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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  2004 2500HD - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By jaycocamprs - August 11 - 7:06 am

  Have driven this truck for 1 year. Pull an 8000-pound 5th wheel camper with it. Ride is good for 2500 truck. Handles the weight real well. Power is good for small block gas engine. Clutch slave cylinder failed at 10000 miles.

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  Good, not Great - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By racermd - August 11 - 1:30 am

  My 9 mo. old 01 LT has a few issues Id like to address. 1) Fix the ABS. It kicks in too early and too often. 2) The lower-lubar area on the leather buckets needs better long term comfort (4+ hours). 3) Some fit-and-finish details. Too many small rattles. 4) The 5.3L is powerful, but seems lacking in the low-end with the 3.73 ratio. If youre buying a truck to haul, tow, or go off-road with, pick the 4.10. Youll thank me later. Otherwise a solid, capable truck. Yes, Id buy another one.

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  Luv My Z - 1994 Chevrolet Camaro
  By CachMyZ - August 10 - 6:13 pm

  I love this car and would never give it up if I had t-tops. The gas mileage stinks, especially at $3 a gallon. But it sounds awesome (with a Borla exhaust)

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  Enjoying my van - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Chuch - August 10 - 2:58 pm

  II have had this van for 3 weeks now and have racked up over 1,500 miles. We are getting a little over 19 miles per gallon average and with the special ride package, it feels more living “roomish” (Like my Lincoln Town car). It turns on a dime. Getting in and out of the back seat is more difficult than my Village and the gas peddle feels very light, however we cruise at a high rate of speed very often and it feels great both on the highways as well as streets. Everyone raves about the fact that the front looks more like an SUV. Our kids and church kids love the entertainment package. Screen easy to see even from 3rd row. Color and trim looks great. Scotch guard is the watch word for the seats

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  MPG not what its billed to be - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Mike - August 10 - 12:30 pm

  I loved the style and shape. The car was purchased for my daughter who is 16 and will need a car through college. I preferred a Civic (have one), but couldnt afford another right now. Everything about the car pleases me so far except the mileage. I am averaging 18-20 in town and only got 29 on the highway. I hope the mileage improves. If not, I would not have bought it for that reason alone.

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  Solid, Fun to Drive, Easy to Live With. - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Bill Graff - August 10 - 5:31 am

  Fist of all, Edmunds didnt let me choose the right truck model- LT Extended Cab 4x4 Long Bed with the 3.6L V^ and 6 seed auto. I bought my 2015 Colorado becuase I was tired of maneuvering my 2013 Silverado in town and getting just 15.5 MPG. The Colorado still has a 6 foot 2 inch bed, however it is over 15 inches shorter and 6 inches narrower than the fullsize pick-up. Just enough smaller to let the mid-size truck fit into normal parking spaces with some room to spare. The handling and braking are quite good and the 3.6L engine can make the Colorado move quite well, thank you. I drive the truck,not baby it and get very good fuel economy 21.8 mpg average (MPG dropped a bit now as I replaced the OE tires at 30K with a set of Wrangler Adventure W/Kevlar) in combined driving and up to 26mpg on the highway using 89 Octane gas. My single biggest complaint is the front seats. They are built for short, narrow framed occupants. Also, whey does a truck need a console mounted shifter to take up valuable space? A column shift would be much better. I am impressed with the build quality of the body. My Silverado was full of dash rattles and dour squeaks at just 15K while the Colorado has remained tight and noise free even at 30K. The paint job could be better as it has some visible tiger striping in the metallic. This seems to be a common defect on GMs robot painted vehicles. The 4x4 system and Eaton locking rear differential provide very good traction and the traction/stability control works quite well without being overly intrusive. I removed the nearly useless rear seats to gain more in cab storage. Only children would fit back there and I dont have any. If you are planning on hauling more than two people-buy the Crew Cab. All things considered, I really like my 2015 Colorado and would buy one again. These trucks are definitely worth a serious look.

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  The big Trip - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Gobrowns - August 9 - 10:21 am

  Just wanted to let you all know that I recently drove my little Aveo from Alaska to Texas. This car handled the mountains, rough roads, and the 4,800 miles I put on it in just 5 days. I have the best value hatchback so I dont have all the amenities as the other models but I made it safe and sound and the car held up remarkably well. Ive owned the car for 6 months now and 7,000 miles later the only thing Ive had to take it into the shop for was the darn hatchback handle broke. Other than that, absolutely, this car is a tank. Oh and by the way I only spent $600 dollars on gas for my 4,800 mile trip!

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  Nice all Around car ! - 1999 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Randy C - August 7 - 8:13 pm

  My wife and I have had this car for 7+ years. It is the closest thing to being a perfect auto that I have ever owned. Way ahead of the imports! If GM still made them I would buy another.

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  High Mileage - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By paulstoy - August 7 - 2:18 pm

  Great car, over 90,000 miles now, only problems are brakes (front)warp out, front spoiler drags from every driveway. Great mileage, have gotten 35 on highway driving using cruise control. A little road noise now as the mileage builds, but not bad. Be sure to get leather seats, the last one had cloth.

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  Not bad for the money - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By marcladue - August 7 - 12:46 pm

  This car is built relatively well. The body seems to be substantial and fit is good for the price. The car drives adequately well, but thats about it. Many driving characteristics are fair at best. Handling lacks feel for the road and the car seems to levitate/drift at upper highway speeds. Acceleration is a bit sluggish yet. Braking feels very "all or none." On the inside, the seats are okay--a bit wobbly as you shake them but OK. The sound system is decent but defintiely not great. Controls are a bit tougher to reach than would be ideal. Still it seems to hold together. Relatively smart looking instrument panel. Not a bad car for the price, but definitely not extraordinary.