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:

• 

  Great Buy for the Money - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By t92168 - October 23 - 10:35 pm

  I can honestly say that Ive been very impressed with this car. Its done everything that Ive asked of it. It handles well, is incredibly reliable, and isnt bad looking. Im a large man and the interior room is great! I looked at the Ford Focus and Fusion, as well as the Chevy HHR before picking the Aveo and couldnt be happier with my decision. Of course, if I had paid $30k instead of $15k for this car, I would have expected significantly more overall quality of materials and fit. But you cant beat this for the money!

• 

  Chosen over Fit, Versa, Yaris, PTcruiser - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By road gypsy - October 23 - 7:35 pm

  I have owned Aveo 5 now for 2 weeks. I chose this vehicle over the honda fit because of price difference (about $3000), Versa because no fold flat or flip and fold seats, Yaris because I needed a 4 door hatch, and PT because of fuel economy. I also chose the Aveo because by far it had the best styling of all of them. The seat covers are durable and attractive and I loved the carbon fiber look trim. On to the driving, it is a much better driving experience than would be expected from a budget sub compact. It is quiet, zippy for such a low horsepower,and overall handles as well if not better than some of the pricier cars I have owned. Plenty of cargo room with flip and fold seats too! Love it!

• 

  Average Truck - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By My Tahoe - October 23 - 1:56 pm

  When I purchased my Tahoe on year ago, I didnt really expect to encounter the problems that I have run into. I have had my tahoe in the shop severaltimes in the past year for things that should have not failed. First, the main module in my computer system failed while I was driving, tires went bald at 14,000 miles. The dealership then had my car for almost two weeks trying to repair. I have had severaly issues with the computer system since that first time and it is actually in the shop as I speak for problems with the transmission, computer failure, lock/unlock buttons not working, back door pad not working, and Rear seat dvd system not functioning properly. Will be the last Tahoe for me

• 

  Still love it after all these years. - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By jackw972 - October 23 - 12:58 pm

  I got my Monte Carlo LS brand new in 02. It had 48 miles on it, and shined like a new Penny. The car now has 140,000 miles on it. Ive had little to no problems with the car till it had 100,000 miles on it. The problems came in waves. When I had trouble, it wasnt just one thing, it would be 2 or 3 things go bad about the same time. Id get them fixed, and it would be fine for a while. At this point, the BCM went bad. Im still working with that problem. It has 140K, it aint perfect. I still like it, and still like driving it. Im going to run the wheels off of it.

• 

  The Best Vette I ever owned - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By paul stark - October 23 - 10:00 am

  Ive had 85,87,95,97, & 99 Corvettes, they all been great, but this takes it to a completely new level. This is the greatest car I have ever owned. For the price, there is now better car made. I would give it the highest marks on everything.

• 

  GM Needs to improve quality - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Not Impressed - October 22 - 6:09 pm

  Bought this car used in February 2006. It had been privately owned with 16,000 miles on it. It has the 3.4 liter V6. Two weeks after purchase the CD player quit and had to be replaced. A couple of months later the transmission developed a vibration when shifting from 1st into 2nd. This was apparently a factory defect because there was a campaign out on it. The day I got the car back it began to slip when accelerating from a stop. 3 trips to the dealership to figure this out. A solinoid in the tranny was bad. The manifold gasket started leaking. The steering column rattles and I was told GM was working on this. Not very quickly, my moms 95 Olds does the same thing. The AC has musty smell too

• 

  High Performance SUV - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Alan - October 22 - 6:15 am

  This is the most fun SUV Ive ever driven. The power is super & the handling is more like a sports car. If the bad mileage doesnt bother you this SUV is hands down the best performace SUV out there. Only had a minor problem so far & it was fixed promply. Where else can you get a Corvette engine & handling package in a SUV.

• 

  Colorado Crewcab 2 WD - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Joe Borrero - October 21 - 8:35 am

  For the price, so far it seems to be a great deal. It is easy to drive, park and to put in the garage. The fuel economy on the 5 cyl is debatable but you get more power than in the 4 cyl. I would like to see at least 30 mpg not epa but real gas mileage.

• 

  Nice SUV - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Bruce - October 21 - 7:16 am

  This is a fun SUV. Not to be mistaken for a real off road SUV. The fuel mileage is better than the manufacturer says, Im getting 16.57 mpg. I am looking forward to increasing the horsepower. If you are looking forward to a fun SUV with horsepower this is the SUV for you.

• 

  Long Term Review - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By RetiredGuns - October 18 - 5:06 am

  Duramax/Allison HD LT. This has by far been the absolute best Truck I have ever owned, bar none! In 35 years I have owned all Big 3 Trucks, this is an nearing an excellent choice. I get 22 MPG HWY, 17 City, and 12 with a Truck Camper and 5K LB Boat trailer. If you are considering this model in the used market, make sure LOFs were done, and youd have a gem through 300K miles easy! Its a joy to operate this machine. I have kept it mostly stock with the exception of replacing the Gum Wrapper bumper with an aftermarket Ranch Hand 300 LB thick Steel Tube/Diamondplate one, providing substantial front end protection. This truck is a winner all around otherwise. Id NEVER consider an impor