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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  Yet another truck. - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Banjo Bill - March 12 - 4:35 pm

  Outside paint is not bad, exept the plastic grill, paint flaking off. Too much plastic for the sun to bleach on the back. Keeps the "back to black" company afloat with the amount I have to use on it. The inside is nice and plentey of room, but a bit plasticy. Seats are comfortable on a long drive. Sound system is great. It has plenty of power to pull stuff, with and without wheels on it. Motor cuts out over 95mph. Four wheel drive works well although a bit noisy. Nice ride for a truck. I use a 4x4 for what its built for on rough terrain and in the mountains. So far its doing well but a few more cross land trips will tell. This is my 8th truck in nearly as may years. I wore the others out.

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  Movin on up - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Urban Burban - March 10 - 10:00 am

  We buy our cars to last, not turn in every two years. I traded in my Sable and kept my wifes 94 Jeep Gran Cherokee. The Surburban is much more refined, tight,and equiped over the Jeep, not to mention over all quality and feeling of quality. The truck has run like a champ if this holds to be true we will keep it for at least 10 years. I would like better gas mileage but it is hard to complain about 18 mpg with this size vehicle.

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  A Great SUV - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By SUV Diehard - March 10 - 10:00 am

  I did a lot of research before buying this SUV. I narrowed my choices to the Chev TB, Accura MDX and Ford Explorer. The TB beat out the others on ride and handling. The turning radius is better than my husbands sedan. Plenty of room in the back for gardening supplies, golf clubs, luggage and home improvement supplies. Plenty of towing power to. After almost 3 years of driving this vehicle, I still think I made the right decision.

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  Great Family SUV - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By DINO - March 10 - 10:00 am

  I love my new Trailblazer EXT LT ! The ride is remarkably comfortable, with great power (for a six cylinder). Very practical for a family (with a second baby on the way)...very roomy. Has a lot of cool gadgets to play with too. All this, and so sporty looking! Highly reccommend this SUV to anyone looking for a great value, great looks and lots of room!

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  Hit or Miss - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By pitbullmutt - March 10 - 10:00 am

  I have bought a few chevy trucks before and this one is much like the rest. I drive my boss ford truck quite a bit and the chevy is much better in terms of comfort and ride.

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  Good Value for the Money - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By john gorczynski - March 9 - 7:26 pm

  Bigger than a Scion, more stylish than the PT Cruiser, this car gets looks from both teenagers and senior citizens. It is comfortable, practical, and drives quite nicely on the highway and back roads. More power would be nice, but for what it is, it is a good all around vehicle with excellent gas mileage. Good points: style, multiple airbags are a good idea, super radio for the money and fun to drive.....Bad points: thick windshield pillars make 10:00 and 2:00 visibility difficult, and low roof line makes tall drivers have to duck down to see traffic lights. I would buy another, and would feel my kids were well protected should they buy one.

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  Nine Years and Still Going - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By jjsouth - March 9 - 3:05 pm

  I bought this car new and feel like its part of the family. There have been small things that go wrong. I had the intake gasket repair ($800) that all GM cars have. My headlight covers have fallen off ($150) and the power sliding door has gone through a few repairs ($400) and is now completely broken. However, given that over the 9 years, Ive only paid about $3500-$4000 for non-maintanence repairs. My mechanic says he would buy this van from me if I ever decide to sell it. I love it. At 119,000, its still going strong. I hope to have it for many more years.

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  Huge bang for your buck. - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Steve - March 9 - 9:14 am

  Solid car that achieves a lot for the money you are paying. Interior is a huge shock to GM owners accustomed to horrible interior design and quality. Aveo rivals current GM cars twice the price. Small car but extreme efficient in space especially with the hatchback system. Ride quality, wow its good, being firm enough but still soft to soak up pothole-ridden streets. You sit up high and so it feels almost like being in a mini-van instead of in a typical bathtub-like experience of typical econoboxes. Power is adequate for single driver but craves more with passengers. With a packed car, plan swift acceleration carefully as itll struggle. Exterior is a beaut. European traits show.

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  2Dr STD 5-speed Cavy - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By cavalier - March 9 - 3:41 am

  Had the car about 2 years now, recently replaced the head gasket ($700) and waterpump ($300), both typical of the 2.2L engine. Extremely fun to drive (5 speed only), ice cold AC, good stock sound system, sporty styling, has never overheated, decent gas mileage, good value for what you pay. Acceleration is great with the 5- sp! Cig lighter is in a bad place, as are temp controls, rattles terribly under 1500 rpm, hesitant idle, shaky at much above 70 mph, cracked dash (of course), "clunky" steering, dash/glove box rattle.

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  2007 LTZ - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By wyok - March 8 - 5:20 pm

  We ordered our LTZ with everything we wanted. We love the ride and room. An option we ordered on it is power retractable steps. We thought this would be a neat option to have. Were we wrong! There are no splash guards to fit with the power retractable steps. Which for us since we live in Wyoming means snow, slush, mud etc. is splashed all up on the side of our truck. We contacted Chevy and were basically told "thats the way it and there wasnt anything that can be done about it." When we discussed our dissatifaction with the dealer he tried to sell me $1200 fender flares and the extra paint protection. Beware if you think you want this option on your next Avalanche.