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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  Huge improvement! - 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By mark - November 17 - 6:26 am

  2008 Tahoe w/ 2LT. Compared to my 05 Yukon SLT, the new Tahoe is a huge improvement. Interior, specifically the dash, is now luxurious as opposed to looking like a cheap truck. Leather is much better quality. 3rd row seats still dont fold flat, have to manually remove. But now the 2nd row doesnt fold flat. They tumble forward to allow access to 3 row. Nice if you need it, but Id rather have the 2nd row fold flat like the older version that made the cargo area cavernous. Yukon was loud, lots of wind noise. This Tahoe is quiet and has a very smooth ride. Expert reviews complain its too soft and unresponsive. Ill take soft any day. Not doing slaloms in a 5500 lb trk. avg 16 mpg

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  Love the Beast - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Q - November 16 - 5:01 pm

  Great truck. Plenty of power and room. Runs great at 130,000. 4x4 was a must and I was not disappointed. Got a great deal on the beast. Have a slight problem with the power locks. Leather interior is ridiculously comfortable. My favorite truck to date... easy. Did I mention the power?

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  Back Luck again with Chevys - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By ptrecek - November 16 - 7:41 am

  Love the general look of Chevys however, Ive had back luck with them for some reason. Transmission in this car went out at 65,000 miles. Car stalls at red lights when the A/C is running.

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  road review - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By tom - November 15 - 6:13 pm

  just took a trip from alamogordo nm to abq nm about 440miles round trip. road type included secondary, interstate, and city. Mileage overall was 33.8. the cabin was quite. handling was great and leg room galore. i dont know what more you could ask for the price. the 4 banger reacted strong, stronger than my old 3.4 six. i think gm has a winner here.

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  I love my Cobalt - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By march - November 15 - 3:40 pm

  I normally drive much more expensive cars, trading in a supercharged Grand Prix GTP for this Cobalt 2.5 years ago, but I think this little car is great! Fantastic mileage, very comfortable on long drives, an automatic transmission that shifts perfectly, good power, good stereo, fun to drive, great visibility and versatile. I normally lease new cars every 3 years, but am planning to buy this one when the lease is up. Ive had the key stuck in the ignition, but thats really the only problem and its an easy inexpensive fix if you know how. The selling dealers service department is very poor, but Ive found another nearby thats far better

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  Wicked car - Cavalier 1996 - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Kiprotich Arap-Ruto - November 14 - 9:43 am

  I looked at a number of cars before buying my Cavalier 1996. Its price was great and condition pretty good. It drives very well. I had to replace the gas tank (got a used one for a good price and free labor). Overall a very good car.

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  Good for the money - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Anomaly21 - November 13 - 10:42 pm

  The Cavaliers never claimed to be anything that they wernt. This car has over 90k on it and is still running strong. The only thing that weve done with it is replace the original battery and do the regular oil changes, air filter replacements and fluid checks etc. The ecotec is a low maintence engine and they are still using it in the Colbalts and the HHRs. Parts are mostly cheap, 14" tires are cheap. Youre not going to get great performance out of it unless you mod it a little, monotone interior is no frills but all your needs are there. Cup holders are a problem, cups will cover your climate control & if you have the 5 speed manual, your going to be hitting your cups when you shift.

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  Good little truck - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By GregS73 - November 12 - 7:19 pm

  For a 4 cylinder, its got a nice little bit of pep taking off, but after 3rd gear the torque numbers drop dramatically, mainly because of the gearing. Good truck for a commuter, and can also hold its own when youve got the bed loaded down. Ive hauled anything from four wheelers to 900 pounds of rocks in the back of it and she never falters.

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  Delivers as Promised - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Good Car - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I have been reading about this car for the past 18 months. I have owned one now for about a month and I can say it performs as promised. Quite, smooth, fun to drive, stylish, and efficient. I can get the 36+ mpg on the highway provided I drive slower than 70 mph. Anything over that and it drops quite a bit (70 mph is about 2800 RPM). At 55 - 65 (common speed on my daily commute), its closer to 39. I checked the computer against the manual way of checking mileage and its accurate. I am also quite pleased with the feel of the electronic throttle and 6 spd auto transmission. It accelerates nicely without any gear hunting.

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  Four Door Corvette - 2016 Chevrolet SS
  By John McNear - November 11 - 11:12 am

  Just like the Corvette, this car offers more performance per dollar than anything else out there. For those of us that like having more than one person come along for a fun ride, this is an amazingly capable car.