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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  Enjoying new TrailBlazer EXT - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By rishemre - December 18 - 10:00 am

  I have enjoyed my new truck, I have had it about a month. Traded a 98 Blazer. The straight 6 has surprising power and plenty of passing power. The interior is very nice, however, on the basic LS, Chevy got cheap on items like no cover on the visor mirrors and manual adjustment on the rear view mirror. When you get into this price range, these should be a standard feature. I hope I am as happy in one year because as of right now, I think it is a great truck.

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  Excellent - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By "WB9PAR" - December 18 - 10:00 am

  I compared this car to others in the same category. Nothing else in the price range could compare. Conservative styling yet sporty. Handles very well and is quite. Wind noise with windows down is an issue. So far excellant mileage (27.8 MPG) Electric steering is effortless and has good feedback.

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  Great commuter/hauler if needed - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By kasel - December 18 - 10:00 am

  Great vehicle for people who like trucks but use it mostly for commuting with hauling capability.

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  Awesome - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By patrick jr the VIII - December 18 - 10:00 am

  One of the best performence cars of this year. For the amount of money best sports car there is!

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  cheap interior - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By norman 189 - December 18 - 10:00 am

  Great performing and great looking truck from the exterior. Cheap looking from the inside. Boring interior, stiff seats, no style what so ever. cheap console between seats. Cheap thin looking plastic door panels. Rides nice. Handles excellent with good braking. If only they(GM) would of spent more than 5 minutes and $5.00 on the interior this would be one great truck.

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  very good - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By eddielisa - December 18 - 10:00 am

  fun to drive ,very powerfull, ok handling ,not a very good fuel efigency

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  Almost injured our teenager - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By lisa frain - December 18 - 1:31 am

  I liked a lot about our impala we had a few quirks too. The remote start the tire pressure sensors never worked and after a year the power steering lost its fluid was fixed by a GM dealer. but the latest was a accident when my daughter was driving the steering failed and she ended up in a ditch. The car a total loss with my child not receiving any injury, but I find this totally unacceptable from a car with less than 42000 miles. It has been maintained and eats oil. I guess that point is moot, because the car is toast. The common thread I see is there. I am upset and angry and can only think of the what ifs My child could have been killed by this failure, Thank God she walked away.

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  Perfomance and Value! - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By SilverIce - December 17 - 4:26 pm

  Having wanted this car since the first Transformers movie came out, I must say it was worth the wait. I tested the 2010 Mustang, 2009 G8, and Challenger - hands down I Love this Camaro. While the V8 Manual is nothing short of awesome, I find this V6 Automatic Tap-Shift to provide ample excitement! Very quiet for a pony car, refined ride and superior handling - there is nothing Id change. Sure, stepping out of a Luxury Infiniti Q45 into the Camaro leaves some creature comforts to be desired - but only until you start the car and by the time youve made it to 3rd gear you forget about the missing luxury items and cant believe you ever spent 2x times as much for anything else.

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  worst car ever!!!! - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Fousek11 - December 17 - 1:53 pm

  I bought this car hoping 2 get away from a all the problems... But in all reality.. Ive had more problems with this 1 car than I had with the 2 other ones I had before it... Brakes go bad quickly, one of the cylinders went bad ($200), the vent motor is broken ($220), fixin the bumper after an accident cost $600... N now the best part... I need a new a/c compressor ($300-$600 for the part alone... And about $250-$300 for the labor)... Ive spent more money tryin to fix this car Rather than just paying it off n being on my way... I used to love Chevy... Now my view on them is very vague...

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  used trailblazer - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By d frey - December 17 - 2:21 am

  We traded in our 98 Jeep Cherokee on this as my wifes daily driver. Its a step up from the Jeep, bigger, nicer, more power. My only complaint is the gas mileage. We are getting about 11-12 in town and only about 14-15 on the highway. Luckily she only has a 1 mile commute. I may try a tune up, but it shouldnt really need one with only 60k miles.