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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  Z71 2003 - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By 29lil1` - August 1 - 2:00 am

  Although it is a large vehicle, it is relatively easy to handle and very comfortable to drive.

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  Nice car poor service -design flaws? - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By hksunshine - August 1 - 2:00 am

  Have LS. Fun Car to drive, great pickup and good milage. Buying experience painless. Service is an issue. Contes service departments response to issues : It bottoms out going up or down ramps even at slowest speeds (5mph) ..told thats normal! If I stop and immediately start Impalas engine turns several times and theres a delay in dash lights coming on, told they didnt find anything wrong! Occasional hesitation under acceleration, they couldnt find anything wrong! Trunk popped with keyfob doesnt open all the way and hard to close..you guessed it.."normal". Moisture inside right headlamp, replaced headlamp and..still moisture.Too bad..nice car otherwise.

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  Great Minivan - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Silas - July 31 - 9:53 pm

  This minivan replaced my 2000 Honda Odyssey. We purchased this van in February 2005 and have driven 46K miles so far. We dont expect it to perform like a sport car but it definitely out-performs our previous Odyssey, both in power and handling. We averaged 2-4 family trips to Florida yearly and it is a great vehicle for our three kids in a 9 hour ride. Yes, we had some maintenance issues like others rating this vehicle but nothing major. Gas mileage is great when compared to our other car, which is an SUV with 15 mpg. We are about to purchase the 2008 LT model.

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  Great Car - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By TUowl05 - July 31 - 8:57 pm

  I bought a 2002 2 door LS sport in July of 2003 with 5k miles on it. It was a great car that was extremely reliable and relatively fun to drive. I only had to replace the drivers side window motor as that went out at about 35k miles. Other than that the car was flawless. My only complaint was the paint is pretty crappy. You could scratch it with your fingernail. Despite waxing it reguraly nicks and scratches always seemed to pop up. I recently traded it in on an 06 Saab 9- 3 but even with the step up I still miss my Cavalier. It was a great little car during my college years. It had 55,000 miles on it when I got rid of it and was pleased with the $5k trade in I got for it.

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  2006 HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By kcjonz - July 31 - 2:36 pm

  Purchased new 2.4L with 5 speed manual transmission. Fun to drive although does not inspire hard driving. Fuel economy close to EPA estimates, to achieve the highway EPA must be kept under 70 mph. Mine has the "sport" suspension, still has excessive body roll. 17" wheels a must.

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  Wow, what a looker! - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Rick Ratayczak - July 30 - 8:10 pm

  I purchased my 2007 HHR fall limited edition on July 5th. It has the spoiler, running boards, and a factory pinstripe. Ive put 2000 plus miles on it in three weeks! Went to Memphis from Milwaukee and back on a road trip. I love this car.

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  2005 Tahoe Z71 4X4 Bermuda Blue Metallic - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Jim0031 - July 30 - 10:00 am

  Just got it yesterday 09/29/04, love it, beautiful truck great to drive. Only complant for me is being 65" the drivers legroom is limited at least on my right leg buy the console, but overall very satified with this monster. (well it seems like a monster after driving a windstar the last few years)

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  ok! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By kyro298 - July 30 - 10:00 am

  Little interior things wrong--screws and pins fall out. Havent had it long enough to tell anything else.

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  OK so far - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Marty - July 30 - 2:03 am

  I have the base model with no options. The standard list of equipnment is impresive, far more than Toyota Camry and for a lot less money. This car is worth a look if you are in the market for a large sedan.

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  Buy one and feel younger - 2000 Chevrolet Corvette
  By vchanpe - July 29 - 11:14 pm

  Purchased a well maintained used glossy black 2000 Vette with 6 sp last year for $22K and I am having the time of my life. I am 55 but I feel like a teenager again. My previous cars were muscle cars and luxury cars and I will never go back. I knew the power was there but the grip is unbelievable. I have taken freeway exit curves at 50 mph where the speed limit was 25 mph. My muscle cars could not do that. I am averaging 20 MPG overall with the 6 speed while my brothers GTO and my sons Transam gets only 18 MPG with the same engine but with automatics. Noisy car but I will be installing sound insulation soon. My next car after this one will be a Vette.