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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  A decent family / touring car - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By Metalgod27 - October 23 - 3:36 pm

  Overall its a good car. Handles fairly well for the size & lack of sport suspension. Nice dash layout, good factory stereo (I have the 200W cd player, an upgrade). Complaints: engine could use more power, the seats could be more comfortable, and the leather is not soft at all - it feels more like vinyl than leather. Road noise is a little high, and the auto-on headlights cycle on and off at annoying times. Otherwise, a pretty solid car for a family or a 30- or 40- something guy who likes a roomy ride. I wouldnt have it without the sport appearance package though. Too bad there wasnt a real SS in 2003. I like the new Impala.

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  Finally a change - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By kcidmil - October 23 - 2:34 pm

  While the truck does get decent mileage, it fails in comparison to my former 02 Frontier 2wd. This is mostly due to the larger tires installed on vehicle. I can say I do have fun though driving the truck despite the even lowering gas needle. And the exterior design is one that makes people turn to look again. And after seeing many different truck from Chevy over the years, Im glad to see a interior dash change. It was sad to see a brand new 1500 have the same dash as the company truck built back in 96. The power band seems lacking at the low end. Though I feel this is due to the larger tires. The truck is perfect for my daily driving back and forth to work. Overall I am happy with it.

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  Z28 is a great car!!! - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Brian Searles - October 22 - 10:22 pm

  I dont have enough good to say about my 1996 Z28. The LT1 engine provides effortless acceleration, the ride isnt bad for a sports car, and reliability has been great! Mustang has a long way to go to provide the same kind of driving experience of the Camaro/Firebird. Please GM, bring back the F-body......GTO isnt going to cut it!

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  Suburban Review - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Bruce Sullivan - October 21 - 1:39 pm

  Great! I use it to haul my family and to tow a camper. Outstanding power, comfort, and extemely reliable.

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  05 Suburban-cross country tested - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By KF - October 21 - 10:37 am

  I drove my new LT from Mass to Colo and then Calif and back to Colo then home while visiting my 2 daughters for 4 weeks, and it performed flawlessly in all weather for 6,850 miles, and got 17.9 MPG for entire trip. I noticed front tires had inner edge scuffing when I returned and Dealer determined car was out of alignment from factory, so they aligned it at 9K miles and put two new tires on under warranty. I am very pleased with how it rides and handles.

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  2500 Crewcab - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
  By Bryans 2500 - October 21 - 10:00 am

  Never buy a vehicle from Koons in the VA, MD area. Horrible to deal with. However I do really like my truck and enjoy driving it. My biggest suggestion to Chevrolet would have to be for them to add rear A/C vents for the rear passangers. The next suggestion would be for them to put larger tires on the 2500 so they look more truck like instead of an overgrown car. Make it look like the Z71 ext cabs. There is to much open wheel well space.

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  My Colorado Review - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By charles bailey - October 21 - 10:00 am

  Basically, when I started, I was looking for a used truck, and was willing to spen no more than $15,000. I was at Cooper Chevrolet in Anniston, Alabama, in the used car section, when I saw this base truck listed for $16,200. I asked if I could drive it, they said yes, and it was a love affair from then on. This truck has a real strong engine, vortec 2800 and gets great gas mileage (24 to 25 mpg). I am glad I bought this new truck, although it was a little more than I could afford, it is worth it. The build is a little cheap, but it is one solid tough truck.

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  2003 Chevy LT - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Oompa2002 - October 21 - 10:00 am

  This is a really nice truck. Power from the 5.3 V8 is excellent as I dont find it difficult passing up slow cars. The interior is accomidating as are the steering wheel controls. Almost every button/switch lights up and headlamps provide great visability. Bose sound system is wonderful. Heated seats warm up quick and provide extra comfort during cold winter days. As for fuel comsuption, well it is a truck and it does comsume a lot of fuel. I average 14 mpg in the summer and about 17mpg in the winter. My biggest complaint thus far is build quality. There are quite a few rattles and squeeks, which are VERY annoying.

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  2006 Chevy Malibu LS - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By albert raposo - October 19 - 3:33 pm

  My 2006 Malibu is a wonderful vehicle. My gripes about it are that it came with no mats and the gas gauge is of low quality. It is a very spacious style. My friends even tell me that it looks like a luxury car. I have it in the dark blue metallic color. wow! At night time it looks black, and in the shade its a dark navy blue. In the sun its a sparkly cheerful blue. My car is a 4 cylinder and it gets as much mileage as my old 2002 Nissan Sentra. For a base model, this car is loaded with features.

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  Summer Cruiser - 1991 Chevrolet Camaro
  By This Cars a Keeper - October 19 - 6:14 am

  This is the best summer cruising car ever. It is not very practical for a daily driver as it is bad on gas and the top tends to leak. The body style is sweet. The car is super fast and very fun to drive. A real head turner