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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  Very good for first 53,000 miles - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Michael - February 28 - 7:20 pm

  I bought this truck to pull a 10,000 trailer part-time and eventually pull a much larger trailer. Never got the heavier trailer. New engine fuel milage was disappointing. Fuel mileage got better as engine broke in. 15/20 empty and 12 pulling. At 53k miles engine spun power steering pulley off the shaft. Replaced PS pump, pulley and serpentine belt. Next week blew ERG pump.

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  A car is a car - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Tur Bo - February 28 - 3:22 pm

  Ive only had my car for about a month and so far its pretty nice to have. As with others my gas mileage is only about 22mpg with the auto, but I drive kinda crazy. Other than that the car is great. The driving position is great. I feel like Im in a mini SUV. The radio could go a little louder. It has lots of ammenities though its a little underpowered. All in all its a great car for the money. I think the Aveo is like an inexpensive Beetle, its colorful, cute, shapley, and it has personality!

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  2004 North Face EXT - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By jwoodie - February 27 - 4:42 pm

  This has been a great vehicle with no problems other than automatic wipers sometimes wont turn off. Plenty of headroom w/o sunroof. Interior space and 3rd seat comfort unbelievable unless you have been in one. Long wheelbase gives extremely comfortable ride but can be difficult to maneuver in tight spaces.

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  It really isnt too good to be true - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By RJCHudson - February 27 - 3:08 pm

  We have done several long trips in our Lumina and it has performed well in all conditions, even out performed some SUVs on the slippery stuff. It has loads of room and good features for the price. After our first accident (being run off the road at 30 mph) we had to replace the intake gasket (probably going anyway )the preformance picked up like you wouldnt believe. I just got rear ended by a Wrangler (me 0 mph them 40 mph) and we have less damage than them, currently waiting to find out what the insurance company wants us to do but we are hoping to be able to keep it

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  2006 crew cab 4wd 3.5 sb. - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By bake - February 26 - 10:13 pm

  I bought my truck a week ago, and have had some pleasent surprises and some letdowns. First I would strongly recommend the 3.5 5cyl. I couldnt imagine the performance of the 4. I came from a 6cyl s-10 and I must admit it takes getting used to. secondly the interior is sparse but much more room than I expected. I was very happy with the power in 4WD, they seem to have traded straight power for extreme torque. I felt much more confident off-road in this than I ever did in the s-10. All in all a decent truck but nothing to get excited about.

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  HHR More for Less - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By bsadan - February 26 - 9:43 pm

  I was worried about the power or lack of according to the car mag reviews, but it is more than enough unless your pulling away from pit lane. On the freeway the HHR rides very smooth, we traded a Chysler Concord with about an equal ride, impressive for a little car. Handling is really good, as ours does have the tighter suspension option. At the grocery store the wife only has good things to say about the storage. The sound system is killer! A lot of thought went into consideration of controls and driver layout. Engine compartment is a nice package with all the lastest veriable valve timing (read no real need for preminum fuel)

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  Four wheel drive search. - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By makeminebongo - February 26 - 10:00 am

  I was looking for a four wheel drive truck. I was going to buy another toyota truck like the one I was driving now. So, I went to the Toyota dealership. I was surprised in a bad way. Toyota has beccome one slick marketing item like all the rest of them. Nice slick paint jobs, lots of gadgets, impressive stuff to fool the green horns into thinking they were driving the real monster here. Not to mention real nice prices here too. Disappointed, went to the chevy dealership across the street, I first thought I was wasting my time, until I drove one. More imppressive power than the toyota, yeah more guts. No fancy gadgets, just plain stuff. I love it!

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  Love this SUV - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Tony Britton - February 26 - 10:00 am

  This is the 1st SUV Ive own, but Im lovin it. The only problem Im having with this is the gas mileage. At 16 city and 20 highway, plan to spend many hrs fulling up. And thinks to Edmund.com I got this truck at very good price.

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  Nice SUV, but..... - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Bumleg - February 26 - 10:00 am

  I only bought foreign autos until now because I loved the looks of the Equinox and decided to give Chevrolet a chance. So far I am pleased with the Equinox, except the gas mileage is not so great (18 mpg) and it is hard to see out the right rear side of car when pulling out. There is blind spot, and the rear seat head rests block view to a point of being dangerous. This needs to be looked at by GM. The SUV is roomy and comfortable though, and easy to look at.

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  It Goes and Goes - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Howard - February 25 - 1:30 pm

  Over 100K miles and it has yet to break down. The only mechanical problem so far was when an electrical problem caused the fan not to work at the lower speeds. This is my concept of a luxury car. Although nothing about it is spectacular, there is nothing that is truly deficient. It still runs just about as smoothly as the day I bought it.