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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  No fuel economy improvement - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Ranjean2003 - February 7 - 5:43 am

  No fuel economy improvement over 04 model even though I now have active fuel management. I have the 5.3L engine with 3.73 gears, flex fuel, and get about 16.5mpg hiway on gas. Wish I could have gotten 3.42 gearing for better mpg, but the catch is to get incentives you must take delivery from dealer inventory and they just dont set them up that way. Both trucks turn 1750 rpm at 60mph. I can set the info center to instant mpg readout to learn when the vehicle is in 8cyl vs 4 cyl mode. At highway speeds, wind resistance forces truck into V8 unless going downhill. And, parked together, the 08 cab is noticeably bigger than the 04 cab = more wind resistance. At 75mph, econ drops to 13.5

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  Daves Review - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dbosco - February 6 - 7:33 pm

  Absolutely the best car Ive ever owned! Great style, fuel economy, interior is flawless! Those foreign cars just got beat with a world class automobile! Its so quiet inside traveling down the highway and the stereo is fantastic. What a way to travel!

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  Silverado, best all-purpose truck - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Jack - February 6 - 5:20 pm

  We truely love our Silverado. It is our family vehicle, our camping truck, our bad weather truck, and long distance vacation transportation. It has everything we ever wanted, or will ever need, in a vehicle.

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  I LOVE this car!!!! - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Cathy - February 5 - 9:10 pm

  I recently bought a 2006 Monte Carlo SS and couldnt be happier. This car is fun to drive. Its a BEAST really!! I was worried about gas, seeing its a v8, but those worries went away. I drive mostly highway, and its excellent on gas. I love how this car looks, inside and out. My old car was a 02 Grand Prix GT (2 door) and this car is very similar, except with a lot more power. Chevy did a great job with the 06-07 models, and I couldnt be happier!! =]

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  Overall - Great Truck - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Chuck - February 5 - 12:40 am

  We bought it new planning to occasionally tow our travel trailer. We have the 6.0L engine, 4WD Z71 package, locking diff, towing pkg. We have gotten up to 21 mpg on the high plains and some mountains at posted speed limits. We have the 3.73 rear axle, but should have gotten the 4.10 for towing our 5800# trailer, especially in the mountains. Only disappointment is the mpg towing; usually 8 to 9.5 mpg. The 6-speed tranny would have helped in the mountains but wasnt available in 07.

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  Very Satisfied - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Joed - February 5 - 12:13 am

  Have driven the car well over 12,000 miles and have had no problems. On long cross country trips, it is a pleasure and comfort to be in. Has excellent performance in all types of driving enviorments.

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  Reliable ride - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Sam - February 4 - 8:30 pm

  156,000 miles of towing, hauling, and mountain driving as a contractor and hunter the only problems Ive had are the wheel bearings and prndl switch needed to be replaced. As comfortable as long distance driving in an HD pickup is really gonna get. Interior layout is well thought out but materials are slightly cheap. Leveled out with 33" mud tires I still get about 16 mpg in town and 20 mpg on the highway. With a heavy job trailer it doesnt pull quite as strongly as I would like but I dont think anything ever will. Off road capability is as good as it needs to be.

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  Performance and Good Looks - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Joe - February 4 - 6:06 pm

  The Cobalt SS supercharged is a truly great car. Its fast, reliable, and perfectly built. The features it comes with make it fun, and its good mileage makes it cheap to fill up. Since the car is so light and it has 205 horses it can accelerate extremely fast.

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  Impressive - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bill - February 4 - 1:00 pm

  We had to order the specific car we wanted since none of the nearby dealers had an LTZ in Amber Bronze. It took only 4 weeks for the car to arrive and even though we have only put a few hundred miles on the vehicle, we absolutely love it. The cabin is so quiet and the ride so smooth that I cant believe we are in a mid sized car. If this car is as reliable as my 2005 Impala, which has 53,000 miles and has never had a thing done to it, then we have made an excellent decision for our second car. I cannot judge the fuel economy yet as I have not had a chance to put it on the road for an extended drive. This will happen though in January when we will take it to Miami.

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  Great truck - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Jerrygee - February 3 - 2:00 am

  Almost 500 cubic inches and the 5 speed Allison automatic transmission makes for plenty of towing and hill climbing power. Gas mileage is better then what you would expect at 12+ MPG on the highway when not towing, but watch the mileage plummet when pulling a load. Reliability has been perfect at 11 months and 17,000+ miles of ownership. Interior is spacious, rattle free and quite. Ride is a little harsh, but don’t forget, it is a truck! My only complaint is the Allison transmission does “spaz out” every now and then and gives me strange downshifts when coming to a stop or “clunks” when first going into drive in the morning.