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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  Not Without Its Flaws... - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Realtor01 - October 5 - 2:00 am

  A superb effort on the part of GM to provide an excellent SUV/truck hybrid. Vehicle was in shop three times due to computer issues but afterwards has been fine since then. A lot of cabin space makes sure you are not on top of each other. Back seat passengers enjoy great legroom and comfortable seats. Used mid-gate fold down to haul a Christmas tree last year. Lots of small storage portions on the back of the pick-up bed surround. Great sunroof lets the outside in. OnStar is a blessing should you run into any crisis no matter how mild. There is something to be said about having someone on standby to help you if you get into an accident. XM Radio is beauitful. Exterior still turns heads.

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  Love Hate relationship - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Billfan - October 5 - 2:00 am

  Love my Z71. I have had two annoying problems that ruin the experience. Something shaking in the front end and it switches from 4 wheel to 2 wheel on its own. Steering part on back order, and reprogramed transmission. Hopefully this is the end of trips to the dealer and I will have the great experience everyone else seems to be having. The truck is fast, more comfortable than my Cadillacs, and rides nearly as well. Can haul a bunch of stuff, and looks good. Suprised at first year depreciation of $10,000(retail to trade in value).

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  Dont buy a 95 Camaro - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Former Camaro Owner - October 4 - 2:00 am

  My boyfriend had owned a 95 Camaro for 3 years,when he bought it had arround 50,000 miles on it arround the last year are so it started having problems with the water pump and all of a sudden we took it in for steam coming out of engine the guy we took it to was very knowledgeable and he said some how the mantle block cracked and to fix one of them it would cost arround 4,000 bucks and now us being not at home anymore and paying bills with hardly any money we were S.O.L and it just kept getting worse the last 2 days we had the camaro it would over heat in 2 mintues of turning it on and thank god the place we traded it in they didnt even turn the car on. The milliage at the end was at 98,000

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  Great truck, love every minute of it - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By khornet93 - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Id been shopping for a new truck with my Jimmy lease about to expire when I ran across this one. Purchased GM Certified Used with only 16,000 miles on it. It has never been in for anything other than routine maintenance and Id recommend this truck to anyone. Never tried any serious offroading in it, but it more than handles the harsh Michigan winters!

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  Good value - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Team Henge - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Overall a good value for the price. Purchase cost is substantially less than Accord and Camry, with comprable operating costs.

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  Blue Collar Workers Beware - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By anttest - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Supposedly a work truck, front tires destroyed due to front end"misalignment" due to vehicle loading (tool box and ladder racks weighing less than 300 lbs.) Was advised by service department to purchase new set of "truck" tires since the ones that came with the truck were passenger tires.

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  Loved it until the transmission failed - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Sherwood - October 3 - 2:40 pm

  I bought my Silverado new in 2002 after owning a 2000 Silverado for a couple of years. I liked the fourth door (my 2000 had 3 doors) and I wanted the the 3.73 locking rear end. I also loved the color, dark carmine red. I have taken really great care of this truck, serviced regularly, synthetic oil changes every 3500 to 4000 miles. I never towed anything even though I bought it with the towing package (just in case). Rarely more than a few hundred pounds. It is my daily driver. At just under 63000 miles it burned up the transmission and put me out around $3000. I feel cheated on and not sure if I can trust it not to cheat on me again even though it really runs great. I am so disapointed.

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  im happy - 2004 Chevrolet Tracker
  By paulz34 - October 3 - 2:00 am

  this is my second tracker the first is a 95 with 130k and still runs well the second replaced my trans-am its not as flashy but, it is certainly more reliable than my 97 t/a. so far th e nly trouble has been a rattle int he pass. seat that the dealer fixed the first time.

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  My Z06 - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Corvette Carguy - October 3 - 2:00 am

  I have enjoyed owning and driving this vehicle. The performance and handeling is surperb for a vehicle in this price range. I will be buying another one within the next 2 years.

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  Somewhat Disappointed - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By KennyGolub - October 1 - 11:00 pm

  Beautiful ride! Very comfortable and great looks. Downside: I cant trust it to start every time. After first night at home, the battery died. They replaced the battery and three days later, battery was dead again. They still cant find the problem, now I have to wonder if it will start whenever I take it out.