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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  SS Impala Indy style - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By indy style ss - October 29 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car about a month ago and thanks to a long trip to Daytona 500 I got to break it in right. lots of power, good road feel,very stable on highway even around big rigs.Just a small amount of road noise not too bad.Good gas milage 25.2 around 75-80 mph! you might get better.Overall very happy with purchase.I like the looks with the optional wheels and havent seen many others.The only thing i did was tent the windows for a sweet ride!

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  Excellent value for luxury SUV - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By hammerdown502 - October 29 - 2:00 am

  Extremely happy with the vehicle. Has everything Love IT! PROUD OWNER and get alot of compliments.

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  Nothing Beats a Duramax/ Allison Trans. - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Doug Lewis - October 29 - 2:00 am

  I brought my 2500HD Duramax and a travel trailer the same day. I hooked my travel trailer to my truck and could not believe the torque it had. Coming home I had to come up several tall long hills and the speed stayed constant. The fuel mileage is not as good as thought it should be but I am told that it will get better with more miles on it. I could not be happier with my Chevrolet 2500 HD Duramax.

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  nice truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By red gator - October 29 - 2:00 am

  ride is excellent along with a very nice interior. the 5.3engin has a lot of power for towing

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  the best worst car i ever had - 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By brent - October 28 - 8:56 pm

  this car drove me crazy bad anti freeze leak and needed a new intake and the block was crack but even through all that it started every single time oh and the starters go like crazy with these cars same as the intake

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  NOTHING LIKE A CHEVY!! - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By amc - October 28 - 12:53 pm

  I love this truck! It is comfortable on the highway, but rough in the play. It may not have the big motors that most come out with now, but I wouldnt trade the 5.3 vortec that I do have, very reliable in all aspects. Now if they would only make every vehicle like a chevy the automotive industry would be at peace. These trucks look mild, but work the heck.

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  Good for what I use it for! - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Brad - October 28 - 12:40 pm

  Just rolled 100K the other week. Original everything. No complaints. Get about 14-15mpg with construction work in subdivisions and driving backwards 1/2 the time there. Not in a hurry to get a new Chevy, same interiorI Thought the plastic dash looked cheap on Chevy. No way on the Dodge, and everyone has Fords. Looking for a 3/4 ton and I test drove all three at the same time. I will definitely be going with the Duramax, and Chevys Smoooth HD ride. This pulls the 16 low-boy when needed, and gets me from A-to-B. nothing fancy. Hey, thats why I got it. Overall, Its good, just wish this truck wouldve had limited-slip.

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  02 Monte SS - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By dlr634 - October 28 - 10:00 am

  I bought a 2002 Monte SS in February (black). After driving it for five months, I still love it. The ride is very smooth, and the 3.8 V6 delivers an excellent blend of power and fuel economy. Personally, I love the exterior styling...I get compliments all the time on it. For less than $24,000 I got everything but leather seats, which I dont like. So I got ABS, dual exhaust, heated power mirrors, programmable garage door opener, power sunroof, OnStar, trip computer...you name it. I cant say enough about it....

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  Cool new toy - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By wgarv - October 28 - 10:00 am

  No major problems with this new ride. Fuel economy shpuldnt even be a catagory for any truck this size. If your buying one of these because they are fuel efficeint. It gets better gas mileage than my old 98 2dr Tahoe did. Chevy did this one right in my book.

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  08 LT 3.5L - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By ImpalaOwner - October 27 - 7:36 pm

  Had the car a couple of weeks and put 600 miles on it. Its a very comfortable car, even the 3.5 has more than adequate power, Ive never felt like I had to have more. Ive only used regular gas so far and gotten 28 MPG. Controls are all logical. I got the leather package and seats are comfortable but could use more side support. Great room up front, but lacking a bit in rear leg room for as big as the car is. My only beef is the paint finish - the hood has 2 big "blotches" - dealer noted it and offered to repaint under warranty, but something as bad as that should have never made it out of the factory.