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:

• 

  Why I Like - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Aveo Girl - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought a small car because of the gas mileage ratings. This car is fun to drive as well.

• 

  Perfect - 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Sabrina Campbell - August 6 - 10:00 am

  My favorite car was always camaro and since that model was no longer in the making i had to find another car and i tried the supercharged ss and i was amazed and from now long until they stop making them i will own only that amke and model always a chevy lover and always will be the car is perfect as a sports car and still yet a family car i have 2 young boys and a tall husband i could not ask for a better car and still aint ready for the vans and suvs and never will be i hope you like your as much as i love mine ..

• 

  GM got it right on the c6 - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By hilgie - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I have not owned an american car for 25 years. I have owned an Acura NSX, Lexus SC 430, BMWs, etc. I am proud to say that GM should be proud of their acheivement in the C6. Good build quality, great design and execution. The vette flat out beats the NSX in every area- handling, acceleration, speed. Even beats it in fun to drive factor. I was looking at a Porche 911, but after driving the new C6, there was no reason to spend the extra money. Great Car. I only have 900 miles on it so reliability is still an unknown.

• 

  What a car - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Paul Woods - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I have driven many exotics in my day..Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini,etc. Ordered the car in March based solely on the early pictures and reviews. Was I ever surprised! Unbelievable power, head turning looks, nice ride from the new Goodyear EMTs. My car is an early one (#1995) and the build quality is every bit as good as others costing many thousand more. Z51 and six speed manual is the way to go. If this isnt the automotive buy of a lifetime, I dont know what is. Thank you Chevrolet, it really is an American Revolution.

• 

  2005 EQUINOX AWD LT - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By fastblue - August 6 - 10:00 am

  Drives and handles great, only thing it could use would be some grab handles for ease of exiting. Fit and finish are first rate, with very comfortable seating arrangements.

• 

  Happy Sportsmen - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Happy Sportsman - August 6 - 9:26 am

  This has been a great truck to drive and work with. It tows an 6000 lbs boat with no issue. I can take the whole family with me on a Ski trip or outing without having to pack the luggage,skis, hockey,baseball,and soccer equipment on top of the kids or leave them in the bed for the elements to have their way with. I use the truck to get back and forth to my construction job and find the side boxes very useful for my smaller tools and the bed is great for all the heavy equipment, add to that the fact that you can lock everything up and secure it for the night all together with the alarm on is great. I do have a vibration in my back end that no mechanics seam to be able to find or explain.

• 

  Rust Bucket - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By tred420 - August 6 - 7:58 am

  Transmission replaced in first year. front and rear bumper replaced twice in a 1.5 years do to rusting. bowtie replaced twice... American truck built with cheap Chinese parts

• 

  Good for the family - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Happy in Illinois - August 6 - 5:08 am

  We have only had our Traverse for a couple of weeks but we love it so far. It is great for our family of 5 as we traded in a Yukon XL. The only issue which isnt much is the transmission, but nothing is perfect. Love the ride, comfort, captains chairs and interior styling. The wife wanted an Acadia but she is very happy with the Traverse. Hopefully we wont be disappointed down the rode. Happy so far.

• 

  Car is a Blast! - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Anthony - August 6 - 4:13 am

  I have had this car for only a month but I must say that GM is really getting their act together. One may comment that the interior materials are not up to par with some of the imports but I feel the black leather looks great on a black SS. I was considering Accords,Camry and Altimas but felt the rumble of V8 and neck snapping torque was up my ally. This car is a joy to drive on the highway and zipping in and out of traffic. The fit and finish is up to speed and the handling is fair.It is a heavy front wheel drive car with over 300hp. I have over 2500 miles in one month and am just under 20 mpgs with mixed driving.I am in sales and will do another review as the mileage piles on.

• 

  highway driver and love it - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By gord - August 5 - 11:59 pm

  I have had this car for 10000 miles and so far I absolutely love it. Handles really well on the highway and in the city. Good gas mileage for a car this size. Very comfortable on the long drive. Lots of power for passing and I love the looks