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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  Liking this truck - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Tony J - January 2 - 10:24 am

  Colorado LT ext cab v6. 30k.Other than a minor recall I have had no problems. Truck is the right size and lots easier in parking lots than my previous Silverado.

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  2014 Cruze 2LT RS 1.4 turbo 6A - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Rick S. - January 2 - 2:58 am

  I bought this car Labor Day weekend of 2015 and in the year Ive had it Ive had it in for only one warranty repair. Check engine light came on and that turned out to be a vacuum leak and needed cam cover replacement. This had been a rental car and I was a little leery but it has turned out to be a pretty good car, so far. Good gas mileage, decent acceleration and braking, good road handling, responsive steering. As others have noted, the front seats are a little firm and can be a little uncomfortable toward the end of longer trips, but not horrible. Ive put about 12,000 miles on it in the year Ive owned it. Hopefully it will last a good long while.

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  Great looks and practical - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Doron - January 1 - 7:51 pm

  This car is really reliable, like most GMs. The 4.3 is plenty powerful to tow or for merging into traffic. The fuel economy isnt that bad either, I average 16-17 city and 20-22 highway with a heavy foot. Overall I am really happy with this truck and plan on keeping it a long time.

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  2001 Suburban - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By D. Rigsby - January 1 - 5:08 pm

  This is my 3rd Suburban and I have loved all three, keeping all until well over 100000 miles. There is significant improvement in this models drive train over my 1990 model. However, the interior is not worthy of the price of the vehicle. I did not opt for leather seats. The fabric is worn in rather strange places due to tightness of fit and several plastic molding on the inside have either come off, or have broken when something was dropped on the piece. The latch for the rear fold down broke after only 3 years and the gray is coming off the dash. I love the convenience and the haulability of people, dogs and other stuff. Have Suburban, will travel!

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  Good for the price - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By ricardo riostirado - January 1 - 2:41 pm

  It is a nice SUV at a competitive price that offers average commodities and comfort. But as all other SUVs it looks the same as all others and the interior is mostly plastic with very little luxury beside a little chrome around the interior. My Trailblazer is supposed to seat 7 passengers, but I wonder where they get 5 people that can actually seat comfortable in the back seat. The Vortec 4200 six-cylinder engine is surprisingly responsive and delivers enough power to pull a good size trailer and boat. The transmision shift smoothly and the Automatic Allwheel drive is a great feature.

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  Love my Car........................... - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By starla - January 1 - 10:00 am

  I was a previous 12 year owner of a 1985 S-10 Blazer. Shopped long & hard for the right SUV for my family, settled with Trailblazer. I love it. At first, with all of the electronics, I wasnt so sure Id like it. WOW. its great. Kids cant lay down comfortably in the backseat, but its not made to be a motorhome :-). Well worth $.

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  Great truck! - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Jaboba - December 31 - 5:56 am

  This is my first deisel and I love it! This thing tows my toy hauler trailer like its not even there. I have had no issues at all and I have 4K miles on it. I get 12- 13mpg towing and 15-16mpg not. My brother has the Dodge and I feel that the motor in the Chevy feels much more refined.

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  One Of The Best SUVs Ever Made. - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By K to the L - December 30 - 4:05 pm

  This is the first Blazer I ever owned, however Ive been around numerous Blazers throughout my life, and they really are good solid SUVs. I do agree that ever since the Trailblazer came along the Blazer is not respected the way it was back in the day, and it still should be. The engine and drivetrain are tough and were tuned for truck work. If you are looking for a reliable, dependable, solid, smooth running vehicle that has 4-wheel drive with a low price, the Blazer deserves a test drive. I probably would have purchased the Trailblazer since it is a bigger vehicle, however I dont care for the Vortec 4200 aluminum inline-6 as I feel that it will not hold up as good over time as the 4.3 does

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  Great for towing, bad for driving - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By John - December 30 - 11:17 am

  Leased it to tow my boat, great for towing, tons of power. Dont believe what sticker says about gas mileage, they like to pad the numbers. If I would have known I was gonna get 11 mpg I would have leased something different. Love to change my own oil, but for the life of me why would they bury the oil filter so you cant get at it, and Im a mechanic. All that aside its not a bad SUV, if they built an SUV that got 40 mpg everyone would buy it.

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  Ricks 2006 Colorado - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Rick - December 30 - 10:05 am

  I like the truck very much. It does everything I would like in a truck. I would recommend buying one, or a GMC since they are about the same. Especially planning ahead and using the GM Master Card and Employee Pricing.