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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  Better Than Expected - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Anonymous80 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  The Trailblazer gets ripped by the "experts" more than it should. I asked several people who own Trailblazers how its gone for them and nobody had a bad thing to say about it. I bought a 2003 LS w/4wd and put about a 1,000 miles on it in a couple weeks. The ride is great, the engine is powerful, and even my wife who previously hated driving SUVs loves it. It handles well and early indications are positive.

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  My Experience - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By blazer1247 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  THIS IS MY SECOND TRAIL BLAZER. I FIRST BOUGHT THE SHORTER VERSION AND KEPT IT FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. IT WAS A VERY GOOD VEHICAL, BUT I NEEDED SOMETHING A LITTLE BIGGER FOR FAMILY NEEDS. THE "EXT" WAS PERFECT. BETTER RIDE THAN THE STANDARD VERSION. NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE IN GAS MILAGE. ONLY CONSISTANT PROBLEM WAS WITH WIPER MOTOR. NOW FIXED. NO OTHER PROBLEMS.

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  Impala = SOLID FAMILY CAR - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Heathr1213 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I am a 33 yr old woman with a husband and 2 children ages 7yrs and 3yrs old. The Impala by far has been the best family car I have ever owned. The child safty features are top of the line. The space inside the car is very large. Boys will be boys and mine tend to disagree often and this car provides the space they need to be in there own space and not invade the others personal zone. :) Did I mention the trunk is huge! My last car was a Mazda 626 and I felt I never had enough interior room or trunk space, well I have been spoiled by my Impala..plain and simple!

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  outstanding!! - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Alilclassy - October 16 - 10:00 am

  great car - Mine has all the options available except the sporty Corvette- inspired rearend which I hate the look of anyway. My first experience was renting one in January 2002 and ever since, Id had my eye on them. Smooth ride, excellent handling, plush comfort, reasonable price for the options I have. Highly recommend.

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  Good Family SUV - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By jvolk - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Rides great on Highway even with 6-7 passengers. ^ adults can travel in comfort. AC trouble 3 times but may be finally fixed with new switch design from GM. Disappointing fuel mileage put I guess the 270 HP engines is the reason. We get about 12 in town and 18 on highway. Excellent large family hauler if you dont want the larger suburban.

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  black beauty - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By larry8 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  my silverado has awesome power and looks terrific, my two highest priorities. also its a chevy so i know it will last.

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  Silverado SS - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By red64chevelle - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Although it does not get any press, I love my SS. It has great power, great looks, supurb handling. And she can pass anything but a gas station. The all wheel drive brings down the mileage a little.

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  Simply excellent - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Blueser - October 16 - 10:00 am

  A great daily driver for a pick up. Engine performance is great, even with a load in the bed the truck doesnt miss a beat. For its size and average steering the handling is amazing.

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  My Cobalt - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Bobby - October 16 - 5:56 am

  We got the Cobalt early May 07, and by late May I have almost 4000 miles on it already and it seems like a pretty decent car. Has some pretty good pep for a 4cyl, fuel economy is great compared to the SUV we traded in for it, however not the 34 mpg that they advertise, still Im getting around 27mpg. The stereo system cranks good for a stock radio and CD player. We can not fit the whole family in it leagally, or safely for that matter, but thats what the wifes mini-van is for. All in all Id have to say Id give it a thumbs up, lets see what breaks on it in the first 50K or 100K miles.

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  sorry i bought it - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By everett - October 15 - 11:27 pm

  When gas prices started rising we decided to buy an economy car. The Aveo was advertised at getting app. 34 mpg. This car is not what we expected. It has a slow jumpy start until it warms up, it only gets 17 to 18 mpg. The accelerator acts like its stuck wide open when it is started for the first time in the mornings. I have been told by the dealer that the engine is performing the way it was designed to.Most of my driving is to and from work, which is a 40 mile round trip. The gas mileage does not vary if my driving is on the highway or in town with a lot of starts and stops.