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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  Amazing first car for teenagers! - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Shay - April 29 - 5:27 pm

  My dad purchased this car for me as my very first car. I was thrilled. We have had it for 4 years and honestly have had no problems! I have a 4cyl so although its not fast, it has NEVER broken down on me. I cannot find a flaw in it. We have put over 100k miles on it and it still looks and drives as if it was brand new. I definitely recommend this car for anyone looking to make a very good investment. My boyfriend lives an hour away and I have been driving it there and back every weekend for 2 years. It has never given me any kind of problems!

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  Excellent Truck! - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Paulboy - April 29 - 1:23 pm

  Love my truck! Used to have a car but driven right my truck gets the same mileage! I get about 20.5 mpg on highway, set the cruise at 65 and itll stay in 4 cyl mode all day long! Z71 supension and tires are a must! Ive been off roading a bunch of times and Ive never even been close to getting stuck! Great looking truck except for those scratches now!

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  Suburban - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Cindy E. Martlock - April 29 - 10:00 am

  I love this vehicle.

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  Johnny - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Big John D - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Exelent truck, ive never driven anything better. I hope they keep making theese trucks, because I love them.

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  It is how it sounds! - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Supercharged Xtreme - April 29 - 3:16 am

  I bought my X-treme in 2008 with 76,000 miles for a daily driver and I fell in love. I go by people in X- treme pickups and they almost wreck seeing an X-treme Blazer. Im glad to see positive feedback from other X- treme owners cus it sounds like other models are goofing up. I am in the process of supercharging my blazer for some extra fun & that extra Umph of pulling into traffic but it does great while stock. It has a nice smooth ride and great stock looks I would never change. All my friends tried to buy it the first time they saw it. Im only 21, but I know a good Chevy when I see one & this is definitely one of them. My Chevys have always ran good, even my 1950 Chevy runs like a top!!

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  I am again a believer - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By What an SUV! - April 29 - 12:59 am

  We started looking for an SUV and wasnt sure what direction to go. My father in-law has a Yukon SLT and loves it. I have always been anti American when it comes to vehicles, I always stuck with Japanese. We also own a 07 Honda Pilot EX-L(w/nav) and absolutely love it, however my wife wanted something more roomy. So our search began. We looked at Toyota Sequoia....way too pricey, even the base SR5. Then we looked at Nissan Armadas, not bad but poor fuel economy, and drive too much like a truck. Then we drove an Expedition(Eddie Bauer), I was not impressed with the fit and finish and the steering was way too touchy. Then we drove our first Tahoe..I was impressed. Two days later we bought one

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  ES 350 AT 1/2 PRICE - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jim - April 28 - 9:41 pm

  Nice tan leather interior with heated seats and simulated wood on dash. Dark Molcha exterior. Lexus-like quietness and superb Bose stereo. Nice volume controls and scan on steering wheel. E- 85 capable, On-Star, rear seat folds flat 3 things $40K Lexus doesnt have. Still proud to buy from the General. Clients I drive have commented on tight fit and finish. Makes a professional statement without being overly blatant or presumptuous. Plus makes a great family car on the weekend. Has 3 power plugs for my 2 phones and portable GPS. Nice easy to use controls for HVAC. Very logical and practical.

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  Perfect choice to replace old Vette - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Lea - April 28 - 5:06 pm

  I owned a 69 427 pumped up Vette for 16 years. Decided at last, to replace it instead with a new one a few weeks ago. My old car was a beast, and this one equals it, but stock and under warranty! Chevy has finally brought back a true muscle car! Fun to drive, great gas mileage, unbelievably 26.5 mpg after a 3200 mile trip out west, and a rather comfortable ride to boot. I still miss my old car but this one takes away the pain leaving nothing to be desired.

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  Built in Oshawa CA-JD Powers Plant Award - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By very proud driver - April 28 - 11:13 am

  Built by proud Canadians - JD Powers award for the plant that built my car - very cool! Interior and exterior of car turns my friends heads - wow very cool car. Recent trip on expressway at 67 mph on cruise - got 35.1 mpg - way above the 31 mpg rating for the 3.5 V-6 engine in my Monte Carlo LT model - great job Chev - way better than my Olds Cutlass Supreme LS. Onstar and XM features are great - only have 500 miles in 6 weeks but this is obviously a keeper

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  Great Vehicle! - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By J.R.Gibbs - April 28 - 10:18 am

  We purchased one for family traveling and some trailer towing.. Ours has 185,000 miles on the original engine, transmission. We have had no real problems with it, except we did replace the water pump and radiator due to minor issues unrelated to the quality of the vehicle. This is a very well- built vehicle, and I would recommend it to anyone. Recently, driving 1800 miles and back, we averaged 20.9MPG with the cruise set at 75MPH. If you take care of this vehicle and get one that has not been driven by an idiot kid, you should be totally fine. I do recommend you totally flush out the Dexcool coolant(red) and replace it with green or yellow, as Dexcool is known for destroying gaskets...