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:

• 

  what r u thinking?! - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By rob - September 20 - 7:56 am

  how is this car not a 10?! This car can kill any mustang ever mad, i dont care what u say. this is a fast car for pretty cheap. i can see the editors rating being low, scince they r out to get camaros, but the consumer rating should be of the charts. Do u want to settle for a chick car? a mustang? u go buy ur mustang.

• 

  Attractive & Powerful - 1992 Chevrolet Caprice
  By Dairenn Lombard - September 20 - 2:00 am

  The best looking vehicle ever designed combined with V8 power and a roomy interior makes this the perfect car for anyone, but, especally familes. Unless youre towing a lot of cargo, the 20.4 cubic ft. of trunk space plus the 5-passenger (6 if kids are in the back) leaves much to be desired in the way of an ugly SUV. Low maint. and 100s of thousands of miles will go by before you have to get something else.

• 

  zippideedodah - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Berny - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Drove my 2001 for a year and just got my 2003. The 01 was an oil burner, but once the General fixed that it was fine. Not too many red light challenges except from little souped up Civics, etc. The car is the best deal around for the bucks. Tons of torque, and plenty of power. If you cant drive well, dont buy it, cause it deserves to be driven hard,quick, and nasty.

• 

  Pros and Cons - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Natalie - September 20 - 1:26 am

  Ive had my HHR for over a year now, and while its fun to drive, ive had no shortage of problems, namely ongoing electrical problems with the signal lights, windshield seal leak, leak in windshield causing failure of heating system, paint chipping along bottom and rear, deprogramming of key/ignition, signal light failure, occasional popping noise when the radio is off, sticky first and second gear. That being said, its a very unique and fun car. Ive put 18" wheels on, making it sporty and quick handling. Stiff suspension, much like a sports coupe, especially with larger wheels on. Gas mileage is great, about 25 mpg in city/rush hour/stop and go traffic.

• 

  Nice & Versatile Car for Business - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Shacker53 - September 19 - 9:50 pm

  Gave my 2003 Impala to the kids with 76,000 miles and picked up this Equinox. I work as a Mfg Rep, on the road a lot. Love the passenger fold down seat - I place my laptop on it when Im on the road. I use Velcro on the seat and laptop to hold in place. Everybody laughs and then looks at it and agrees with the idea. Great visibility. Excellent ride. Quiet. Mileage not as good as Impala which was excellent for big car but mileage is decent. Nice compliments from friends. Car is very roomy with decent storage. Sliding rear seat is as good as advertised. This car was for sale - Red Tag - for just $18,075. Used my GM Card earnings to knock off another $1,800. Great value.

• 

  Good safe family car - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By just_another_driver - September 19 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car for my wife in January because of its safety rating and that she could easily fit her friends for their frequent outings. It fulfilled all this. The ladies loved their days in it and in the end, the safety rating held up. The car was totaled after just four months. Though the front of the car was taken completely off, there was no damage at all from the windshield wipers back. I just bought her another Impala.

• 

  so far, so good - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By JakeNM - September 19 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased this vehicle a few weeks ago, but so far I am very impressed. I looked at the Saturn VUE and a few bigger SUVs. I couldnt decide what I wanted. Then I looked at the Equinox LT FWD and decided that was it! Its not as powerful as the VUE, but I like the steering and ride better. The sliding rear seat is really handy as well. The styling beats all small and medium SUVs IMO.

• 

  Great Car for a first Car! - 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By ValliAlli3 - September 19 - 2:00 am

  Its a 95 and I recieved it as my first car. One of the reasons I would reccomend this car is my father has a 1991 cavalier...same motor as mine, just a diffrent body style and hes put over 200,000 miles on it and the cavalier still runs like a charm! I also knew someone who had a cavalier and got in an accident, rolled the car 3 times, she walked away as if nothing ever happened!!! What a great car huh?

• 

  The barg - 1994 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Lanbarg94 - September 19 - 2:00 am

  Best vehicle Ive had in a long time. Plenty of power. Plenty of room. lots of versitility. plus the two tone Black/gold paint is sweet.

• 

  Big woman in small car & still happy - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By pessimisticrealist - September 19 - 2:00 am

  I am a 61" 300+ pound all woman who was in search of a car that would get better mpg than the piece of @#*) I was driving. I was having alot of problems due to my size. I couldnt get into most 4drs because the doors are just too darn short. I wanted an American automobile & had just about decided to buy a Kia Sephia (four door bunches of room) when someone at work bought a 2dr Cavalier & I borrowed it to run to the store.Except for the small hip area & lack of length on the seat belt,I fell in love.It took a little while to get used to the enormous dash area but otherwise,I loved it. It has room enough for my husband & I.