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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  Frustrated - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By bthann - July 26 - 8:09 pm

  I have had my car for 11 months and it has been in the shop 13 times. It has had problems with the alignment, car pulls to the left, to the radio not working, needing to be replaced. Cruise control wont always engage, and the lock on the back passenger side broke.

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  Good Transportation - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By DK - July 26 - 12:25 pm

  Perfect choice for someone looking for a small car, basic transportation. Decent sound, great on gas, decent room for a small car. Reliable as all outdoors, I loved it.

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  Not very solid - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By fish - July 25 - 10:00 am

  I got my 2006 LT2 ext. cab silverado in april of 2010. It was very clean with only 35,000 miles on it.Now its October and I have replaced both front rotors after they warped, the passenger side window on the back door was replaced because it leaked air. They did a very poor job of that. Now the other side is leaking. The front end knocks I think its the rack and pinion so it is going back for that too. It also has a rattle in the dash, sounds like the instrument panel. Otherwise its GREAT.

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  Great Truck so far - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Pat Patterson - July 24 - 7:00 pm

  I traded in my 2005 GMC 2WD Crew which was a great truck. Couldnt resist the rebates and incentives GM was giving on the 08s besides Id been wanting a 4WD. So far a real nice truck. Ive read where the new truck is worlds better than the old but I cant tell it. Both are great handling, comfortable and well built. I wasnt sold on the looks of the 2008 model but its growing on me, especially in Ruby red. The interior is very nice and comfortable and it also has the dual climate zones which we loved in the old truck. The XM radio feature is a nice change and I like knowing OnStar is there for emergencies. My insurance premium went down also.

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  Avalanches rock! - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Sarah - July 23 - 9:37 pm

  The Avalanche is very easy to drive. mine has the auto 4 wheel drive which I love for the winters in MI. It has awesome steering, I think it manuvers better than my Grand Am did!

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  Good value - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By majorpaynepoo - July 23 - 1:56 pm

  I purchased my Impala not knowing what to expect with front wheel drive and the Impala name on the same car. My car has the 3900 v6 and man it will fly. I love the space it affords me since Im 63" and 240 pounds, with the seat all the way back I can barely reach the pedals. I also have a Deville Concour and Im happier with the Impala than I ever was with the Caddy. I am happy with the redesign of the Impala also I think it looks elegant as well as sporty with the dual exhaust and deep sounding mufflers. Happy, yes only wish there were more exterior locks on this. There is not even a place to put a key in the trunk or passenger door. Design? I dunno....

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  Nice Car Fun to Drive - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Vince - July 23 - 12:48 am

  Bought both 2006 sedan and hatchback within 2 days. Both are automatics, they handle nice on the highway, are a very quiet ride and have a very roomy interior. Gas mileage is 27-28 for both with a/c and mixed hwy/city. Havent taken a trip yet to see Hwy mileage. We have less than 500 miles on the engine and hope to see more improved mileage. So far we are very happy with our purchases.

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  My Cobalt - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By shawn smith - July 22 - 10:55 pm

  I purchased my 2005 Chevy Cobalt in Oct. 2005. It is a wonderful car. It has great gas mileage. I would recommend it to anyone.

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  Go Chevy - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By mr.paradise - July 21 - 11:41 pm

  I purchased my Tahoe in 02 w/74k. She was a 1 owner with a fresh tranny! This SUV is the bomb! Done the average repairs: fuel pump, pittman arm, brakes and rotors. Rides great @75mph. Just remember it is a heavy SUV! You can not drive it like a car and expect the same results. (brakes, fuel economy,maintenance) My tank- Tahoe is holding its own at 167,000 miles with no signs of engine problems. If you are going to buy used, forget Ford and Dodge. Go Chevy

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  97 Chevy Cavalier - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Kirk M. - July 21 - 12:55 pm

  Im 16 and this is my first car. When I first got my car a year ago I loved it to death and never had a problem out of it. But then this month everything has gone wrong with it. It started to overheat continuously and so I pulled over to check the coolant and there was none in it, so I added some. Then the next day it overheated again and there wasnt any coolant in it. So I drove it back home and tried to turn it off but the engine wouldnt stop running. We unplugged the battery and that didnt work so we messed wtih the alternator and it finally quit running. Then I had to have it towed in because it wouldnt start. Then I found out that the coolant was going into the engine so now it will cost $1000