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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  98 Monte Carlo - 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Richard Black - December 29 - 10:00 am

  Nice smooth running reliable car.

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  Als mid life joy - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Al Clem - December 29 - 10:00 am

  All that power and it still gets me almost 30 mpg on the highway (@70 to75). Now thats better mpg than a Toyota Camry V-6. So I can rationalize that I "had to" get this car to help the environment and do my part to stop our dependency on foreign oil. Isnt American technology grand and how about my rational?

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  Overated MPG - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By ronling - December 29 - 10:00 am

  The Trailblazer fuel ratings of 16/22 are way high. We avg 15mpg combined and only achieve 17 to 18mpg on a full tank of freeway driving. I`m a commercial driver so mileage on the open road should be much better.

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  Worst purchase Ive ever made - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Toothfixer88 - December 29 - 10:00 am

  Its been nothing but problems. The air conditioner didnt work, the transmission went out due to "small metal shavings present from manufacturing" and metal fragments were on the "other side of the filter". This left us stranded in an intersection, and were almost struck by an oncoming car. They fixed it and it worked for about 2 miles, then the same thing...then they put a new "throttle body" in it. Then the windshield wipers went out in a downpour the three days after getting it back. Now the air conditioner still doesnt get cold and it jerks in and out of 2nd gear.

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  Way Better than Expected - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Satisfied - December 29 - 6:00 am

  Wife and I were going to buy Ford Escape or Edge, but on a whim we stopped in at Chevy dealer to check out Equinox. What we saw blew us away. We went out to get lunch to talk about it. Both of us couldnt stop talking about how nice the Equinox was. Interior way more room than Edge with more features and style. Interior and exterior are nice. GM has XM radio, Ford does not. XM has baseball. After lunch, we returned to dealer, went for a test drive and negotiated a deal. Engine power was surprisingly peppy for a 4-cyl. We drove a 6-cyl also, but not a noticeable improvement in horsepower. Based on feature package, build quality, price, and dealer, we think Equinox is best vehicle available.

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  The best car will win - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Mike - December 27 - 2:33 pm

  I remember why my last Chevy was in 1994 I didnt keep it very long. Traded it for a Nissan. Has not been back to the dealer, but I should have taken it though. The seat foam is showing on both sides sticking out the bottom. We only have about 23,000 miles on it and the tires will not even pass my next state inspection, and no!! its not my driving, I`m 58yrs old and do not drive like a teenager. The chrome on the rear bumpers is already rusting. There is a strange thumping or bumping sound when you take off or shifting gears. And I don`t like not having the option of buying the On-Star, which I pulled the fuse on because as soon as I turned it on, they began to try to sell me more.

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  Very Happy With Price - 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By ThemBones24 - December 27 - 3:26 am

  I got the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado LS Extended Cab 4 x 4. For $26,500 I was happy with the price. I was considering the Ford 150 and Tundra. But, it seemed Chevy was the most aggressive with a bargaining price. All the truck reviews seemed to favor the Silverado in some form so I figured what the heck, support the American economy. I didnt feel like paying $4 - 5K more for the LT model so Im willing to live with the slightly lower 13 to 18 mpg. Looks like Im getting around 425 miles on a 26 gallon fuel-up.

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  Best Car Ive ever owned bar none - 2016 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Bryon - December 26 - 5:29 pm

  The complaint about rear visibility is true. As far as any sports car enthusiast is concerned, or any real driver for that matter, it doesnt matter. After only a few times of driving this car you will figure it out. It requires you to drive the car, really. And that is exactly why you would buy this car. The Gen 6 Camaro is the new Corvette, its that good. When Corvette begins to produce the Zora in 2018, this will be the car that takes its place. This car is so much fun and has so much power for a stock sports car, it should probably be illegal. God bless America. Be sure you get a good radar detector when you purchase this car. You are going to need it. I now have 10,000 miles on mine, because I bought it to drive it. I simply cant stop driving it. Its not my daily driver, so I can hardly wait for the weekend. Everyone, and I mean everyone who sees it or hears it falls immediately in love with the car. The only thing I dont like about the car is the decals used for the stripes. Even my wife who doesnt really appreciate sports cars normally loves this car. Enough said.

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  Poor Reliability - 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
  By shamrock11 - December 26 - 3:33 pm

  I have had a major failure of the power train (torque tube) at 2000 miles and 6500 miles. It is a beautiful and fun car when it isnt in the shop.

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  trailblazer is the best - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By chris dixon - December 25 - 9:36 pm

  i own a 2003 ext with the 5.3 V8 and it rocks