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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  Be careful - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By rerunkitty - September 26 - 10:00 am

  Although this WAS my dream car, and I would like another, buyer be ware. Our engine blew 12 months after purchase. The AC has been replace (front and back, the windsheild wipers went out in a torrential downpour, the starter has been replaced, the 4 wheel drive LOW engaged by itself while I was driving. We have a LEMON. GM should have done the right thing and replaced but they said they were bigger than the law and refused. All items were bulletins - there are many on this car that you may not be aware of.

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  Its an OK truck! - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By ROB - September 25 - 4:27 pm

  Nice truck. I love the capability of offroading. I went through 24" of snow and didn’t get stuck. But the EPA estimated fuel mileage not even close truck gets about 8mpg city 12-15mpg EPA estimates are crap and it seems the more gas prices go up the worse the fuel mileage gets, and it’s hard on the wallet. Chevy makes great truck but would get better mileage if they put manual available in the Avalanche and offered a diesel, or just added a 5th gear to the automatic.

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  Great vehicle for the money - 2005 Chevrolet Blazer
  By DebsWebWorks - September 25 - 4:23 pm

  I purchased this vehicle despite all the negative review from family and I am happy with my purchase so far. Wish that I had gotten the 4- door, as the 2-door is a real pain with teenagers and kids getting in/out of the back for each ride, and wish it seated 5 instead of four.

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  Its a good car for the money - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By davidricepar - September 25 - 3:12 pm

  Ive had my 2004 STD COUPE for a little over a year now and I have had no problems with it whatsoever. I have the sport appearance package and I suggest that upgrade it makes a lot of difference for a little bit of money. This car is surprisingly smooth at fast highway speed (Im talking 90+ mph). It cruises easily at that pace and obviously even better at normal 70-75 mph. The handling is wonderful and makes it a joy to drive.

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  "Special Value" - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Eric - September 23 - 12:01 am

  I use my cute little Aveo primarily to commute to work. After all of the various discounts, I paid $8,300 for the special value model. I enjoy knowing that I made a smart decision. I get about 28mpg in the city and 33 on the highway. This little car has a lot of useful room. The rear seat has a special way of folding down to make the back cargo area completely flat and 100% usable. The only thing I really miss is air conditioning. If you want it, youre going to end up paying a lot more. I also wish it had a CD player standard.

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  My first new truck - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Joe - September 22 - 1:31 am

  I have put about 10000 on this truck already and and have had only one major issue. The inner treads on my front tires are wearing very fast. I brought it back to the dealership who agreed that the truck was out of alignment and proceeded to align the truck. The problem did not stop.My tires are continuing to wear ABNORMALLY fast on the inner treads in the front of the vehicle.The dealer stated that because the truck was within "factory specs" for alignment that my problem was "normal wear and tear". Ive had a second and third opinion on this issue and have concluded that the local Chevy dealer is wrong. So I am now in the process of dealing with Chevy corporate about the problem.

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  99 Suburban - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By the - September 21 - 11:57 am

  This car has it. It gets 18 mpg highway. For a large SUV, thats not half- bad. Its great because it has that old boxy look- like its supposed to. I hated the 2000 makeover,so this one was right for me.

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  Great truck - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Steve - September 21 - 4:16 am

  This is a great truck. I had an 2004 F-150 previously and have always been a "Ford" guy. The Chevy rides better, has more power, and gets better gas mileage. I have averaged 17.2 mpg (the computer keeps track for you). If you go down the road at 65 mph you will get 22 mpg with this rig. The only issue I have had with it is the check engine light will come on if the temperature gets down to -15 or worse and there isnt enough fuel in the tank. Problem is solved by filling the tank. The dealer is also willing to fix it but I havent got around to taking it there since it isnt really a big deal.

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  Tahoe owner - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Reddhead - September 20 - 5:54 pm

  I purchased my Tahoe in June of this year and I am really satisfied. I only have 2 regrets and that is that I did not go up to the LT and that I dont better gas mileage especially with the price of gas, but other than that I have gotten several compliments on my new truck. I purchased the Bermuda blue metallic and it truly does turn heads with/without having rims which I am considering.

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  Plesantly Surprised - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jay Mack - September 20 - 1:32 pm

  I drove 3 Hondas and 2 Camrys with 100K- 120K miles. They all showed every mile and were priced from $6K - $8.6K. Bah! Way overrated. This Malibu with 105K mi. for $3,200 with house warrenty. He fixed brakes and a spring. Drives like a new car! Much tighter than any of the imports I tried. This is the best car deal Ive gotten. It gets an honest 26 mpg. Sound system is factory upgrade and very acceptable. Nice, functional interior. I like the 4 cyl. twincam just fine. More power than the competition. No flaws yet. Great car. Im pleased and getting another.