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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  Nice Truck - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By nagyflys - July 2 - 4:20 pm

  Bought the Chevy a few months ago, and just love it. Havent had a problem with it yet, knock on wood. Real fun to drive.

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  First Recall - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By G*I*Joe - July 2 - 1:00 am

  Let me say first, I love the truck. But, as with any GM product I am having some issues on a 5 month old vehicle. I live in Buffalo New York, the snow capital of the world, and rely on 4WD. I got my recall notice back in November regarding the 4WD not working and got it fixed in December. Now, 2 weeks ago the same part that was fixed is broken again, so I have to drive throught the snow with a RWD vehicle. It goes into the dealer AGAIN today. Anyone else having similar problems?

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  Solid used car - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By GMK - July 1 - 10:49 pm

  I have a 98 Chevy Mailbu V6 with 115K on it. This is a decent used car to drive a solid 7/10. Its pretty reliable and kind of fun to drive. And the ride is smooth. The only problems I had was a starter replacement at 65K and 2 alternator replacements (My dad buys nothing but GMs alternators always need replaced on them - luckily its a cheap repair $250). Brakes do need replaced about every 35K as well. Like other people Ive had a problem with the AC switch but it easily comes back on when you fiddle with it. My car gets about 23 city and 28 highway.

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  Equinox-bad gas mileage - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Ray Singler - July 1 - 7:40 pm

  Everthing is fine except for the mileage 14.8 to 15.4 in the city have not had it on the highway yet.Will take it to the dealer to see if what they can do if not will complain to the highest levels, Why do some get excellent mileage and others do not?

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  Big Fun With a Price - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By drwooly - July 1 - 3:21 pm

  Now, on 07-01-08, kind of an update, because Ive always felt like initial purchase is like lust, but keeping for a while is long-term love. MPG has leveled at 15 town/road, and drops to 11 if towing.Wheres the six-speed A/T? Ride has degraded some because of low- profile tires, but still fun. Obviously, GM engineers dont expect anyone w/ this vehicle to tow anything because of the brain-dead design for electrical connections is impossible to use w/o altering /cutting some plastic. Just for fun, entered a car show we were playing music for, and walked away with a Top 25 medal for newer models. Didnt expect that! Still fun, still drinks gas like Foster Brooks, very nice!

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  I love my BOO - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By smbmp - July 1 - 2:29 am

  I purchased a 2004 Malibu in March of 08. It had 3400 miles on it at the time. I love my car it havent given me any trouble yet. Hopefuly it wont any time soon. Since I got it I have only had to do the normal things like oil and brakes. Oh I cant get my gas cap to stay on. The only thing I dont like about these cars is there front end is ugly. They look like bugs. The car has plenty of power and great handeling once you get use to the torque steering. I think it was wort every penny I paid for it

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  great car - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By hud - June 30 - 9:50 am

  Had it for a year now and a great car with lots of power. 33 EPA and lots of fun to drive. Fairly loaded for $14000

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  Just decent - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By mhermes - June 30 - 6:39 am

  After two years, this truck has proven dependable and still in good shape. We drive it off road regularly because we live off road, and it hasnt yet developed squeaks or rattles. 6 cyl engine provides enough power to pull a trailer and averages 17 mpg for combined use. Problems after 33,000 miles: passenger window sometimes sticks, rear window washer hose lose, read door gasket sags. Overall, meets our expectations.

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  Towed - 2000 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Christinia Sloan - June 29 - 10:17 am

  Towed for 20 30 thousand miles behind RV

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  Oil consumption - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By ed - June 28 - 11:27 am

  Car runs good with excelent fuel economy. Only problem is oil consumption, and anti freeze seems to be greasy at radiator cap. General Motors says one quart every 2000 miles is not out of the ordinary. Oil consumption has been a problem since car was new