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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  They Could Do Better - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By No More GM for me - June 26 - 12:26 pm

  Overall, not too bad but not much of an improvement on previous version. Theyd better look out because the new Ford Taurus has this one beat by a long shot. Thatll be the second car for this family (bye-bye GM)

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  Surprising "cheap" car - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By MN driver - June 26 - 10:56 am

  Having had a LOT of different cars (all price ranges including Lexus), I was looking for a real cheap drive to work car. The Aveo has proven so far to be a very acceptable ride. My only complaint is the choice of tires which do not provide much handling especially on ice/snow. The car starts in cold weather (below 0) is quiet has a good radio/ABS/Auto Trans and great interior space. It is a lot of car for the low price.

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  Oh my - Fantastic Car! - 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
  By thmlnrg - June 26 - 6:44 am

  I purchased a Premiere Coupe with the manual transmission and have owned it now for 3 weeks. I took it easy (hard to do) for the first 200 miles – something that is in the manual. The drive train is smooth and of course the car is fast. I have been driving in Econ mode and still lots of power. Everyone reading a review knows the car handles well but what surprises me is the suspension is stiff for no body roll but at the same time the suspension is not stiff - absorbs road bumps very smoothly. It is like your mind says turn and the car just does it effortlessly.

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  2010 Equinox - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mkjpoll - June 24 - 1:30 pm

  I really like the vehicle. Very comfortable to drive. Lots of room for driver and passengers.

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  3500 chevy - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By X ford fan - June 23 - 2:00 am

  lots of power handles great glad i made switch from ford

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  Ok car for the money - 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Jessz71 - June 23 - 2:00 am

  I purchased the car in 1/2003 and have had it for a year. It is a decent looking car, but not that I am nearing 100,000 miles seems like everything is going at once. When you accelerate to 3500 the transmission shifts very hard when it is warm, but when it is cold smooth as a daisy. It is leaking oil from the pan and when you roll the windows up when it is cold the dont roll all the way up. The anti lock light also is on and it seems that the shocks are going. I change oil and do regualar maintenance, but i just dont understand.

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  My cavi - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Stacy Rene - June 23 - 2:00 am

  This is my first manual and I love it! It handle really well; good tight stering. It also has done excellently in the rain and bad weather. I sugest it to anyone who want a fun, safe, reliable car that is cost friendly.

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  Great little truck - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Rarch - June 23 - 2:00 am

  I have found the truck to be just what I wanted. It has a smooth comfortable ride with excellent gas milage. It offers the comfort and gas milage of an automobile yet leaves me the option of using it as a truck. I dont have the need for a large truck but wanted something that would allow me the option of hauling a larger load than an auto and yet have something better than an SUV for gas milage. I also wanted a vehicle that rode smooth and handled well. This vehicle fit the bill. Its just a fun vehicle to drive.

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  2004 Z71 - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By lance kap - June 23 - 2:00 am

  great truck...put 22" tires on it and corsa exhaust with carbon fiber dashboard. Very nice!

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  chev avalanche - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By jeffmarsh - June 23 - 2:00 am

  purshased the vechcle nesw at the end of 2002. the vechicle is fun to drive and gives you great overdirve performance in the ford explored i had when yu went up a hill the over drive would kick off and eave yu hanging. This doesnt. one thing the vechicle comes with a different size spare tireand its not the same make of tire. it had 190000 miles on it/ the dealership need to improve their customer relations as well in the service dept. not ver swift sorry courtesy but you flunked the satisfaction test.