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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  great - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By kunk - July 21 - 10:00 am

  always have loved camaros. This is the best one that I have owned.

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  Concerned consumer - 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Alicia Martinez - July 21 - 9:02 am

  We bought the new 2008 Tahoe 6/27/08 and already have a major concern. We have a growing family and and our new one (w/3rd seat) stinks! The seating design was obviously not thought out very well. We purchased the 2008 with two full benches, second row has 40/60 split, and the car seat latch (anchors/tethers)system was not put in the correct spot. They are located on the 40 spilt, and the middle seat of the 60 spilt of the second bench, putting these directly behind the passenger seat and in the the middle making it impossible for anyone to accesess the 3rd bench without removing and re-installing a child car seat every time to access 3rd seat! (have 2 c/ss)

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  01 Metro Review - 2001 Chevrolet Metro
  By RushFan2112 - July 20 - 7:38 pm

  All in all its a good car for the price. Its not very comfortable, its pretty loud, and struggles going uphill. It is surprisingly a pretty zippy car, as long as youre not going uphill. It gets good gas mileage on highways, but poor mileage in the city. It is what it is, affordable, economy car. Its very reliable, I have never had any problems with it that any other car wouldnt have.

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  Nice - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By seaxsickxsmiles - July 20 - 3:08 am

  Pretty good mpg for a V6. But not a lot of go on the road, but more then enought in mud and water. Hugs corners awesome for an suv, and only handles better off road. Very stylish extior and very comfortable interior. Nothing has really gave out on me either, it was a well investment.

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  Poor Gas Mileage - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Dissapointed - July 19 - 1:16 pm

  Great car, comfortable and attractive. Good visibility for a petite driver. Very disappointed in gas mileage. For the first year I owned it, I comuted 60 miles RT daily, mostly freeway speeds, and never got over 29 mpg. I am a good driver who regularly go 38-40 out of my Saturn SL1, and expected this car to exceed the federal ratings. I was very disappointed to discover that the ratings are a total fairy tales. Best mileage ever was 29, and usually got 25-27.

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  Aveo - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By K - July 18 - 10:52 pm

  I love it. I purchased an Aveo for a work/travel car and price and fuel economy made me take a look at it. So far I am extremely impressed. It wont win many races, but is peppy. It is capable of getting more mpgs than 33mpg/gallon. A great value, but is realy a basic car. If you want good value and basic transportation you cant beat it. My neighbor likes it better than his Honda Civic!

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  Go Avalanche! - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By steve - July 18 - 1:43 pm

  Great car with a very good ride. Beats the ride of Tahoe by a wide margin. Very comfortable with many applications and adaptability. Leather seats should be leather. Way too much vinyl for the price. Bose sound system is a joke for the money. Infinity in Mitsubishis SUV blow it away.

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  Better than the Impala SS - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By D.R. - July 17 - 8:25 pm

  I had purchased on 06 Impala SS. What a dud, handled poorly, terrible torque steer. Got rid of it and bought 07 Impala 3.5 FFV which handled much better than the SS! Very functional, geographically challenged wife loves turn by turn navigation and XM radio. Gets good mileage and is well equiped for safety. Glad I got the FFV which is about 4 mpg less than regular but at over a buck difference it is worth it.

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  Good Value - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Jenifer - July 17 - 1:14 pm

  I bought my 2001 Prism in 2006. It is very reliable. I am the 3rd owner. I bought the car with only 11,900 miles. Now I have 25K (2008). So far, replaced the battery, motor in the power window (drivers side), front brakes & recently all 4 tires (which were org). Considering the vechicle is 7 years old, so far so good. I bought the Prism since its the Toyota Corolla. I intend to keep my Prism for many years to come.

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  trailblazer - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By johnk35 - July 17 - 10:00 am

  It handles well in curves. I use to own a toyota 4runner but this vehicle handles better. I also like it being lower to the ground not so top heavy