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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  WIND NOISE - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By JIMMY PURNELL - July 18 - 2:00 am

  WINDOW NOISE EXTRA LOUD ON DRIVER SIDE AND RIGHT REAR WINDOW. AFTER TRYING TO CORRECT SEVERAL TIME DEALER GAVE UP. SAID UNABLE TO CORRECT BUT DID ACKNOWLEDGE THE NOISE. NOISE IS LOUDER NOW THAD WHEN PURCHASED.

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  Great in the Snow - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Cook - July 18 - 2:00 am

  Buffalo had a snow storm two days after we bought the SUV. The auto handled beautifully and I just drove to work. After driving a minivan for years, this certainly surpassed my expectations. Weve had on long trips ~8 hours and it was very comfortable and drives nice.

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  I like mine - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By rc1261 - July 18 - 2:00 am

  My Trailblazer has been a very good vehicle for me. Good power under the hood and very comfortable inside. Great for going off the "paved path" as well as long highway trips. I would buy another.

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  New Item for us. - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By k gainey - July 17 - 11:13 am

  We are very satisfied with our HHR. We have three small children, and they have plenty of room as well as the front two passengers. It is very hard to use the cupholders up front while driving. Other than that the only other odd thing is the battery placement. What is up with that? I havent even seen the battery yet. I hope all of the rear storage doesnt have to be removed to get to it. I am disabled and this would pose a problem for myself. Other than those small things, the SUV is great in every way.

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  Update - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bill - July 17 - 10:26 am

  Now, after having this vehicle for 6 months, I dare to say that this car is the most fun to drive car since my 56 Bel-Air. It rides like a much bigger car than it is and is as quiet as my previous Cadillac. And recently I have had the opportuniy to take it on a few road trips and have gotten over 30 mpg on each trip. The car is amazing both in ride, handling and power. The seats are comfortable and easy on the back. Anyone looking for a great car that would be doing themselves a disservice if they dont check this one out.

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  one grreat car - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By 1 happy m/c owner - July 16 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. lots of room inside. great looking outside. bright red paint is perfect. plenty of power.sound system rocks. driver friendly controls. verry comfortable,quiet ride

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  3 Engines and stiil rolling - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Pat Jenkins - July 16 - 10:00 am

  Vehicles first engine began to smoke heavily during start up the first week we owned it. GM said it was defective PCV. After that didnt fix it, they finally replaced the motor. The dealers quality on this engine swap was terrible. My test drive off the dealer repai lot revealed a heavy knocking sound from the passenger side of new engine. GM had to replace engine again and have aera rep supervise the installation. I doubt that Toyota or Honda would have had to replace the motor twice!

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  Couldnt be better - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Like It - July 16 - 10:00 am

  The Trailblazer has been by far the best vehicle (at least so far) I have ever owned. In these times of "get a little closer - I cant tell what that is," this new GM SUV offers a fresh and distinctive exterior styling. The best part though is the construction. I have no tolerance for creeks and vibrations - none here, even over potholes. The in-line 6 provides plenty of power. Interior room is more than adequete. On the downside, the dash and center console is of course just a big ole hunk of boring plastic like everything else these days. CD/Stereo is acceptable. A/C is slow to cool but dual temp zones and rear vents/blower make up for it.

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  4 days and loving it - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By smokbeach - July 16 - 6:06 am

  I have owned 50 or more vehicles and this one has been the best right out of the show room. Have an new avalanche also but prefer to drive this.

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  Not any more. - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Matthew McGinley - July 15 - 11:13 pm

  The 2015 Camaro is really a nice-looking car, something out of a cartoon come to life. Very adequate 6-cylinder 323 horsepower, this car has no trouble passing on dry roads. The interior was meant for bachelors and empty nesters, not families. The bucket seats are perfect for two; the cockpit is well laid out and all the instruments and controls are easy to reach. The power and agility is there on demand. The front goes out a bit, and converting from a front-wheel drive takes some getting used to. This car has too much power for city driving. It does not handle well on wet corners, and after only 300 miles I had to have the car repaired because the back end slipped out on me during a light rain negotiating a traffic circle and slammed into a curb, ruining my passenger rear wheel assembly. My whole attitude about muscle cars has changed, and this will be the last one for me, especially the last rear wheel drive car. I do not recommend this car except for dry roads only, summertime, and highway driving, otherwise, it is too intrusive and likely to cause an accident from too much acceleration. In the city, the car basically drives itself with no additional throttle, and too much foot-down is an accident waiting to happen, so after having the car for a short time I will be trading out of it at the earliest opportunity into something more capable in city driving and in the rain and light snow. I regret my purchase now, as this was something I could not discover on just the test drive going very slowly on dry roads. The stock P-Zero Nero tires are only good on straight and dry roads in warm weather, otherwise the 2015 Camaro is a liability and very dangerous. My only wish is that the dealer provided a 30-day trade in guarantee, but now that Ive signed the contract I have to live with this beast until I can get back to a front-wheel drive car that handles much better than this. ------ UPDATE: I took the car back to Bill Pierre Chevrolet in Seattle, and they were gracious enough to trade me out of it. Whew! What a relief! Now Im into a much better car, much safer, and front wheel drive and BACK SEATS! I must have been in some kind of trance, but now that Im out of the dangerous and ego-centered Camaro, I can get on with my life and not have to look back and see if anyone is watching. No more ego trips, no more sliding around corners. Just look at the face of this car, esp. the 2017 Camaro. Its too aggressive, mean--like an animal. The new Camaros are just too fat in the rear and too unstable with the default tires, unless you are on a closed track. But for commuting to work--uh uh, forget it!