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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  2004 colorado crewcab Z85, 5 cyclinder - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By dbray - November 11 - 1:37 pm

  a great all around truck, great fuel mileage,the 5 cyclinder is a fantastic engine all the power needed for daily driving. the only complaint i have is with the tires on the Z 85 model, my truck picks up a lot of small gravel in the tire tread, i have numerous rock chips from the gravel flying out at road speeds.

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  So What Is It like - 2005 Chevrolet Venture
  By nemkay - November 11 - 12:59 pm

  Does not have the horn blowing or flashing lights to confirm that the doors have locked when using the remote. Probably would please more buyers it if had the 3.8 liter engine. I understand that the Venture is being replaced by a new model. I wish that it had something like Goodyear tires instead of the Firestone tires on it.

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  EXCELLENT BUY!! I LOVE IT! - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Jpotter - November 11 - 9:44 am

  I absolutely adore this car! My husband bought a 2005 for me this past August. The only complaint I have is that one of the seat belts jammed up on us and we had to take it back under warranty to have fixed. But over all, I love the feel, the drive, the comfort and everything about this car! Gas mileage is not all that great, but anyone that buys a big truck like that already knows and shouldnt be surprised.

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  97 blazer - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By dbowis - November 10 - 10:19 pm

  This vehicle has 145000 miles on it and is still very reliable and everything works.

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  Honeymoon Is Over - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By John Philips - November 10 - 9:11 pm

  I have owned my 2012 Cruze Eco since 2012 and it now has 75,000 miles on it. Until recently I did not have one issue with the car that wasnt covered under warranty. The car has also been recalled about 5-7 times, again for free repair and not for anything that ever impacted the way the car operated. Recently I had a pool of oil under the car and was told it was a broken oil line which connected to the turbocharger. This in my opinion is that infamous Chevy "quality" rearing its ugly head. Something like this should not fail in any car with my mileage. This repair was not covered under warranty (it really should be!), but was relatively inexpensive to fix, only $120. I have owned two Chevys in the past (late 90s/early 2000s) and had horrible quality problems. It took me more than a decade to get back into my Cruze, which I still enjoy. Its fun to drive and has some points to it that are much nicer than any other car in its price class. The electronic button that opens the trunk has also failed recently, so there isnt any other way to open the trunk except for the button on the key fob. Again, this is a quality problem that should not be happening to any car. My friend owns a 2012 Cruze and his button has also failed as well. Not covered under warranty, and the quote I got to fix it was $360. Its more of an inconvenience than anything else, and I elected not to spend (waste) $360 on a simple button replacement. The recall letters keep coming fairly steadily, but the ones I am getting recently ask me to bring the car in only if I should start experiencing certain problems. I am afraid that I have more quality issues on the horizon. Im beginning to question whether I should trade it as I am nervous that more repairs and out of pocket expenses are coming. Ill probably just drive it until thats not possible any longer. The fact is I have over 75,000 miles and it has run really, really well. I think that 100,000 miles will be easily achieved within the next few years. Well keep our eyes on it and see what happens.

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  My First Muscle Car - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By droberts - November 10 - 1:38 pm

  This is my first V-8... Ive owned a Honda Accord, Acura Integra, and Infinti I30t... I was ready to try something radically different. The Camaro has been very fun.. I love the Power and the T-Tops. Doesnt have the build quality of the other cars Ive owned, but my other cars a lot more $$$ to buy. This car makes lots of odd noises... but if you push the gas pedal the cool sound of the V-8 drowns out all the other noises. Ive had one consistent problem with the car, which the dealer and other mechanics have been unable to resolve... the power is uneven on light engine load conditions... If It werent for this problem Id probably be in love with this car.

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  TOW WITH YOU TAHOE - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By ENGINEER20001 - November 9 - 6:48 pm

  I HAVE TOWED A 24 ENCLOSED CAR HAULER WITH CAR WITH THE TAHOE AND AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE. THE TRAILER WITH CAR EXCEEDS 7000 POUNDS

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  For the money, you cant beat it - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By aveonut - November 9 - 12:20 pm

  I had been living in cities like New York where I didnt need a car, and after moving to a place where I did need one, I couldnt get my head around spending so much money for transportation. So I bought an Aveo, and I am LOVING it. No, its not the best quality of car out there. But its 10K. Ive put about 4000 miles on it in 6 weeks (I drive A LOT) and it always does well. It does have a strange rattle in the back now, which I think is somehow connected to the muffler (according to my boyfriend) so Im taking it back to the dealer in a few days to check it out. Great on the highway, great in the city, great fuel efficiency, fun to drive, spacious, big trunk, comfy, etc.

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  Suburban review - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Howsand - November 7 - 4:02 pm

  1/2 ton GM vehicles have headlight problems with poor bulbs. Free fix though, under warranty. More power and better gas mileage would be nice, however both are satisfactory. More white letter tires would be an improvement. Great overall vehicle. They should never downsize it.

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  Hope it lasts! - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By julieamber - November 7 - 10:00 am

  This is my first new car, and I must say I do love it! However, Im noticing several interior and exterior design flaws (i.e. windshield wiper fluid sprays sideways rather than on the windshield, back seats dont fully click closed so they fall forward when I break, etc.). I feel like the car was put together too quickly.