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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  Love My Tahoe! - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Canary - December 11 - 12:44 pm

  Tahoe raised 2 grandchildren and chauffeured many. Two more gchildren live 13.5 hrs from home Tahoe is great for traveling. Awesome Front/Rear climate controls and media ports. Jan. 08, woman ran light going 65 mph hit driver door crushed left front wheel and damaged front cap. Entire impact below passenger level air bags not deployed. Had bump on head and small cut on hand. Two passengers in other vehicle critically injured. Police officer behind me said if I hadnt hesitated shed have been hit and theyd be cutting what was left of her out of her cruiser. Did have problem w/leaking head gasket @ 80K. Tahoe has 104,000K, is safe, reliable & my V-8 got 19.94 mpg last wk.

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  Ford Fan - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Motorhan - December 11 - 11:11 am

  I have been a Ford fan all of my life... until now. I have had several muscle cars ( new and old) and this car blows them away in every aspect. Power to the ground is unbelievable and handling exceeds all expectations. Nice work Chevy!

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  Best Purchase I ever made - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jerry - December 11 - 10:56 am

  Never have I had such a great car! Every other auto I have owned Ford, Dodge, Chevy, Toyota.. None have come close to the dependability and quality of my Impala. Ill drive this one til the wheels fall off! Its had its share of incidents. Less than a month old the rear end was crushed (Drunk Driver hit us). It has hit two deer. Yet it keeps on chugging. Power/handling are just as good today as when we drove it off the lot 8yrs ago. Not to mention 151000 miles and still average over 30mpg! Id buy another - but why!

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  25,000 mile review - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Stephen - December 10 - 8:29 pm

  I have not been pleased with my new Chevy Silverado. Ive had a couple of Chevy trucks before and had positive experiences. My truck required replacement of the front differential at around 10,000. It was replaced and the truck ran fine, like it did when it was new. But within one long ski trip it was whining again upon return. My second time in, the service manager claimed they couldnt hear the whine but also conlcluded that I was driving too much in AWD. (Auto mode) and that that was breaking the front diff. My argument that that in the Pacific Northwest, you need to drive in AWD a lot was deemed invalid. Anyway, my service experience has continued to decline. Electronic gremlins with the nav/infotainment system and parking sensors have persisted. The service departments dont want to take the keys if its not malfunctioning in their service bay. Came in after a road trip where my nav/radio was crashing every 5 minutes, for a full day. Had it on video malfunctioning. My new dealership service dept actually laughed at me and said that if it wasnt doing it now , that he didnt know why I had a problem with it. Ive taken the truck to several different dealerships for different issues both in Oregon and now in North Carolina and have had consistently bad experiences. Plus, I feel the truck is too new to have multiple, potentially expensive issues. Ive vowed to get rid of the truck, not because of its failings but because of the consistently horrible service. On the good side, when everything is working, its a great truck. The nav is difficult to use when alone and the voice recognition cant recognize anything I say. Always use OnStar now. But its very comfortable and incredibly quiet despite having off road tires. The gas mileage is much better than I expected. Better than anything Id replace it with, I think. If you were getting a basic model, fewer electronics, especially with 2WD, I think it would probably be a decent vehicle.

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  I LOVE THIS CAR !! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Scott L. - December 10 - 5:13 pm

  I have the LT-2 with 2.4 litre, in Daytona blue,fully loaded.I have owned many cars ,high end and low end and I love this car. [I hate cookie cutter cars]. This car is quiet smooth,fast and fun to drive. Best part is....ITS CHEAP! Please note there will be some cheap plastic and design flaws you might not like. My window controls and cup holders work just fine, thats really picky.This is a small car that drives like a big car. At least 30 mph, with a big gas tank, it goes forever! These cars are great in SNOW if you put the correct tires on it. I put on Blizzach, she drives through any snow storm. You cant beat this car for the money! You can spend more $$$ if you want better quality. GET ONE TODAY!

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  False advertisement on gas mileage - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By STAN - December 10 - 3:46 pm

  The truck does not get 16 and 20 mpg as stated . This fuel management engine is worse than my last Chevy. The truck makes a grinding or rubbing noise at between 40 and 45mph. GM says this is a exhaust noise. Dealership says they can muffle the noise a little. Paid $35 grand to listen to a noisy exhaust. Very disappointed in the truck. fales advertisement by GM on the gas mileage. Will purchase a Honda next time

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  great car - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By william71 - December 10 - 3:13 pm

  i love this car it is awsome , i must admit this a fun car in everyway and the 2.2 ecotec is so QUIET and fast . its a little corvette as chevy said in the ads

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  Best Trcuk - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Auton - December 10 - 2:43 pm

  This is the best truck I have ever had. I am getting far better gas mileage than is listed on the specs here. I have 4 drive options 2wd, AWD, 4WD and 4wd low. I keep it in 2WD most of the time and I am getting 26-29 MPH. I could not be happier. I am even getting 17-19 MPH towing my boat. It doesnt even drive like a tippy truck. Rock solid!

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  Great Vehicle A real buy. - 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By ReelLove - December 10 - 2:31 pm

  LT2 & Z-71. This truck goes everywhere, anytime, in all conditions. 19+ mpg highway/13.5 mpg city. Will tow or haul most anything in style. Quiet ride, lots of luxury everywhere, auto everything, great stereo, easy to drive. This is my 2nd Avalanche. I am about to buy #3 (2009) Had only minor problems when new (1x in shop). Since new, just oil changes, rotate tires, and gas. I love the look too. Get a lot of compliments, even from high dollar car owners. If you find a clean low mileage Avalanche, buy it. Do not buy expecting great gas mileage. This is a big truck that is 4 wheel drive designed for work & hauling. Buy knowing that this is a 6700 lb truck with a big V8.

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  What about deep snow? - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Rondog - December 10 - 12:56 pm

  I bought a 2009 Traverse AWD LTZ in July. I have been loving this new vehicle until yesterday. We had 14" of snow fall overnight. I cleared my driveway and backed into the street. A couple of 4 wheel drive vehicles had gone through but the plows had not. I was stuck immediately. I turned off the traction control and could not move the vehicle. My neighbors had to push me back into my driveway. I had a 4WD S-10 Blazer and was never stuck once in 10 years! I am so frustrated with this vehicle. I live in WI and we have some winters with numerous heavy snow falls. I think it is ground clearance and tire design. My other vehicles were dedicated 4WD and not AWD.