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:

• 

  Good Car - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By APJ - August 3 - 10:00 am

  I think that the Cavalier is under appreciated, it is a good, enjoyable to drive and looks good too. i personally think it is a better looking car than the Corolla or Civic.

• 

  BIGGER IS BETTER - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By COACH - August 3 - 10:00 am

  I WENT FROM EXPLORER TO EXPEDITION TO A YUKON XL THE EXCURSION WAS TO BIG AND A GAS HOG THE TURNING RADIUS IS UNBELIVEABLE AND IM GETTING CLOSE TO THE SAME GAS MILAGE AS THE EXPLORER 5.0 AND TOWS MY 22" BOAT LIKE ITS A JET SKI MY WIFE LOVES DRIVING IT MY GOLF BUDDYS LOVE IT AND I WILL BUY ANOTHER ONE

• 

  Never buy a black Tahoe - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Bmore Charlie - August 3 - 10:00 am

  Hard to keep clean. This is a very good handling vehicle with a smooth ride on good and bad roads. It has a few rattles that were repaired. The transmission failed at 24,000 miles and had to be torn down and repaired. The dealer said it was not something that has happened with Tahoes. It was repaired quickly and a loaner car provided. Great leather seats.

• 

  Another Intake Gasket! - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Izodmartin - August 2 - 12:46 pm

  Great car in every way but the engine. I purchased this car off eBay with 85,000 on it. It drove nicely and needed very little upkeep until the intake gasket blew. It went while driving 65 on a long highway miles from anywhere. Lucky I had AAA and my cell phone. $300 worth or parts and 2 weekends later the car is driving again.

• 

  Smooth - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By GoldMist07 - August 1 - 12:50 pm

  Vast improvement over 06s. It was worth the wait. MPG is an issue but is close to EPA results (14/18) with 4WD. Overall this is a great vehicle to drive. Chevy has hit a home run, too bad gas is $3.25 now.

• 

  Pleased - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By ERIC - July 31 - 7:36 pm

  As a family of four, the TrailBlazer has served us well and lived up to the utility in "SUV". We are currently looking at a new one.

• 

  What a boat - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Mark - July 31 - 6:49 pm

  I am a fairly young driver(21) and I am hard on my vehicles, previously owning a Scion xB and a Honda S2000. This domestic has truly surprised me on how reliable and amazing to drive. I have taken my truck through miles and miles of snow and on a regular basis a good 2 feet of water (Through a part of a river close to home). I have yet to have any major service, only an A/C belt and oil/fluids that I can change myself. I go on trips almost every weekend with at least 6 people each time. I love the room and with a programmer this thing is like a giant rocket.

• 

  Fun Truck - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Martha - July 31 - 3:24 pm

  I love driving this truck. It has a sunroof, which I love. It looks sharp and I have not had one problem mechanically. I am able to haul just about anything I want in it. I have hauled 10 foot boards with the tailgate up. I have never used the tailgate partially down. I have a folding cover on it. I am pretty happy with this cover however, I wont take the guard off the tailgate so it is not totally tight. I like the lock on the tailgate. The cover has 2 locks on it. I took the keys out of the cover and just lock the tailgate. If I want in, open tailgate and slide lever namually for top. good.

• 

  2006 Aveo LS - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Billy - July 30 - 8:57 pm

  I have 600 miles on my new Aveo LS and so far I am pleased. First tank of gas was 32 mpg mostly highway miles. Second tank was 34.5 mpg. I hope it conteniues to go up from here. I bought it as a transportation car to save on gas to and from work but find myself wanting to drive it all the time. I also have a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 that I love but at 13 mpg it sits home alot.

• 

  Good starter car - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Erica - July 30 - 10:07 am

  I like the sporty look of the outside and the ease of driving it. However, the seats could be more comfortable and the alloy rims are very expensive to replace. It has the basic features I need and is a good starter car.