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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  2005 Impala SS - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By PM - April 25 - 11:35 am

  I recently purchased this car. I love the ride, the style, and the performance. It has around 70,000 miles, and no rattles or squeaks! And while Ive had it only a short time (just over a month), I was quite surprised by the low fuel economy. Even while staying off the boost, the MPG is still pretty lousy. I had a 3.8 in a 97 Pontiac GP, and got much, much better mileage. But I guess thats the price one pays for performance! Other than the mileage, no problems at all!

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  excellent runabout - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By lips - April 24 - 1:34 pm

  We bought car new. No problems in 76000. this is a much better car than its reputation maybe problems are due to improper or lack of maintenance. .

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  High mileage problems ! - 1999 Chevrolet Express
  By Fisherman Joe - April 24 - 1:04 pm

  I purchased my 1500 Express 5 years ago, & when I picked it up I started a long drive home, & at 2:30 am on the freeway it quit. 3 days later I was away again after replacing a fuel pump at about 149,000 mi. The rest of my trip was uneventful. Other than the usual wear & tear (brakes, a 2nd in- tank fuel pump,muffler, door lock).I still have the van with 240,000 mi. For the past year or so, it has been running really rough. I changed fuel filter, spark plugs, distributor, rotor, & other parts to no avail. Finally took it to a dealer. $1950 later it has a new computer, injector, vacuum leak repaired, c/w all tuning & reprogramming. For the last 100 miles or so it runs like new !!

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  Chevy Tracker is my favorite vehicle. - 1998 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Karl - April 24 - 1:03 pm

  I bought my Tracker in 1998 and it has been fun, reliable and a work horse. It has traveled across the country...twice. Seen both east coast and west coast. Gone up mountains and through deserts. It has 146,000 miles and still running strong today. Only problem is its rusting and the parts are becoming hard to fine. It still a great car and I would love to buy another one new.

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  All Good Except Suspension!! - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By damagg13 - April 24 - 9:06 am

  I purchased this 01 Tahoe used in 05 with about 50k on it. Everything has been great, added a dual exhuast along with a k&n filter for a 2-3 mpg increase. Other than that the truck is stock. Mechanically the truck is still in good shape,(engine and trans) but everything else in the car is LOOSE, LOOSE,LOOSE! Steering is awful, and the suspension has not been unfixable! The "autoride" feature has to be the worst automotive engineering mistake ever! Air compressors dont last and shocks are about $400 per unit. Granted the truck is 10 yrs old from build date, but you cant even cure suspension issues without spending thousands!

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  Solid, strong, reliable car - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By JHB - April 24 - 8:55 am

  After my 00 Impala 3.5 racked up 250K miles I decided to buy another one. The 09 Impala LTZ has a tight responsive sport suspension that makes for a GREAT highway ride. Seat are vry comfortable leather. Door close with a solid clunk. Exhaust is finely tuned, sounds great. This 3.9 engine rocks with low end tourge. Put it on the floor from stop and you better hold on to the wheel. Engine sounds refined and tuned with the ohv design. Gas millage over 30 mpg if driven for economy on hwy. Avg 24 hwy/city. HUGE trunk. BOSE stereo sounds awesome. This care feels solid, drives solid and handles solid.

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  Satisfied customer - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Steve Hamachi - April 24 - 12:51 am

  We are very satisfied with this car. Its fun and easy to drive, and it has plenty of power. We love the side mirrors,the back up camera, and the cargo space. Actually, one of the main reasons we decided on the Traverse was because of the generous cargo space. We purchased running boards and think they are a must, and should be an automatic part of the car.

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  Horrible Car - Shame on you GM - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Stephanie - April 23 - 7:33 am

  I bought my 2007 Chevy Impala with 30,000 miles on it I thought I had a great car. Turns out it is NOT a good car. Several things going wrong now and I am at 60,000 miles. My outside trim is falling off, have to add oil before 3000 miles with no explanation, my traction control comes on in warm, dry weather and causes the car to slow down with warning lights saying "reduced engine power" and now the check engine light is on constantly. So far leaving the traction control off is working so I can at least drive it. The radio is junk, the heater only works while driving, not while idling so warming the car up is not an option. Thats great news in MI. I am done with GM vehicles and I WAS a fan.

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  the do everything truck - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By big truck - April 23 - 7:29 am

  This is the best truck we have ever owned it hauls like a big truck and rides like large car. The engine is powerful and very smooth. This is the longest production run of a SUV and it shows. Chevy suburban has it all .

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  Sorry I bought this - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By sorry I bought it - April 23 - 7:19 am

  We bought this 07 Tahoe to haul around our 3 young children. We thought this was going to be a functional family vehicle for many years to come. Boy were we wrong! The Chevrolet engineers obviously do not have children. The LATCH placements make the 3rd row inaccessible when using a child seat and the LATCH system. The 3rd row seats do not fold flat and are too heavy to be taking in and out, the rear doors are designed to come to a sharp point and small children darn near cut their heads open on them when open. My breaks are hanging up at 40,000 miles, my battery died at 30,000 and left me sitting, the door hinges are all frozen up, and do not work worth a crap....wish I had more room