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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  My Colorado - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By mongo - October 29 - 6:46 pm

  I am experienced with the S-10 and this model is better than the older model. The frame is stronger, the handling, braking, and steering are better, and since buying it in Sep 06 Ive had no problems. I will admit that the interior plastic could be firmer but I am sure the factory has reasons for the flexible plastic now used.

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  Solid little car - 2001 Chevrolet Metro
  By mebrich - October 29 - 5:22 pm

  I bought this car as a puddle jumper to get to and from work. I have been pleasantly surprised by this little car. Suzuki did a good job with the engine. Honestly the car is what it is, a small economy car. The only complaint I have with it is that it is noisy on the interior. Engine noise, especially at higher speeds, basically over 65 mph.

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  Great small GM car - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By nathan - October 28 - 8:23 pm

  This is my first new car, and it is absolutely great! It has excellent handling, is incredibly easy to park, and people are constantly amazed at how much room the interior has. At first the manual transmission was a little rubbery, but after 9000 miles it has broken in nicely and shifts much better. Absolutely no maintenance problems whatsoever. The car actually seems to be holding up well in Michigan on a dirt road (our normal roads are also pretty nasty). Good ride, definitely easy to push through the curves. Too bad GM cant figure out how to make something similar in America, or without stealing from Daewoo, though.

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  Handsome and solidly built - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Skuuter - October 28 - 12:03 am

  My wife and I looked at the Toyota 4Runner, Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango and Nissan Armada as well as the Chevy TrailBlazer. I was leaning toward the Chevy, but let my wife make the final decision since she would be the primary driver. All five SUVs could handle the necessary trailering of our 3300 lb. sailboat and were comparably priced at the trim levels we wanted. It won her thumbs up for comfort, solid feel, on- demand power, and aesthetics. After 23K miles it has proven to be very reliable, comfortable on short and long trips and she gets at least 17 mpg on her daily 60 mile trips into the congested city. No squeaks or rattles, lots of oomph and classic looks make this a winner.

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  Equinox - So Far So Good - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Tim - October 27 - 11:56 pm

  My wife and I have enjoyed the Equinox very much. Great room for the kids in the back, and all the stuff we carry around. For the price, we find the Equinox a very good vehicle. Only problem we have had is a "clunk clunk clunk" from the back occasionally after startup.

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  Got Pulled into this one - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By hksunshine - October 27 - 9:40 pm

  Compared vs the Camry, Accord & others. Chevy gave me best lease deal on LT2 with V6. Great looking car & comfortable drive. Loose motor mount problem on delivery. First time locked the windows, the switch blew. Was a week before the dealer could get it fixed. Very dramatic and dangerous torque steer from a stop or on hard acceleration. Have been to 3 dealers, involved GM mgmt office but response I get is that it is "normal" for this car. Drove another & it was not as bad. I love the toys- bluetooth, XM, remote start etc. Onstar O.K.(have had wrong directions). To sum, major safety flaw-if not for that Id love it. Glad its a lease. Had to do again Id go for 4 cyl. MPG Hwy 30+ City 17.

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  BartMans Z71 Silverodo - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Bart De Coro - October 27 - 3:20 pm

  This truck is a looker! Good power. Fun to drive. Needs a better upgrade on the Bridgestone tires. Had defects in 200 miles. The ride is fairley smooth being a four wheel drive. XM Radio and OnStar is a must have! Got a pretty fair deal on this truck.

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  05 Colorado Z71 - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By jvassau - October 26 - 5:14 am

  I purchased the 05 Colorado after having four S-10s over the past 8 years. I was looking for more room, comfort and economy. I have found all of this and more. I was skeptical of the L-5, but that engine has all the guts of my other trucks and then some, the transmission is great. The truck has proven to be reliable and gets much better mileage than the S-10s, with just a little tweaking, air intake, chip and suspension upgrades. The 4 wheel drive has proven to be good quality system, i believe an upgrade from the S-10, whether in snow, ice or off road, construction site. The payload needs a bit of help, suspension wise. All in all I am satisfied with my puchase.

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  Cavalier Racer - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Jason Howard - October 25 - 5:33 pm

  I am currently building up my cavalier to race and take to car shows. It actually handles and responds better than I thought it would when I got it.

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  LTZ Z71 Crew Cab - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By 3006 - October 25 - 1:23 pm

  LTZ Z71 Crew Cab is the way to go! So far, I am averaging 17.9mpg with 12k miles of driving in all conditions. I love pretty much everything about this truck and I havent had to take it in for any warranty work yet! the only thing I can say need improvemnts are the roof height if you get a sunroof. I am 62" and sometimes I my head brushes the roof. Annoying as heck. Also, the rear bumper is worthless in the new trucks. I was bumped in the rear left corner. With the old truck, I wouldnt have had any damage at all. However, the bumper on the new truck folded right in and the side panel crushed. $1500 to repair! The lady hardly touched me!