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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  Sastisfied 1st New Car Driver - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By QueBertguy - January 15 - 2:00 am

  Nervous about dropping all my savings into a more expensive car, the Chevy Cavilier was an excellent choice for a first new car for myself fresh out of highschool. It performs quite well, and has needed only minor maintaince... a "chrip" in the front wheels and a creaky dash have been the only problems to date. Sleek enough looking, with a good amount of room, and a nice stereo system... not bad on gas either. Two long distance trips per year, no problems at all. To get through college this is an excellent car. Not perfect or amazing to the point youd wanna show it off... but good and solid enough to get the job done, and look alright while doing it.

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  One Big Truck! - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By GEORGE - January 14 - 3:10 pm

  I live in the South Burbs of Chicago. I cant explain how great this truck drives. Its been 3 weeks and had put 2,500 miles on it. I enjoy driving in this great Chevy. This is my first American truck and cant get enought of it. First of all the ride is perfect, the layout of the cabin is what the doctor ordered and the power of this truck leaves others in your rear view mirrors. Havent hauled anything heavy yet, dont think Ill have any problems. Chevy is loaded up with all the goodies except the Navi I installed an aftermarket. Have the LTZ package with 20s, leather, bed hook system, STB system, Head Curtains, Back Up Sensors with lots of Chrome I Just Luv it

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  Overall a good truck - 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By chris303 - January 14 - 3:53 am

  I bought this truck new, and overall am impressed with the power and capability. Not impressive is the horrible gas mileage and ride quality. Also, Chevrolet did nothing to improve the turning radius: this rig turns just a poorly as my 2003 1 ton. The cab is very luxurious and love the Tahoe dash. It would be nice if they would make Onstar a no cost option; I didnt want it. Unfortunately, my next truck will be a Ford.

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  Big Nasty Z06 8 speed Auto - 2016 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Nicmaw B - January 13 - 4:35 pm

  Pure excitement every time I take it out for a spin, very smooth and comfortable ride, car draws attention, lets base fuel economy on driving habits, if you romp on it you are gonna get poor fuel economy, car sits low to the ground, I have no problem getting in and out, great visibility from front and sides, rear not the best due to the Z07 rear Spoiler, rear view mirror is great until it gets dark out, it auto tints, and there is no way to turn it off, audio system is top of the line, LOVE it, 2 USB ports 1 Audio Jack, Zone heating and cooling, remote starter, remote Convertible top, 2LZ, 2 sets of golf clubs, or a 500.00 shopping spree of shoes and clothing will fit in the trunk with ease, great car you cant go wrong, good luck.

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  My review - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By US4OBIES - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Although i bought it as a second car to get me around town i have noticed a wobbley ride while on the interstate. Other than that its a all around decent car that handles ok in any road condition.

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  AVEO - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By kaden - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Shifting from 1st to 2nd, the clutch is a bit sticky. Hard braking seems to pull the car left a bit.

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  Chevrolet Has Really Improved - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By HMC - January 13 - 10:00 am

  I had many options to buy a truck but loved the overall style of the Avalanche. The ride is very smooth even with the z71 package. I really havent had to use the rear window bit yet but it looks simple enough. This is a big truck that takes some use to backing up etc. There are tons of options available on this truck and mine has all of them which really make this a $40,000 vehicle. I already have 7,000 miles and no major issues EXCEPT the a/c expansion value which is located on or very near the fire wall makes a lourd sound that is annoying. This shouldnt be in a $40,000 vehicle. Overall, very pleased with the vehicle.

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  IMPALA LS - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By ccllmanske - January 13 - 10:00 am

  WE BOUGHT THE LS MODEL WITH THE APPEARANCE PACKAGE. 3.8 V-6 HAS EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE AND REALLY DOES GET 30 MILES PER GAL. QUICK HANDLING WITH A SMOOTH QUIET RIDE.

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  Cant Wait for It!!! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Future Equinox Owner - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Looking for a vehicle while at the Cleveland Auto Show and stumbled across the Equnox. Fell in love with the looks, style, price and backseat legroom. Took it for a test drive the next week and fell in love. Ordered one 03-20-04, the Spring Equinox and now just waiting its arrival. Will be back here to post after owning it for a while. Couldnt fairly judge performance or fun to drive categories fairly yet so went middle of the road with a 5.

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  150mph Convertible is fun - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Cyburbs - January 13 - 2:00 am

  The 1995 Camaro Z28 Convertible is fun to drive fast with the top down. The biggest problem is the 460L Automatic that comes with a stock 2.73 differental ratio which means at slow speeds, no matter how big the engine is, the trans wants to downshift when you hit the pedal a little hard. The gearing however gets great gas mileage when you are able to drive within the speed limits, which is difficult for this car to do! The engine is bullet- proof, but a little drippy in the driveway. The rag top is starting to get ragged, but this Camaro looks like it is speeding even when it is parked.