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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  Never again - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By GM JUNK - August 18 - 10:00 am

  I have owned over 5 corvettes This is the worst. Nothing but problems. Both fuel senders went out, AC quit, radio changes channels by its self. Seat memory as a mental defect. Wind noise, Exhaust system needed repairs, Engine replaced Just quit on I-95 Over the past yeat it has more time in the dealer than on the road(Im not counting the time spent driving to and from the dealer or on a tow truck) Goodbye Chevy

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  Happy Z71 Owner - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By DMP - August 18 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned the vehicle for almost a month and our first test was a trip down to South Carolina. My family felt safe and comfortable all the way down, mind you we had 7 passengers. The OnStar was a tremendous help for directions. Ive never owned a Chevrolet before but, I will be a Chevrolet fan for the rest of my driving days!! Thanks for a great made vehicle!! DMP

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  What a Blast - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Gberry - August 18 - 10:00 am

  I order my Equinox in March, I just got it today . What a BLAST it is to drive. I orderd every thing that can be put on it, I have people stopping me asking questions about it. Ths interior is beautful, All I can say is CHEVY did it right. This is a great Car

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  Best New Truck out there - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By ruffneck2500 - August 18 - 10:00 am

  I test drove every new crewcab half-ton pickup and I thought the new Silverado was the best. It has great power and a very nice interior.

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  Im happy with the overall performance - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By hockytwn02 - August 18 - 9:20 am

  This truck rides so darn smooth, and has power. I am unhappy with the gas mileage, craftmanship, and engineering. However I do understand w/ the 5.3 it will consume more fuel, but at 13.8 mpg I am forced to buy aftermarket products for the truck. Not everyone can keep a tonneu cover on constantly. The tailights got broken when pulling out plywood, the carpet was not tucked in around the doors, the seatbelt cover was not screwed down, and biggest one of all is The box was very off centered. Had to take back to dealer and get a loner for 2 days. No handle for passengers to hold on to, only the bar for the front passenger.

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  2004 Intimidator SS - 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Jeff - August 18 - 12:06 am

  Got 42K to date on my Intimidator. I am its only owner. Seen my 1st one at Daytona 04 after watching Dale Jr win the 500. Flew home the following wednesday, was online saturday, at the dealership on sunday, drove her home on Monday....Isnt that was NASCAR WAS ABOUT??? Always wanted one since 86, took me a while but I got her. Love the car and the way it looks. She still turns heads today!!! My father eventually traded his LS for a SS and we love em.

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  New LTZ Z71 - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By tj - August 17 - 11:56 pm

  Just purchased a few days ago and already am amazed by what GM has done with this vehicle. The fit and finish is excellent, the integration of vehicle systems is well done. For example, I was low on gas. Not only did the low gas light come on, and "Low Fuel" displayed on dash, the car Nav system offered to show me all the nearby gas stations on the map display. The auto-switching between v4 and v8 is not noticable and does help mileage. The leather interior is beautiful. Reliability remains to be seen, but my 2001 had 135000m on it when I traded it in and nothing major ever went wrong with it, so I hope this one is even better

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  236K and still going - 1994 Chevrolet Impala
  By coleyhe - August 17 - 10:06 pm

  After two water pumps and a distributor thats all the major maint. Ive done of course I do the high way patrol sch, changing all fluids at every 3/36 and using AMSOIL sense 96. spent $22,000 sense then on maint. tires,oil, rotation, etc.

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  I know why people DO love this car - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By JeffH - August 17 - 4:38 pm

  Everything with this car has been a pleasant experience up to now. We love the interior of this car. The 2 tone look is very elegant looking. The ride is exceptionally quite. The car handles with ease. So far we are getting over 25mpg with mixed city and highway. We have not had any problems with the car up to now.

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  Chevy equinox - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Camille - August 17 - 11:49 am

  When I got the suv I was so excited could not wait to take it home. The only problem it was having was when it started it was making some kind of noise after 2 years then battery did go out on me and I did have to replace it the front tires have to be replace. I am not going to complain. But over all I love it.