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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  OK truck - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By GM Veteran - November 10 - 7:29 pm

  Use the truck for 154 mile RT daily commute and occasional hauling/trailering. Over 115K so far. Engine power seems low but it pulls and hauls well. Man trans has annoying grinding when going into 3rd gear. Lousy seat back tilt lever ergonomics: pull lever forward to tilt the seat back forward requires two hands, makes it hard to put things behind the seat. Put your stuff on the ground, move seat, pick stuff up, put behind seat ARRGH! Whats worst, my left front spring has sagged and the replacement parts are only available from the dealer at a cost of $600. Lack of aftermarket really upsets me. I was a 17 year GM engineer. I will think long and hard before I will buy another GM vehicle.

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  Great car so far - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By jo26 - November 10 - 11:56 am

  This car is great so far. I bought it over two years ago and it is currently at around 60000 miles. The car gets fairly good miles per gallon, but it goes down considerably when you drive above 65 miles/hour. The cost of the car is also very affordable. (kind of a long cons list, but they are all pretty minor things)

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  Awesome Car - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Ashish - November 10 - 10:43 am

  I bought the car with 93K miles. 4 years later it has about 145K miles. In the past 4 years the only things I have replaced is a clutch and a window motor. This is one of the few cars that will pretty much pass everything on the road including the gas station. 11 years later the paint is still shiny, the dash has no cracks, the leather is not beat up. This car is a true testament to GMs build quality.

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  Corvette Z06 - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Marc Medrano - November 10 - 10:25 am

  This car has an awesome acceleration that needs to be respected. A fun car to drive. However the interior starts to heat up from the engine and transmission. Chevrolet should have used better or more insulation. The manual transmission is spongy. This car eggs you to go fast. MPG in city is 14.5 and HWY is at 24.5. Interior quality is poor(lots of plastic). Nav is a nice touch but no bluetooth connectivity. You need to subscribe to Onstar cell plan to use the hands free phone. No lumbar support on the seats. One needs to shut the rear hatch hard to close. Resale value stinks. Better off buying a used z06 with pampered miles.

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  Piece of junk - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Big Mistake - November 10 - 9:53 am

  you name it it has gone out or broke while driving. I git this for my daughter hoping this would be a good car.,. All I can say is thank god she is alive and hasnt been killed by the crap of a car they chevy put out. There was a reason I dont but chevys.

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  Go for some other car - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Rodolfo - November 10 - 9:52 am

  Like a toy car. Everything is plastic and cheap. Minor but constant and annoying issues with brake lights, hatchback lock, pulls left. Chevrolets expensive and mediocre technical service. Fuel consumption is disappointing. Manual gearbox feels "sticky" and slow. Overall mediocre car. Boring, cheap feeling, noisy.

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  MOST FUN YOU CAN HAVE ALONE - 2000 Chevrolet Corvette
  By MATT BIVENS - November 10 - 8:18 am

  Of all the sports cars i have had the c5 vette is by far the best. comfortable ride and great looks . young and old knows that you are driving a vette. fun in the sun and all want to look at the vette

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  Reliability - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Eric - November 10 - 2:24 am

  Power steering hose came off and replaced, water pump went out at only 60,000. Left front wheel bearing going out. Rust behind the trunk metal trim line. Front brakes and rotors replaced at 54,000. Possibly a head gasket needs to be replaced in another 10,000 miles. To be short you get what you pay for. Im sure an 08 or 09 model is reliable though. Dont purchase a 2006 3.5L. If you have extra cash and like to perform your own work on your vehicle you would love this model.

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  60,000 Miles later!!! - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Anthony - November 9 - 10:54 pm

  I have never had so much fun with a car. The SS is a blast to drive and its sad the 09 year was the last one. I just turned 60k miles already and had the rotors cut once, and a bad fuel evaporator canister needed to be changed. I still have the original tires on the car!I only wish the import buyers would have driven an SS before purchasing a car. The Imp has a ton of room and a huge trunk too! I have avged @ 20 mpgs between city and highway driving. Buy a used one today and it is the steal of the century since resale isnt to strong. If Chevy would have really promoted the car it would have survived. Find one and have some fun!!!

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  03 Crew Cab Problems - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Gary - November 9 - 1:58 pm

  Bought truck basically for light duty and travel to/from work. Has 77000 easy miles on it. Thus far, have gone thru 2 complete sets of tires, blown headgaskets twice, thermostat twice, water pump once, brakes twice. GM installed DEX-COOL may be eating engine gaskets dealer is "unaware" of any DEX-COOL problems. I now have thick dark sludge in radiator overflow tank and in top of radiator. GM service mgr suggests I try to manually draw off sludge, clean out tank, and see if that helps, if not a thorough flush will have to be done. Fun to drive factor quickly failing.