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:

• 

  i love my truck - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By cheinold - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I didnt think i would find a suv that I liked better than my blazer but I love my trailblazer. The ride is great; it is comfortable and roomy. I can separate my granddaughters when they are fighting! One in the middle and one in the back.

• 

  2 doors rule - 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By OCyndi - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. It is the closest I have come to my 71 GTO. The only decent sports cars can only be two doors. When I am in the drivers seat, I am so comfortable the leather seats just rap around you. I know I can step on the gas pedal to get out of any predicament that happens around me. Chevrolet has a very good car right now, and the color red makes it really stand out as a decent looking sports car. I love driving 70 on the freeway with both windows and sunroof open.

• 

  BEST TRUCK I EVER HAD! - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Donny - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I really love this truck! Its awesome style and sleek look really turns heads. My wife WAS NOT a real big truck fan until she drove the Avalanche. I only had the truck 45 minutes and I had the windows tinted and 22" rims put on it "IT REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE" My friends call it a AVA-CADE or ESCA-LANCHE.now dont steal my name. HA HA HA Thanks, Donny from MARRERO LOUISIANA

• 

  Great Value, Reliable Truck - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Carolinaguy - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought this truck with 30K miles, and have driven it to 80K with not a single problem. I regularly get 20 MPG on mostly highway driving, and it is comfortable on longer trips. Ive also owned a Ford F150 and Ford Ranger, and its unreal how much more room this extended cab has in it. I cant imagine how much the double cab has. This has been a great ownership experience and I love this truck. I see many with 150-200K miles so I look forward to owning this one for a while.

• 

  Chevy has done it again - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By dernbro - July 23 - 10:00 am

  This truck is awsome,,the ride ,the looks,,what else can you ask for---its all here!!I will never buy any other truck, but a chevy..

• 

  Like A Rock - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Happy Trucker - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I live in the country and dont have repair shops every other block but, since Ive had my Silverado I dont need to visit them anyway. As long as I keep the oil and other fluids clean and at the right levels I keep trucking on.

• 

  Awesome Truck, with room for improvement - 2008 Chevrolet Suburban
  By TXlnghrn - July 22 - 10:59 pm

  Had a 99 Burb but stuff kept going wrong so ended up with a new 08 LTZ. Overall great truck and I love to drive it. Average about 14mpg city (0.7-1 mpg less than onboard pc states) and around 10mpg towing my boat. In 3.5 months I have put over 5K miles on it. Personally, I think it looks awesome inside and out, and the materials seem top notch except for one thing (and this is why I wanted to leave a review). In less than 4 months, my passenger side headlamp is already starting to cloud up. I live in TX and where I park it gets full sun from noon to dusk, but for a $50K vehicle, this is absolutely unacceptable!

• 

  Love my Aveo - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By aveo fan - July 22 - 3:32 am

  Great car, have had it for 3 years, bought brand new at a dealer. If you want something more than a reliable, gas sipping tin can on wheels dont buy this, you will be dissapointed. Never any problems with it, have driven it from midwest to east coast, comfortable.

• 

  Big Boat, Nice Float - 1993 Chevrolet Caprice
  By art - July 22 - 2:36 am

  I have owned this old river barge for nearly a year and love it! I explain it, "as if you were driving the couch". Having put 20k on in 10 months, I have few complaints. All the mileage one could expect, probably more for a 305ci, river barge. I get a consistent 22mpg running my route, (450 miles weekly), & as high as 27 on a road trip.

• 

  Awesome - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Paul Justice - July 22 - 1:30 am

  I bought this car to drive to and from work. It turns out that for only $20k you can get a car with this much zip and is so much fun to drive. Over 30mpg for a car that can beat most compacts off the line. Buy this car. It is so much fun and sporty looking too.