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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  Nice car, right price - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dan - February 6 - 8:58 am

  Nice car for the price value. Surprised at standard options in a low priced car for its category. The seats are very comfortable. As Im 5-4" with the standard feature driver seating adjustments a taller person would be just as comfortable. Rear seating is roomy and comfortable. I am dissappointed however with my overall city driving mpg. I currently am getting 21.5 mpg and I dont drive over 35 mph. Does this car require a "breaking in period" to realize the advertised 24mpg, or better?

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  05 Tahoe OK - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By TahoeOwner - February 5 - 4:01 pm

  Great utility vehicle. Comfortable to drive, handles well for its size. Gets about 17 MPG in mixed (mostly highway) driving.

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  Good truck so far....only 36k on her - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By 8MYCASH - February 4 - 6:31 am

  Good purchase, not many around where I live. Spent over 10g on audio and rims. Got my first place trophy, now its time for speed. Also bought extended warranty to last untill payments are finished. Couple of gripes on the beast. Windshield wipers stripped after 10k, side plastic molding on rear windows stink. Got them fixed twice and the mirror switch works when eva. But all in all, one of the best vehicles Ive owned. Had one of each American made "vehicles"

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  Ouch - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By JA - February 2 - 12:23 pm

  I was pretty pleased with my Colorado until recently. I purchased it new 2.5 years ago. Great ride. Great gas mileage. Good in the snow. The starter had to be replaced after 6 months. My check engine light recently came on. Took it to the dealership. They tell me a cylinder needs replaced. $3,000+. Whoa! Of course the warranty has expired too. This shouldnt happen. The truck isnt that old and I hear of others with the same problem.

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  Great Deal - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Kat - February 2 - 9:56 am

  My husband and I downgraded from a Dodge Ram, and love our little Tracker. Its a plain model, but its 4WD capabilities are awesome. Since its so light, it actually outshines many larger 4WDs. Nothing fancy in ours to break such as power windows. CD player and radio work great. Have had to take off heat shield, bolts came undone and it rattled something terrible. We bought it for his commute to work, and the gas mileage is pretty decent! Turning radius is super small, and it zips around everywhere we need to go. I have no worries about our motor its the same as a geo prisim, and I know those are spectatular. While its not a luxury SUV by any means, it is fun, functional, and reliable!

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  Great For Students! - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By foxxy - January 31 - 3:29 pm

  I bought my 97 Cavalier sedan from a good friend of mine. It had a little body damage when I bought it but nothing major. They had put a new O2 sensor on it but other than that had no major issues with it. So far the only thing Ive had to do to it was put a new water pump on today. Im a college student and I highly reccomend them to anyone looking for an inexpensice way to get around. Despite below freezing temps, mine has started up almost the first time every time. Its really a great car as long as theyre well taken care of. They may not be the fanciest or the fastest car out there, but theyre dependable and great fuel mileage. They really have a lot of potential. I love mine to death!

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  Bubbas Work Truck - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Bubba - January 31 - 3:00 am

  I have been more than pleased with my truck. I have gotten an average of 19 mpg since the truck was purchased and for the way I drive that is great! Even while pulling a load, it has not seemed to effect the milage in any big way. Only thing that has ever erked me was the top speed limit. Plenty of power and performance but a limit of 104. Then again, that may be a good thing.

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  versatile - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By AVALANCHE USER - January 31 - 2:00 am

  nice vehicle to drive and as a towing vehicle it is versatile. Will haul and tow anything. Works will as a people mover to.

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  Wavy Z06 - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By z06mike - January 31 - 2:00 am

  Car is smooth, quick and comfortable. Build quality is poor and not consistent. Inspect your car very well before taking delivery. Some cars fit together better than others, paint quality varies by color and production day. Panel fit can be poor. Body panel smoothness varies car to car. Buy from a place with many Zs to pick from and compare against each other. C6 promising to have better fit and finish. I will not be hard to improve.

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  Needs Fine Tuning - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Lionel - January 30 - 10:27 pm

  This would be a great truck if it was fine tuned. It needs better interior and gas mileage. The high back rear seats block your rear vision. People say the V6S are better, but my 5 will out run the Tacoma V6