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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  I wish I had my 1998 Tahoe back!!! - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By ihatechevy! - June 28 - 2:00 am

  Judging from everyone elses reviews, I got a lemon. The engine and exterior build are fine, but the interior is shoddy at best. Within 24 hours of leaving the dealership, trim pieces had begun to fall off! Now, 3 months later, I am still headed back from time to time to have the dealer replace trim clips. I have also resorted to using pieces of windshield wiper blades to wedge in the dash to stop squeasks and rattles. My 6 year-old Tahoe didnt have this much interior noise! I cant believe Im paying $500/month for this. For this price, I couldve had a nice, well built German car...

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  my z - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By COdek - June 28 - 2:00 am

  Great looking fun to drive lots of pep. It just needs some updates to the interior

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  2004 trailblazer ext LT - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By edandvil - June 27 - 10:00 am

  I love this vehicle. I have 5000 miles so far and the suv runs great. I have no complaints except the gas milage. I am averaging 13-14 miles city. yuk. My suv is fully loaded and I am enjoying all the options including the satelite radio and bose system. The suv is very roomy and the kids love the extra radio (their own) in the back. The power is great. I was kind of skeptical when i heard the suv has a 6 cylinder with 275 hp. When I drove it it never felt like a 6 cylinder. feels like a small block v8. vehicle never lacks power. Although I havent towed anything yet. So cant comment on that.

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  Excellent car - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Rick Hidenberg - June 26 - 4:36 pm

  I was a little disappointed at first with the gas mileage, however after 2000 miles, it has really moved up better than I expected. The handling and performance is much better than I thought it could be. While not a sports sedan, you will be pleasantly surprised at the handling. Was undecided between the Malibu and the Impala, this was a far better choice. I would make one comment if you are looking to purchase this car, shop around the price differences between dealers is quite large. You need this car!

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  Good Car - 1994 Chevrolet Corsica
  By kk10 - June 25 - 2:00 am

  I have had my car for less than a year, and it has been one of the best cars I have had. I love the way it drives. It can handle what most normal cars cant. It is one if the first cars that can keep up with me. Performance wise it is a dream, but the body could look better. It is in great shape, and I wash it and clean it up good like 2 or more times a week,(I work in auto detailing) but it could be prettier. The front of the car has a funny shape, but the rest of it is fine. I love this car.

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  Too many little problems in the 1st yr - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By oy - June 25 - 2:00 am

  I had a lot of little problems. The power mirrors dont go back to original setting, the right front speaker squeeks, the passenger heated seat went out several times, etc. I like the car but the 1st year models has a lot of bugs to work out.

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  i hate my ss - 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By AngrySSDriva - June 24 - 2:00 am

  i love the body style and interior but what good is a car if i feel it is not reliable? i am a foreign car man but went against myself and bought the irresistable body style. my check engine light comes on if i fart too loud and i recently had to have my rack and pinion replaced at only 30000 miles!!! The weather strip for my trunk is also always coming loose.owned it one year been to dealer 3 times for aggravating probs.

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  cavalier review - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By damian - June 24 - 2:00 am

  i am sastify with this car as far as the gas mileage,as far as the guality of is interior my opinion is that it is very cheap.I also had problems with the seals in the windshild it cause some water damage.I am very sastify with the exterior design.I had not other problem so far with this car.

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  Good vehicle, but needs quality improvement - 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Steve Brown - June 23 - 11:05 pm

  Overall, a good vehicle with comfortable interior and sound system, great driving manners...but with some glaring issues. One, the transmission is a clunky mess. At highway speed, its ok, but around town it constantly downshifts, hunts for a gear when it should just hold the one its in. Throttle tip-in from dead stop is initially ok, but then jumps ahead as tranny tries to decide what gear to use. GM needs a complete software reset on this new unit. Two, quality of some interior parts is substandard. For example, the latch on the front sunshade in the sunroof broke right away. The material is a cheap plastic that you would expect on a crap-box car from eastern Europe, but not on Traverse costing north of $51K! Three, the foot-activated rear lift hatch feature doesnt work most of the time, even when the little bowtie logo is displaying. Got the key fob in my pocket and it just doesnt respond most of the time. I fear that the amount of electronic gadgetry and features on this Premier model will be its undoing. Get the extended warranty for sure.

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  135000 miles and still running good - 1993 Chevrolet S-10
  By kup - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Have had very few problems with this truck. Have 135000 miles on engine and it still is running good.