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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  Simply The Best Decision You Can Make - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Travis Johnson - October 2 - 8:21 pm

  I looked and test drove, Honda Fit, Toyota Scion, Toyota Yaris and Kia Rio... Former Suzuki Grand Vitara Owner (2005 Lease) .... ABSOLUTELY THE BEST DECISION WOULD BE AVEO!!!... I have little to NO engine noise whatsoever, very smooth suspension, it does not have the torsion bar (ind. suspension), lots of cool little "features" that are common on premiums, great handling and response and EXCELLENT fuel mileage and I could compare that to my families Toyota Prius... Just the BEST investment I could have made...

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  Cool SUV! - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Paul Stanley - October 2 - 3:53 am

  A great mid size SUV! Mad room in the back seat. Lots of power for passing. Great sound system too! The kids like it, I like it, everybodys happy!

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  Silverado: Power, Reliability & Styling - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Bmreid - October 1 - 9:10 pm

  Ive owned 2 Fords and now a Chevy. The Silverado exceeded my expectations and forced me to fall in love with the brand. Boat load of power, great exhaust sound (duals), and nice styling. No problems except a bad radiator seal at 50,000 mi but warrantied. No recalls either, unlike the typical Ford 3-4 serious defects per model.

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  Nice Car - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Henry - October 1 - 9:26 am

  I was pleasantly suprised by how good a daily driver this car is. I was expecting the ride to be rough and loud but in fact it is quite liveable. The interior is not quite up to par when compared to a Porsche, but its good enough. The engine is insane and so above and beyond what you need. There is so much torque availabe even when the revs are are on the low end which makes it alot more flexible their foreign counterparts. Steering isnt quite as nible as I would like but still is quite good. Overall, I enjoy driving this car more than my previous car (996 Porsche). Be sure to get a CAGS eliminator installed that allows you to bypass the 1st to 4th shift gas saving mode.

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  Love My HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By PAT - October 1 - 1:26 am

  Im so happy with my loaded HHR. Its comfortable on long trips, with great gas mileage. A really fun car to drive, with lots of room

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  202,000 and still going strong - 1993 Chevrolet Blazer
  By P-diddy - September 30 - 8:22 pm

  This is the best car I have every had in my life. I dont ever want to let it go. It needs some work now that it is 13 years old, but it has never let me down in any situation, 4 wheel driving or towing my boat.

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  Greatest Corvette made since my 1967 427 L-88 - 2016 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Keith - September 30 - 7:21 pm

  This animal of a corvette is an unbelievable screaming machine on a track or a pussycat around town in Eco mode on 4 cylinders. After one year and 9,000 miles, this Corvette still amazes me! The power, smoothness, and dependability is still is remarkable. Great value for the money.

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  09 Silverado crew cab 5.3L 4WD - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By ZRMan - September 30 - 4:46 am

  So far I really like this truck. The ride is smooth and quiet. My snowmobile trailer, which pulled hard with my old Silverado, seems to pull much easier with the 6 speed in tow/haul mode. I dont have all the gear hunting and hard shifts. The bluetooth is a nice feature but I would think it would hurt their OnStar sales.

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  Overall, Great Car - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By CONNIE - September 29 - 8:25 pm

  I have only had my vehicle for about 2 weeks, but I love it! I am a little disappointed that it does not have the tracking feature as the other Malibus have had. But I am looking forward to a long and happy time with this car.

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  Finally out of the minivan! - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By magster70 - September 29 - 7:10 pm

  Yes, we finally got rid of the van! With three kids and a dog we wanted somethig with 3rd row seating. Wanted a midsize SUV, compared to Explorer with 3rd seat which seemed like a good vehicle but no room behind 3rd seat. The TrailBlazer was cheaper and had tons more room in the back. Very comfortable driving and very roomy. This vehicle has a nice sounding stereo and is nice to look at. So far we are very pleased. I am also 64" and plenty of head and leg room, even in back.