  Fun to drive! - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Anthony - March 12 - 11:01 am

  The 3.4 litre engine is peppy and responsive, gets up to speed quickly and handles well in traffic, builds RPMs fast, good bottom and mid range. Very roomy, especially in the backseat and storage areas. Center console is not layed out all that well, radio controls are confusing, overall has a fairly cheap and plain look to interior. Seats are very firm, but supportive, the huge windshield gives good visibility. Exterior is very attractive looking and is on par with other more expensive small SUVs, the sunroof is a nice option for the modest price.

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  great first car - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By first car - March 12 - 8:02 am

  I got this Malibu after I had a 2000 Chevy silverado. It had a lift and big tires so it got about 17 mpg hwy. This car is such a difference, and gets such good gas mileage. From going state to state in that truck. Thats a lot of gas. But when I got this, it isnt the most comfortable, and I miss siting so high up in a truck. But I live in Chicago and I drove to Arizona in my truck because it was like driving a living room. But my wallet got really skinny. So I drove the car, I only had to stop to get gas 4 times. Thats awesome! The truck, I had to stop about 14-15 times. The only problem with the car, because I bought it used, was the steering arm. My son will have this car when hes 16.

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  Some flaws, but a great truck - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Mike - March 12 - 6:30 am

  I bought it used and have 76k miles on it now. Theres a slight rattle in the drivers side door occasionally. Sometimes it has a rough shift from 1st to 2nd, but thats rare. My mechanic said to replace the valve body if it became frequent. Otherwise, its a great truck. More comfortable than any others Ive owned (bucket seats), more power than I really need (5.3L V8) and a great ride for a pick-up. I dont plan on having a car payment for a long time.

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  Little Things - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By 2005 Chevy Impala LS - March 11 - 9:26 am

  I came from a Suburban to the Impala due to the gas crunch. Big change. The Impala naturally is smaller but does ride well. Better gas mileage for sure. For the money spent, it is a good car and the trunk space is great for all the "little things" that can be put there when traveling.

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  poor seal and wilding - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By skymap - March 11 - 3:02 am

  I bought my Tahoe LT 2009 (white) Jan 24th 2009. I like space and the top view because of the SUV design. The door rubber seals need to improve, if you open the driver door you can see poor wilding Pocket left and right Pumpers (front _ down) which can store dirty wet material, need to add protection screen for the tires to protect the SUV both sides from (splash)

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  And people wonder why GM is in trouble - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By John - March 11 - 12:30 am

  This car is fun to drive, and gets great mileage. However, it is NOT reliable. I have had the rear seal replaced at 32K miles because of a sudden and massive oil leak. The interior components are of a quality that is below a Barbie toy corvette. I think it is the same plastic, minus the pink color. The latest thing is failure to start at 62k miles. No one has a clue what is wrong with it, because there are no engine codes stored in the computer! It is barely over the 60k limit, and I am now stuck with a 3200lb paper weight. Maybe GM should close up shop. This will be the last GM vehicle I own after many years of patronage.

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  Wearing it out - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Mike - March 10 - 12:01 pm

  I drive this tracker 300 miles a week in western Pa. Factory tires were OK, but an upgrade to Uniroyal Laredo tires made driving in snow and offroad much better. The car works great for me commuting to work, but is not very good as a family use car. It has little cargo space and small rear seat. It has been fairly reliable but is now developing some problems. I had rear differential bearings replaced at 80k miles @ $500.At 100k miles the engine developed a rattling or knock at idle, I believe this to be timing chain problem. I have a wheel bearing making noise and the oil pan is rusting through from the outside. I also have had both cat. converters replaced.The car now has near 143k.

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  2003 Z71 suburban - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Mike - March 10 - 11:29 am

  I purchased this vehicle new in 2003. I had some problem with the dash rpm gauge twice which was corrected. The sending unit in the gas tank went bad and that hurt my pocket. But for as many miles this has driven and the places it has been ( I dont baby it ) meaning I point it and it goes on/off road--tow , Im happy as cake with her. Im not a little guy and its like sitting on my sofa at home. It fits 5 and tows a boat with all equipment. Hunt,fish no problem. Pull sons car out of ditches--no problem