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:

• 

  Stephen review - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By Stephen - April 8 - 10:23 am

  I have driven this vehicle throughout Germany. I love the truck. It has been 100% reliable. Problems I had were as follows: The recline handles on both seats broke before 30000 miles becuase of substandard metal used where they scew onto. The truck wants to slide easy and traction is not good, despite the tires. After 140,000 I still dont burn oil, I am religious on changes. Also the brakes tend to wear out fast on the front and rotors warp quick. (All GMs seem to do this) I love the body style it is timeless and the 4.3 is a great little engine, but I really dislike the plastic coolant outlet valve on the radiator. Apart from these things shes done me great. Reliable as hell. Wind noise is bad.

• 

  Disapointed - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By hiram - April 7 - 6:23 pm

  Wind makes it hard to handle. Blind spots. Almost ran over my daughter, and wrecked 3 times becouse of it. Not comfortable, not enough room. No room in trunk. I do not like the car! Cant wait to trade it in.

• 

  2005 Chevrolet Impala LS - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Ken - April 7 - 5:01 pm

  I purchased one of the last 2005s at my local dealer, it was on the showroom floor. So far, I really enjoy this car, its comfortable, runs real well (3.8L V-6), and returns exceptional gas mileage. My commute is 100% city, no highway driving, in fact, I rarely get this car on the highway, and I consistently average 19 m.p.g. in city driving, not bad for a large 5 passenger sedan. The dash is a bit dated, but the exterior still has alot of appeal, and one of my favorite things about the exterior is that it is instantly recognizable as a Chevy, especially at night when the taillamps are lit !

• 

  Great Truck!...BUT....... - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Travis - April 7 - 4:33 am

  My truck overall has been a great truck except for a few things:1st the throttle body had to be replaced shortly after purchase(I know 12 others who have experienced this) the fuel gauge dances around all the time because the sending unit is bad (Lots of problems here also) (not recalled and cant pay to fix), Im in the process of having to fix possibly the carrier bearings on drive shaft because of a roar in the rear end. Steering shaft was recalled to be lubed. Overall I have really enjoyed this truck. I have driven all over the country with it, pulled and hauled trailers and the 5.3 has been great. Fuel mileage is great for the size and power. Confortable and has been very reliable.

• 

  Content with TrailBlazer LTZ - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By content - April 7 - 2:00 am

  My First SUV in ages... Very satisfied with this barely used [9900 miles] Loaded TrailBlazer LTZ. Ive had it one month and put 1000 miles on it so far. First roadtrip was 300 miles in a winter storm that brought 10+inches of snow so I was able to try out the AWD and 4WD options and had no troubles with either rather was surprised at how well it travelled with both. -2nd cup holder is hard to use if you have your cell phone and/or radar plugged in as the cords block its use.

• 

  A GOOD CAR - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By AL LAWRENCE - April 7 - 2:00 am

  Have had this car for 5 months. I have owned many cars, but this one seems to be the best so far. It handles great, fuel milege is great. The dealer has treated me great, unusuall for my experience with new cars. I shopped around before buying and chose the empala for open road performance. Fun to drive, the only problem I do have is backing up the car, the design of the body causes low rear visibility. It takes getting use to.

• 

  I love my Blazer! - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By MaudieMae - April 6 - 11:42 pm

  Ive loved driving this Blazer. I love the ride of this Blazer. Going on six years and had to put an alternator and battery in it. Just got new tires because at 100,000 miles I figured I "should", but the original ones still looked good! Didnt need brakes at 100,000 miles! Some trim on the doors so they wouldnt get banged would have been great and more floor room on the passenger side too. I only wish I would have bought a 4 door for the extra room for hauling and boy do we haul stuff! Have taken it out west twice, mega trips north & south and always performed excellent.

• 

  Dress It Up! - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By 1st Tahoe - April 6 - 11:01 am

  I have owned several cars/SUVs in the past. I replaced a BMW 325xi with my Z71. I bought the Tahoe for 31k with 12K miles. Previous owner put 20" rims, dual side exhaust, all window tinted, nav, 6 disc, remote start, xeon lights and high flow air. Stands Out. I tow a 27 powerboat with the truck. Cant even tell it is being pulled. Ride great, handles better than expected. 13.2 mpg average. Driven as primary car in sales job, I use the nav system everyday. Powerseats and adjustments a must! XM radio great for N. MN and NW WI. Have owned 2 Honda Passports, Jeep Wrangler, Pontiac Bonneville, Dodge Durengo, BMW 325 xi, BMW i. Must say the Tahoe is the overall the most fun to drive.

• 

  Nice and affordable - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By carlover - April 6 - 1:24 am

  I love my Malibu. It has leather seats and a spoiler. It is really sporty and I can afford it. I love the comfort and it rides like a Cadillac.

• 

  Candis review - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By CandyHarris - April 5 - 11:25 am

  Originally I bought it because it had four doors and could accomodate my aging parents comfortably. It did and still does. But it is nice to drive, smooth like a luxury car, yet drives more like my Camaro and has the interior room of a much larger car. I like my Malibu! I just wish I had gotten it in gold instead of green.