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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  One of My Favorites - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Venom274 - May 5 - 10:28 pm

  My Blazer isnt actually a 4x4, its one of the few 95s with AWD. I absolutely Love this truck. its currently my project. I honestly think its a lot more reliable than what people say it is for I havent had that many problems with it. The few things that did go like a fuel pump or pcv valve is expected at 160k miles. Other than that I am a huge off-road/muddying enthusiast and the blazer withstands its abuse and handles great while also maintaining a great grip on the road in wet conditions. I can take corners in the rain like its dry weather. the blazers body stabilizers make the blazer what it is. Im never getting rid of it.

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  2010 Camaro 2SS - V8 - 6 Speed Manual - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Brandon32172 - May 5 - 11:42 am

  What an awesome car! I love this car. Everywhere I go people stare, admire, and comment about this beautiful car. This car is fun to drive and feels great on the road. The powerful 426hp V-8 is throaty but quiet in the cabin. The Pirelli P-Zero tires stick to the road like glue even in the rain. It has a surprisingly comfortable ride even when driving on rough roads after a bad NY winter. The leather seats are attractive, comfortable, and hold you well while driving. The interior design and lighting (top of door panels light up as well) is fun and stylish. I actually saved $300/year on car insurance going from a 2004 Maxima?!?

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  The coolest car ever . - 2005 Chevrolet SSR
  By shams - May 5 - 4:39 am

  I have driven almost every exotic car being in the car business for many years, there is none as fun and as cool as the six speed SSR i bought from Freehold Pontiac. GM made the mistake of introducing the SSR with a weak engine initially, what a mistake! that is why this magnificent did not do well, they should remake the car with some upgrades and a 600 HP engine. and you will see that it will outsell any convertible sport car out there, this work of art turns more heads than Ferrari and Lambo. It is such fun to drive that when you get home , you feel like going out again for another ride, now that is cool, how many other cars can you say that for? I hope GM is reading our comments.

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  Unreliable - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By rod howard - May 5 - 1:36 am

  Ran great for 1500 miles and then the check engine light came on, 2 days in the shop for repairs. A month later the Traverse starts to jerk when accelerating causing transmission to fail, 4 days in the shop. Got it back and it ran great for 6 month it starts again. Trade for Lexus RX450h

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  Camaro Euphoria! - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By UNDCamaro - May 4 - 10:57 pm

  I love this car. Turned out to be way better than I expected. The V-6 has plenty of power (304 hp) and no one knows any different. The head-turns and interest in the car is awesome. Im a college guy and the girls sure love this car.

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  Reliable but ugly - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By macjoel - May 4 - 8:39 pm

  This was my first car, I got it used. I like it a lot, but the interior is made of cheap plastic and is extremely flimsy and the springs in the seats popped out of the back of the seat. Driving the car is comfortable, but riding in it is EXTREMELY uncomfortable. There is virtually no legroom in the back, and the passenger seat in the front is weird, it feel like your being squeezed. As for the exterior, the design was dated way before it came out. It basically looks like a crappy four door version of a 90s mustang. Performance is good, no complaints there, so the only thing is the interior and exterior.

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  wonderful w-body - 1994 Chevrolet Lumina
  By jay - May 4 - 8:13 pm

  I bought the lumina Euro of Craigslist for $500. It has over 211,000 mi. I dont know if this car has the original motor in it. I run and drives great. The motor is so in tune it sounds like the 97 olds cutlass 3100 sfi. The is my 3rd lumina I had a 93 Euro and 91 z34.

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  Trail Blazer LTZ 6 In Line Engine 4WD - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Nayef - May 4 - 3:19 pm

  We bought our 2nd TB. I am satisfied with the car, but not the dealer :( Navigation System is there but the maps/program is not loaded and when I asked them for it, they told me the workshop has it. The workshop thought I as from Mars or other planets when I asked them to load the Map/Software. The car is excellent but the Dealer service is poor. BTW, I mean the dealer in the State of Qatar. a small country in the Arabian Gulf.

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  Some things to Consider - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Matt - May 4 - 11:17 am

  I bought my Avalanche in 2006 and have had it until present. I have put quite of bit of miles on it, and seems to be doing just fine. The transmission did go out at 116k miles because of the four wheel sticking in between 2wd an 4wd. All in all this is a really good driving truck, makes parking lots a breeze to pull into, and can handle when you press the gas pedal through the floor as well. You cant go wrong with it if your wanting a SUV and Truck together.

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  My best car yet. - 1995 Chevrolet Beretta
  By James - May 4 - 11:10 am

  This is the best car that I have ever had. Rides great and I have not had to put money into it. I get average fuel mileage with it.