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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  Underpower - 2015 Chevrolet Express
  By alex - June 26 - 10:23 pm

  Im a father of four, we love traveling sometimes on really long trips. Most of the times our travels are done in our Dodge ram 3500 while towing a toy hauler. But when not towing our trailer we drive our Town and Country which is by far the most roomiest and comfort minivan that i know of. I always liked the Express van and i always wanted to drive one of them. I had the opportunity last weekend when we had 11 soldiers going up for training. I was the driver of course, at first i was very impress with the interior and locations of switches etc. However, as soon as i was trying to speed up to enter the freeway i realized how under power it was, i mean it reminded me of my old Tahoe mostly engine noise but no speed or power. Wind noise was pretty bad i couldnt concentrate as the noise was so loud it was hurting my ears. Some of the buttons specially the ones on the left side of the dash are just not ergonamic. The steering was hard after a four hour drive, turning radius is ok so i have no complaints there. On the way back i was too tired to drive so i ended up switching seats with someone else. I ended up sitting on the second row seats, big mistake i shouldve just suck it up and continued driving. The back seats are just so uncomfortable i wanted to open the doors and just off.

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  So far, so good - 2016 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Rod Hughes - June 26 - 2:45 pm

  Im a traveling salesman and spend quite a bit of time on the road. I wanted a vehicle with decent comfort and fuel mileage, but even more important was passenger comfort. No other small or even medium SUV has the rear legroom of an Equinox. I can fit 4 good size adults comfortably. The sliding rear seat makes all the difference. If I need more cargo space, I can slide the seat all the way forward and have a large cargo area... Or conversely, slide it back and have massive leg room for passengers. The one downside so far is the navigation... It is very clumsy to operate and will only hold a maximum of 30 favorite destinations. Even my $100 TomTom held 100 favorites.

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  Nothing Compared - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By retlem - June 26 - 10:00 am

  I just traded my 2003 Nissan Altima to get this one because my payments were too high. This car feels like Im driving a boat. I miss the custom leather interior in the Altima and the very stylish ride. Also the gas in this car goes down twice as fast than the Altima.

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  Z71 ROCKS...!!!!! - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Sargeny - June 26 - 10:00 am

  Took delivery on 2/17/04...INCREDIBLY FAST for a vehicle this size..!!! YES..it stops QUICKLY TOO..!!! Rides like a luxury sedan...Do yourself a favor and replace the crappy oil the dealers put in with Mobil 1...and add a KN air filter and KN oil filter too...Build quality excellent...fit and finish show definite improvement over previous chevy products...am a bit overwhelmed with all the buttons gadgets and gizmos everywhere...!!! FOLKS...this SUV is the sleeper of the bunch...FAST...ROOMY...GREAT SMOOTH RIDE...

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  Tahoe-Mini Limo - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By TL74Z28 - June 26 - 10:00 am

  This is an excellent vehicle for traveling and entertaining. 9 speaker Bose sound system and premium ride make it exceptional

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  Nice SUV - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By byteme - June 26 - 10:00 am

  Nice SUV....could use better mileage though...a lot better!!

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  I Loved It - 1990 Chevrolet Lumina
  By sscooter - June 26 - 2:00 am

  I wanted a Lumina for almost 2 years before I could afford to buy mine used. I bought it 3 years old, with 102,000 miles on it. It had been well maintained and I kept that trend. When my daughter got hit by another driver, the car had over 264,000 miles. Still the original engine and transmission. Normal expected maintainence and upkeep, but no major machanical problems. The brakes wore out a little faster than other cars Ive had, but that was a characteristic of this model. I had to replace the alternator about every 2 years thank goodness for Pep Boys lifetime warrenty. I had only paid $4,000 for the car...I definately got my moneys worth!

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  Hindsight is 20/20 - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By Danzjeepn - June 26 - 2:00 am

  Fit and Finish is poor - Rubber seal around windshield flew off, seatbelt gets soaked during rain for some reason (dealer doesnt know either) making the interior have a wonderful aroma, and the rubber pedals keep coming off the clutch and brake. The tires suck and are downright dangerous in the rain, for a 4cyl mpg is terrible, A/C keeps cutting off during the commute, some quirky thing about the 2.2 engine, but it is brutal in the Florida heat.

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  want some, get some - 1993 Chevrolet Suburban
  By yoho - June 26 - 2:00 am

  best truck on the road. Wont trade it for anything, except a new one

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  2 Weeks Owner - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Robbase - June 25 - 6:43 am

  This is a changeover vehicle for a 2005 Magnum w/Hemi that I traded in for my Sport Red Metallic HHR LT automatic. Superfluous to speak I wanted to get rid of the Gas Hog…. But this HHR has surpassed all my expectations. This HHR is totally awesome, fun to drive, eye catcher, super on gas and very peppy for a 2.2 four cylinder. I love this vehicle. There is not enough to say about it. The handling ability is fantastic! GM has done it again.