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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  Take this truck and ... - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Truckhound - June 23 - 9:20 pm

  The truck I have is a company vehicle Ive used since new. It only failed to start once and I only needed to wait 10 minutes to have it start. Reason unknown. This truck has been serviced regularly and performs flawlessly. Canadian winters are no obstacle as long as you have winter tires and keep a couple of sand bags over the rear axle for severe winters. If driven with a light touch the fuel economy is outstanding even with a decent load. The interior is very spartan cheap in fact. It is functional, the climate controls work well but I dearly miss a center armrest of some kind. There isnt much this truck wont do. You can take this truck, put it to task and it wont let you down!

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  Not really an SUV - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Kwasi Asante-Ansong - June 23 - 7:07 pm

  Seriously the flex fuel is a waste and also dont trust the back glass because it falls off and it will be your fault that it was not well built. Save some money for the tires and all the things that go wrong every time you service your car.

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  Comfortable Driving - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By sueATL - June 23 - 6:13 pm

  Bought this car in 2006. Normal wear and tear, service regularly and get good mileage. Had to change rotors and no other parts so far. However was very disappointed to pay over $200 to exchange steering fluid. this should be change with regular oil change and not hit with high bill at 100,000 miles. Also dash light went out and cost $200 to replaced according to mechanic because of location. Small changes can reduce service cost. Overall good road experience. Will buy another Malibu.

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  Excellent truck! - 2008 Chevrolet Colorado
  By silver08colorado - June 23 - 3:29 pm

  The truck has decent stock power and performance for the 5 cyl. I had to make some slight modifications to increase its overall power and now Im up there right around the stock v8. I got the truck with 22 miles on it, and Ive put on over 24,000 miles since. This truck has a mean look to it. Even though I have the silver birch color, I would have liked the silver to be a more true silver like the Toyota. The gas mileage isnt the greatest, I average about 260-280 miles per full tank before the "low fuel" light comes on. I have the cloth interior which I enjoy. Only issue I had was a loose connection on the 4wd box which was fixed under warranty.

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  My first.... - 1995 Chevrolet S-10
  By Chevygirl - June 23 - 1:49 pm

  I bought my S-10 9 years ago when I was 22,it was my first truck AND first vehicle I have ever owned. It only had 98,000 miles on it and now has around 170,000. Other than regular tune ups, break changes and flat tiers the amount of money I have had to put into it. Has been less then $500! And when something does go wrong the fact that its American made makes it all the more easier and cheaper to fix and get fix. Her MPR is starting to drop but thats to be expected. Shes a 2wd but has put 4 wd to shame. Drives fully loaded and unloaded like a dream. Great interior. Still nothing to complain about 9 years later. Already bought another one and looking for the next one. Still got her though!!

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  Car going in reverse while in Drive - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By RM - June 23 - 1:37 pm

  Is anyone experiencing problems with the trailblazer going in reverse while in drive? It has happened to me twice, once in traffic, while stopped at a light on a slight hill. The only way it would go forward was to turn it off and restart it.

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  Love mine! - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By L. Reeve - June 22 - 5:14 pm

  Bought my 2008 in 2008. Have 40K mi. on it now. (3 road trips). Pulls my travel trailer like its not there and I get over 18 mpg. while pulling it! I get 19.8 in town. I have had no issues with it at all except a rattle where the sun roof is. One road trip was long and it was extremely comfortable. I have three Boxers and they all fit comfortably in the rear. No mechanical problems whatsoever. Sorry they arent still making them!

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  Wallet Saver - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By G8rB8t - June 22 - 7:30 am

  Great little car. I drive 116 miles a day and given that this car has nothing, and I mean nothing to it, it does the job well. I can live without the AC and the AM/FM radio is par but works and helps me survive the commute. The sole purpose of this car was as a commuter for work and nothing more and it does just that. Currently have filled the tank 20 times and am averaging 35.7 MPG. I am a spirited driver so I am sure others could do much better if they dont average 10 mph over the limit like I do.

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  Great SUV - but mileage not great - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By darryl - June 21 - 10:24 pm

  The 2010 Traverse AWD vehicle has been a good car for my family. We love the room, the comfort of the seats, and the AWD. We have gone skiing 8 times with this car and it has never slipped once in the snow/ice. The handling of the car is very good considering its size and weight. We have not had one maintenance problem or "noises" yet but its too new. The 20" tires and the power side mirrors (fold in) are very nice to have. The Radio/DVD system are good. The nav could be improved on. The 3rd row seats fold down really easy (compared to our Odyssey) and it is nice that it splits (for skis). For the price I paid and for the features it is a good deal

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  AC Comes in and Out - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By GM - June 21 - 10:02 pm

  Does not get fuel mileage as rated. Has AC problem that the dealer cannot correct. At a red light or stop sign or setting still that AC will stop cooling. At low RPM. When you get back to highway speed the AC starts cooling again. Dealer is trying to tell me this is the way it was engineered. I disagree.