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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  Silly Boys Trucks Are 4 Girls! - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Chasityll - April 5 - 2:13 pm

  I bought my 07 Silverado crew cab Feb. 24, 2007 This is the best truck I have ever owned. I used to be a Ford girl, until now. I absolutely love this truck, it is great. When you look at it from the front, it looks like a monster, which it is!

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  Best Investment - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By SassyGem - April 5 - 6:56 am

  This is my first brand new car, and after years of driving hand me downs and discards, I love this car. I travel with my 100lb. dog and it has ample room for us both. Thats why I chose the sedan over the coupe. With XM Satellite radio, I couldnt believe I wasnt in heaven. While it uses a little more gas than Im used to (I drove a Honda for years and theyre gas misers), its not bad for an American car. I average about 26 mpg. During a recent road trip to VA beach from NY- I filled up once and it took me down with gas to spare! I am very pleased! My boyfriend loves the stereo system that came in the car.

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  Review - 2000 Chevrolet Astro
  By Info - April 5 - 2:00 am

  This is a great vehicle. Very comfortable, roomy, and dependable.

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  Worth every penny - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Azmedian - April 4 - 11:33 am

  08 2500HD 4x4 Z71 Ext. Cab LTZ Black/Black Ive only had the truck a few days but I took a 500 mile trip to the Applilachian Mts. RJ Winter park & took it on some trails it handled better than expected & I never put it in 4-wheel drive.

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  SS Mama - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Nisey - April 4 - 10:00 am

  I have to agree with you the enterior could use some work... like the dual air conditioning option low budget. Love the plain sleek look inside though! Over all I enjoy driving my Monte Carlo...only slightly miss me GT Pontiac.

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  my poor poor cor...sica - 1995 Chevrolet Corsica
  By bugout - April 4 - 2:00 am

  Bought as program car in 1996, never had problems until last winter. I let the catalyt convertor go bad-in turn causing major engine failure. Wish I would have taking better care of my poor,poor, cor...sica.

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  See_the_world_today - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By dlw - April 4 - 2:00 am

  45K miles across 15 states (so far) in all sorts of weather. The Impala has been a comfortable and reliable commuter and a wonderful road trip car. Its fun to drive and easy on gas (30+ mpg going coast to coast in the summer). A spacious interior and a cavernous trunk means there really is room for a family of four on vacation for a week. Other than a minor accident (or perhaps vandalism - the external mirror was ripped off) and an act of stupidity (dont drop a foil candy wrapper in the cigarette lighter) it has been just scheduled maintenance.

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  Manual Z28 Camaro - 1994 Chevrolet Camaro
  By LatinoXX49 - April 4 - 2:00 am

  In my opinion, chevrolet makes one of the best cars. An exxample of one of these excellent cars is my Z28. I have never had such a reliable car with such amazing power and performance, not to mention the beauty of its body. My car has driven me everywhere and has not given me one problem yet

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  Consider this little SUV - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By MikeinMO - April 4 - 2:00 am

  A well engineered little SUV and a lot of fun to drive.It will grow on you.No problems-26 mpg on the freeway and about 23 overall.I got 4wd, but consider the ABS instead.Id recommend the 4 cyl mated with the manual-save $4,000 and sacrifice towing and smoothness but make it up in fun (adventure) and economy.The 4 door wagon isnt huge, but more storage than a lot of station wagons.If youre looking for a practical and reliable SUV that will actually handle off road situations, you owe it to yourself to consider the Tracker.CR has been down on it despite good reliability an crash test results-its time for people to recognize the Trackers strong points given $15,000 price.

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  Hot rod - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By wjdodg - April 3 - 4:13 pm

  I got the sports package with my Cobalt for another $1645. My favorite things it comes with is the XM satelitte radio free for three months and the white faced sport gauges. This is a very fun car to drive, also very appealing to look at. Ive heard alot of negative things about the spoiler, but I like it. You will see the younger generation driving this car, definitely not a family car. Chevy did a good job with this one. They will be very competitive with the Hondas and Toyotas of the world. Maybe not take over but they have a good start. Last thing my dealer said was " youve got yourself a real hot rod".