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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  Chevy did it Right! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By John - October 10 - 12:23 pm

  Chevy gets this one right - cool styling solid road feel & handling with great fit and finish for an American car. Drove 400+ miles to WinterGreen VA area after pickup - up & down the hills nicely, great gas mileage and turned heads all the way.

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  Hi Miler Reports on 2002 Monte Carlo - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By cornerpost - October 10 - 2:00 am

  No car of its price range is, in my opinion, more strikingly beautiful than the Monte Carlo. It looks a little bit like an old Lincoln, and with some imagination it can be your luxury car. Its harder to steer than it needs to be, more difficult to exit and enter than it should be. It lacks places right and left to put your elbows when you drive. Other than that, the entire car is engineered in a masterful way-- all parts of the car articulate well, everything works, and the sound system is truly outstanding. Car takes too rapid a price dive after purchase--buy it only if you plan on keeping it for a while.

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  New LT-1 Ext. Cab 2WD Std. Bed 5.3 - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By CARL MAXWELL - October 9 - 6:20 am

  Fit and finish is great. Good power and fuel mileage. Handles good.

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  So far so good - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By TonyD - October 8 - 12:23 pm

  Just passed the 2000 mile mark, and all is well with the vehicle. I couldnt find one on the lot, so I ordered one. It was well worth the 8 week wait. Took an age to decide "Terrain or Equinox", but I know Ive made the right choice. Blue interior lighting, and a power lift gate with the premium cloth finally swayed it the Chevy way. Gas mpg is 5+ miles off advertised, but its already 90°+ here in Florida, and the air is cranking, so no real complaints. Still early days, but all in all an excellent vehicle.

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  Fun and Great on Gas - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Kristin - October 7 - 5:30 am

  So far I love driving my new Cobalt. For a compact car, it packs in a ton of features without adding to the price tag. Chevy has done a great job with this vehicle making it fun to drive and very practical (60/40 rear seats with lots of trunk room, well placed interior features) with great fuel economy, even for city driving. This is the first car Ive bought and I couldnt be happier.

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  Vetteman - 2009 Chevrolet Corvette
  By John - October 6 - 11:40 pm

  My 2009 Z06 has been a great car over the past 6 years. Truth be told, we only have 19000 miles on the car but it has been everything we had hoped it would be when we purchased the car.

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  Vins SS - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By vince wright - October 6 - 12:03 pm

  Very fast and fun to drive.

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  they just keep getting better! - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By dc - October 6 - 9:00 am

  After owning several GM products the latest generation is nothing short of amazing! I went from a 97 GMC pickup, to a 2003 Tahoe, and am now driving a 2007 Silverado Crew Cab Max package. I highly recommend them. I have pulled boats from 30ft down, fully loaded dump trailers and the like with the truck with only the addition of a set of rear airbags and a trailer brake controller. This is absolutely the best vehicle I have ever had to work/play with on the weekend and commute with during the week. I was extremely skeptical of the estimated 19 MPG highway, after owning the rig for over 2 years and 65,000 miles I dont find it far off I usually have a combined fuel average of 15.5+ at fill up!

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  Great truck - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By drew - October 6 - 1:53 am

  This truck rides great. Plenty of power in all conditions. I bring a motorcycle to the track every weekend and the bed has plenty of room for two dirt bikes. Although I am going to get two extra tie downs instaled on the bed rails. I also tow a boat and it seems to tow great. The big tires with the smooth power makes it easy to tow my 3500 lb boat out of bad ramps in the Fla keys.

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  Supercrew no more - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By sc_guinness - October 5 - 10:00 am

  Was going to buy the Ford Supercrew but test drove the Avalanche once adn fell in love with it. The key was the WBH package. Very smooth ride with the Z66 package.