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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  Love my YELLOW Monte - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Littlebabe74 - April 16 - 10:00 am

  So far I have nothing but good things to say about this car. Its great and lots of fun to drive. The first time I seen a yellow one, I had to have one. But had to wait till my lease expired on my current vehicle, but that day finally came and I now am the proud owner of a YELLOW Monte!!!

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  My first New Chevrolet Truck - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Daniel Thomas - April 16 - 10:00 am

  Performance is very good, I am a little concerned about the transmission and the Aluminum driveshaft. At 23000 miles I have had no problems with the vehicle other than a readjust of the idle once by the dealer. Mileage has been good with about 16 mpg city and 19 mpg highway with a 5.3l engine with a 4wd vehicle with an automatic transmission. I pretty happy with the truck.

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  Exelente! - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By BoBoTHeCLoWN - April 16 - 10:00 am

  THE TAHOE IS THE BEST CAR AND I GOT A GREAT DEAL FROM HEINRICH CHEVROLET IN LOCKPORT NY! ASK FOR CARLOS RODRIGUEZ!

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  Good so far! - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Bradley Edward - April 16 - 10:00 am

  I really like this truck so far. At 6000 mi, everything seems okay. Hopefully the piston slap problem wont come up during winter.

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  Good alpine driver - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By eljon - April 15 - 5:00 pm

  Drives well on hiways and brakes very well at high speeds. Lots of passing power. Nice ride.

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  Bang for the buck - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Gregg - April 15 - 12:16 pm

  Excellent car for the price. My son bought this vehicle to replace a 10 year old Saturn. I was impressed with the performance, styling, and safety features of the Cobalt. This may not be one of the "in" Japanese sport cars, but my son is getting a lot of comments about the car. The best part is that he can afford it.

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  Good SUV with plenty of room - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ERNIET - April 15 - 8:27 am

  Bought this vehicle after test driving the Saturn Vue. It has more interior space and looks better. This SUV rides excellent, as we just got back from a trip from SC to Florida, where we got 25 mpg on the highway and are getting about 21.5 combined. This car handles very well and my wife loves it.

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  The best van ever! - 1995 Chevrolet Astro
  By Jose L Rodriguez - April 15 - 7:38 am

  It has nice performance and very good reliability. Will recomend to everyone.

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  Smooth Ride - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Arthur - April 14 - 7:03 pm

  When loaded with leather, heated seats, retractable sun roof and a fine sound system this vehicle is nearly as good as the Hyundai Acera. The car cruises on the highway extremely well. It does not have the pep I would like but it does the job especially when fueled with E-85. This flex fuel vehicle gets a big lift from the higher octaine gasoline that helps solve the sluggish pickup problem. I found the vehicle not as comfy as my Cadillac Deville but it was nearly as nice. The price of this vehicle is right. The 28k I saved made me feel a heck of alot better in giving up my Cadillac for the 31 mpg I now get on the freeway. Good value, good on gas and nice looking to boot.

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  Chevy 2500HD Great Truck - 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Ed - April 14 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased a 2011 Chevrolet 2500HD LTZ. I have only had the truck for 3 days but it has been a pleasure to drive and I love all the gadgets. Remote start, satellite radio, bluetooth phone, onstar, etc. The seating is very comfortable and the build quality is exceptional so far. I would recommend this truck to anyone that enjoys driving, needs a work truck. My main reason for buying this truck was the Heavy Duty part of the truck, 4WD and the great interior. The Bose Stereo system has incredible sound.