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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  its ok - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By marknrhonda - August 9 - 10:00 am

  We like it and the dealer was very easy to work with. Great entry level car, and reasonable to insure, cost wise.

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  Arrived at Destination - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By WooHoo - August 9 - 10:00 am

  Come on, its a Corvette, What else does one want for? Fuel mileage is right where it should be. Even after 40 years, it still turns heads.

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  Hope I made the right chioce - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By mekr - August 9 - 2:00 am

  I recently purchased a Malibu LS and have owned it a week and Im off to a rocky start. When driving on the highway for the first time at about 50-55 mph I pressed the brake pedal and felt a slight pulsing and rumble in the pedal.The dealer fixed the problem by rounding the roters. Second brake problem a week later was a loud thumbing sound toward the end of a brake. Brought it back to the dealer and hope they fixed it by removing rust on the diameter. What is rust doing on a new car. I also discovered that after washing the car for the first time, the roters turned a rust color.

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  Pretty good truck - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By oitskev - August 9 - 2:00 am

  I like this truck. It fits me well. Im 64" and I have more than enough room. Not the fastest thing around or the greatest at slowing down. The Avalanche hauls enough for a little trip to the home supply store. Good turning radius for such a big truck. Nice and quiet going down the road. Drives straight with no drift on the highway. It does seem to be affected by high side winds. I havent driven a high profile vehicle in awhile so maybe its just me.

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  AMERICAN RELIABILITY?! - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By windswest - August 9 - 2:00 am

  Bland exterior styling and clumsy interior. But for all the fuss about the poor quality of american-made cars this vehicle has performed as reliably as any asian import. Dollar for dollar the Tahoe is the most intelligent choice in its class. You get power, comfort & convenience for a lot less than you would pay for a smaller less well equipped import. If you can get over your nervousness about buying an american-made auto you will be pleasantly surprised and rewarded with your investment.

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  fun little car - 2004 Chevrolet Tracker
  By tr5t1 - August 7 - 2:00 am

  This is my first SUV. I love to drive it and feel safe getting to where I need to go. I feel fancy without the fancy sticker price. It is the right size and power for a single mom on the go.

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  Very Good - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Buckstein - August 6 - 2:00 am

  Best SUV I have ever owned. I have had many SUVs and this by far is the best. Excellent in the snow. Great fun to drive.

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  What moron forgot the spare tire? - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By J. T. Solomon - August 5 - 10:16 am

  No spare, no jack, a can of fix-a-leak "good luck" once you fill the tire with that fix-a-flat the tire and rim become one. Sure you need room for the "DEF" tank but there sure is enough room for a donut and tool kit. Another thing , try to find the correct wheel. The diesel wheel is different from the regular gasoline cruze due to the larger calipers. Other then that the Chevrolet Cruze is a damn good car...

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  A real head turner - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By juguetico - August 5 - 2:00 am

  This is a really fun truck to drive. It is great on the freeway as well as off- road. the emergency brake and all 4 brake pads had to be changed at 45,000.

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  Like a Roc-- Mashmallow - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Liza Coronel - August 5 - 2:00 am

  Uhhhh, great truck but it has a fatal flaw. A deal killer. Reason enough to check out the competition. In spite of many wonderful features as reported here before the Autoride makes this thing handle like it has a marshmallow suspension. It wobbles and wiggles like a hula dancer. GM says it is "normal" I call it "unacceptable".