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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  2007 Z71 - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Arl King - December 7 - 1:02 pm

  We recently purchased our 2nd Tahoe Z-71. We do like the way GM replaced stereo system and control knobs with those that will not peel, the remote access options for rear and front, the new way we can adjust the roof rack (easier now), the ease of putting the rear seats down, the new styling, and the navigation/DVD/stereo sytem.

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  Use of my Tracker since new - 2000 Chevrolet Tracker
  By RogerD - December 5 - 11:53 am

  I purchased this vehicle new for a towed vehicle behind my motorhome. It was one of few light weight vehicles that could be towed 4 down. It has only 26000 miles as of this date, and I use it almost daily. I have had no problems with it and except for some wind noise, and low horsepower, I think it is a great vehicle and plan to keep it until the wheels fall off. Thanks

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  Great Car - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By S Gregg - December 5 - 10:46 am

  This car has been great. It is comfortable reliable and gets great gas mileage for car of its size. One thing that has not been so great. It seems to have brake repair issue. I have not done this much work on brakes for any car that I have owned.

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  Beware of Transmission Problems - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By KD - December 4 - 8:53 am

  Love the concept and versatility, but disappointed with reliability. I have had to replace the transmission at 32 months/49,000 miles (at considerable out-of-pocket expense) and continue to have problems with steering and front suspension noise.

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  Pros and Cons of my Astrovan - 1998 Chevrolet Astro
  By Chev AWD Astro LT - December 3 - 7:26 pm

  I like to drive my Astrovan but its ride is too rough. It gets 14 miles per gallon which makes it too expensive to drive at todays inflated gas prices. Also it is almost impossible for me alone to remove the 5 rear passenger seats

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  A Disappointment - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By 007vette - December 3 - 2:41 pm

  After waiting 40 years to finally get the boyhood dream, I purchased an 07 Corvette only to find out the name went on before the quality went as the quality never made it. The car is great looking, runs great and is fun to drive, but the drive components and rear end are junk, whenever I turn or start out it is if I were going over bumps in the road, I took it back and the dealer simple lubed the rear end, this worked until the lube wore and the problem reappeared again. On the second trip it was found that a tech bulletin had been generated for the problem and the dealer replaced the friction pads,this didnt cure the problems.I am getting rid of it after this. No more American cars for me

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  Fun Little car but gas milage not as adv - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By yoshi1015 - December 3 - 1:36 am

  I run a service center for a dealer and I am very familiar with cars. I bought American because I am always able to get 250k + out of all my cars. It wasnt until recently that I needed to put my GMC truck to bed and get an import. I looked at Toyota, Nissan (great cars), Mazda, Honda etc. I finally picked the 2007 Chevy Aveo because of price, comfort and gas mileage. However, I am not getting anywhere near 37mpg as my sticker suggested. Believe me I understand driving habbits but this has nothing to do with it. I drive all freeway miles with no A/C on at no more than 70mph and the best milage I get is 30.1mpg. Yes I also tryed going under 70mph and I only got max 32.1 mpg.

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  Disappointed after 6 months - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By 3rd Platoon - December 2 - 12:54 am

  I had a review posted on 6/15/07. I had the truck for 2 weeks or so at that point with no issues. Ive been to the dealer twice since then to have them tighten up stupid and random squeaks, rattles and other noises. I understand that a vehicle will eventually loosen up, but Ive had this car for less than 9,000 miles and its been doing this since about 2,000. Im very disappointed in the build quality, and Ive received several comments from friends to notice the weird noises. It does not speak well for Chevy. Other than that, the vehicle has been very versatile. My wife and I have taken it on several trips, and the mileage has been better than expected (21 on the road, 16 in town).

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  Regular Cab LS / Automatic w/3.5 - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By KC - November 29 - 12:10 pm

  The truck rides and drives just like a midsize car, not like what most people think of for a pickup trip. I have the base suspension, not the stiff off road suspension, yet I have 4WD. That makes for a much smoother ride. Even my wife thinks it drives and rides very well.The seats are supportive yet comfortable. So far, a great purchase for our family! :)

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  Chev 02 Tahoe - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By llester - November 27 - 10:27 am

  When I bought my Tahoe, I traded in a Ford Explorer. I knew I was going up in size, but that didnt bother me. I loved the room in this new vehicle. To my surprise, parallel parking was much easier in this vehicle than in the Ford, which was smaller. Only draw back is the steering colum in this vehicle had to be replaced which was a problem with all trucks for GMC/Cheverolet.