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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  Fun but still a Chevy - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By GP - April 22 - 7:43 am

  Bought this car new in December. The car has 200 miles on it and devloped a power steering fluid leak. Been back to the dealer twice. Dealer replaced power steering rack/gear unit and the resivior - still leaking.

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  base model Silverado - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By bwhitney - April 21 - 10:56 pm

  Great vehicle for teenagers. Limited passenger space on the regular cab, great visability and large enough to feel safer than a compact vehicle. Plus, a pickup always comes in handy.

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  Nice vehicle!!! - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By GBPacker - April 21 - 10:00 am

  Bought new. Fun to drive; impressed with smooth engine and automatic transmission. Nice height, easy in & out. Couple of minor problems with wipers/auto moisture detect. Dealer fixed, no further problems. Owned a GMC Yukon previous; nice vehicle, but the Trailblazer is great. Would definitely buy again. Drivers side rearview mirror changes position when key is removed and engine restarted.

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  Complaint free - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Chris - April 20 - 7:51 pm

  Ive had this truck 2.5 yrs. and have put roughly 135,000 miles on it and thinking about a new 2007 replacement. Needless to say, with all the miles Ive put on my truck, with no repairs needed, with the exception of two minor warranty repairs, this truck has been virtually trouble free. There is nothing wrong with the interior. It is what it is somewhat plain but extremely tough sensible hard plastic save for the cloth seats and well laid out. The exterior styling still impresses me as the best looking mid size crew cab on the road.

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  Wish they built more - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By RIC - April 18 - 8:38 pm

  I bought this truck about 8 months ago and I have hauled rocks, dirt, gravel, all of my stuff from a move, 2 boats, and all the while in the worst snow, ice, and whatever God could throw at you, and it performed like a beauty with 22 mpg at 132,000 miles. Paid $7k for the truck and I have used the 4x4 push button more times than you could shake a stick at. it has a litte cubby behind the rear seat for whatever tools you may need, a sliding rear window, can tow 5200lbs out of an awesome 4.3 6cyl.compared to the Dakotas 3400lbs max for their v6 (wimpy). Do not buy if you need a finesse city truck. I have had no issues yet with the truck. But at 132K what can I say? The thing is "like a rock".

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  2 Door Tahoes are awesome - 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By JW - April 18 - 8:59 am

  I love the size, the design, the features. The only negative I can see is the gas mileage is about 13-14 in town.

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  One Nice Truck! - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By overhaul - April 18 - 5:36 am

  I just bought this truck about a month ago. Only problem was a bad serpentine belt. The power is very nice. I have the 6.0L and I cant feel any weight that I haul - Its like its not there. I used to have a 94 Chevy Cheyenne with a 305, and anytime that I put even just passengers in it, it felt lugged. I love the interior - feels like I am sitting in a recliner in a living room. I average about 10mpg when I am not towing, but hey, its an HD. Love the 3000lbs+ payload. Its very cozy on the highway.

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  Great Van but died too soon - 1997 Chevrolet Astro
  By jkumpire - April 17 - 10:46 pm

  We purchased this Astro as a conversion in 1990 with 18K. It just died last week when the tranny died at 246K. The Astro was a good van, though after 150K miles it started to suck up money. We had prblems with a fuel pump, one window motor, the paint coming off after 200K miles, and the A/C system and hood latch. It also ran through a lot of tires in its time, but it went over a lot of rough roads too. We got our money out of the thing, the Starcraft conversion was excellent, and the gas mileage was decent for most of its career at 20 mpg. The biggest pain was the well documented vacuum hose problem. The bad rap the Astro got for crash tests and bad production values was not true in out case!

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  Nice features, mechanical problems - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By mom3 - April 17 - 8:45 pm

  Lots of nice features to enjoy, but would really like to see more rear seating options like a split 3rd row seat. The spare tire is a real hassle to get to. Poor performance going up a hill.

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  Great Family Sedan, Cheap Mechanics - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By PATRICK - April 17 - 9:50 am

  Bought this Impala new. Now has 81,000 miles. Best family sedan out. Have 3 children and all fit comfortably in backseat with plenty of luggage space. Great gas mileage and comfortable for long trips. Adequate acceleration, braking and handling. Mechanically, apparently cost accountants undercut engineering, hurting Chevys reputation. Twice had to have steering shaft repacked with lube since steering column felt "loose". At 80,000 miles intake gasket gave out leaking antifreeze, costing $700 to repair. My 1st car was a 65 Corvair with 44,000 miles. Gaskets leaked oil. Replaced them with better quality and car lasted 100,000 more miles with no leaks when I sold it. When will Chevy learn?