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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  Impressed by Chevrolet. Its about time! - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Zuniga - June 17 - 11:16 am

  I was woried at first about owning an SUV and its reliability from Chvey. All I can say is wo. !I love this SUV! No problems what so ever that set me back. Very reliable. Great size, comfort, and can haul no problem.

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  My Impala LTZ - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By T.Scott - June 17 - 10:45 am

  I leased my LTZ in March of 2007. I love almost everything about it, the only problems that I have is a persistent knocking sound in the rear of the car, and the suspension is a tad soft for my driving habits (which was fixed for the 2008MY with the FE3 suspension). Comfortable cruiser on the highway, which is important for me given my commute. Great car overall I get a lot of positive comments from random people about how nice it looks.

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  Great car for the money - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By M Gomez - June 17 - 10:09 am

  I have over 130,000 miles on my Cavalier. Overall its a really good car. I have had to replace driver side window motor twice but other than brake pad replacements and routine oil changes and a new gas cap, no other repairs have been required.

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  Gas mileage wins - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By MustangGT - June 16 - 12:19 pm

  In these trying times, our auto transmission LT sedan has shown outstanding gas mileage. Over 28 mpg around town all the time. It isnt suppose to be that good says the EPA, but well take it. Its a fun car, quieter than many other four cylinder cars in its class. We bought it used from a local Chevy dealer and after three months, no headaches.

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  SS Experience - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Face - June 16 - 2:00 am

  Xlnt features, I was impresed by the exterior styling. I thought that the extra body molding on the SS made the truck look leaps and bounds better than ther stock styling of the Silverado. In fact, I always thought GM was lacking in the styling of the "03 Silverado until I saw the SS. I am still trying to learn all of the electronic control features available re: personal, buisness and annual mileage, current mileage etc. Remote control and memory seats are an option that should be available in every vehicle. Six disc Bose CD in the dash is a great option.

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  Im lovin it - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Luvin my ride!! - June 15 - 9:36 pm

  I got my Trailblazer for my 25th birthday from my wife because I was a little jealous of her Envoy she had purchased from 2002! I love the way it handles and when you floor it it moves! Gas mileage could be much better. I get 16mpg in mixed driving. I drive about 34 miles a day, and we go vacationing a lot down south, so I drive alot!

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  Very Pleased - 2008 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Colorado76 - June 15 - 7:34 pm

  I purchased a 2008 Colorado 2wd regular cab 4 cyl. 5 speed about two months ago. It is Victory Red with fog lights, aluminum wheels, and monochromatic front and rear bumpers. So far, I am very pleased with this truck. The 4 cyl 5 speed combo is fun to drive and has plenty of power even with the a/c on. I am getting 26-27 mpg on the highway and about 21 in the city. Also, the 4 cyl. is fairly quiet and idles smoothly compared to other 4 cyl. engines I have owned or have ridden in. After nearly 2,000 miles, the only changes I would make are: a little more lumbar support in the seats with reclining seatbacks on the models with the LS trim. As far as ride, its much quieter than my 04 Silverado

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  Nice car with lots of "extras" but ... - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By juzt-me - June 15 - 10:47 am

  The 2007 has lost of neat extras and they are mostly driver enhancements such as direction, mpg avg, mpg instant, temp outside, etc. I will be honest and say that I like the interior lay-out of my old 2003 Impala much better and this car seems smaller inside. But, I do like the steering wheel in the 2007 over the 2003 model, more comfy on the hands. The trunk is definitely smaller and does not have the back seat pull downs that allow access to the trunk or longer storage for those items that just dont quite fit in the trunk. The exterior of the 2007 is more sleek and sporty but I really like the look of my old 2003 better. The car is still amazing on mileage as I generally avg 30+ mpg.

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  Seems great so far - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By sdencar - June 14 - 3:13 pm

  Great car after only 2 days. Im 63" and this is the only car in the price class that I can comfortably fit in. Merges onto the highway very well, even from uphill on ramps. Very little room for rear seat passengers. Cheap plastics inside, but you get what you pay for in that area. I havent ridden in the passenger seat, but my 510" girlfriend said its plenty comfortable.

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  meltdowns z24 review - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By mtymerlin - June 14 - 10:00 am

  Along with the Z24s attractive appierance, its power and handling capabilities are above average for a car in its price range. I have only had the car less than a year now and have had a fun time driving it around the town.