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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  very nice truck - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By steve w - November 11 - 2:00 am

  I bought this as a second vehicle and I have had 0 problems from it and it had 28000 miles on it when I got it

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  Chevy Tahoe - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By gandalf - November 11 - 2:00 am

  Rear Window no longer works

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  Yes to SS!!!!! - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By j. kugel - November 10 - 11:23 pm

  I need a truck. Three kids,so I needed a 4 door. I pull a boat, so I needed a truck that can haul the kids and a boat. This truck does it all day and its a cool truck too. I can still go to the cruise nights with it too!!

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  Cheap interior, poor design - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By B Kohlhase - November 10 - 5:46 am

  I purchased my SS new. Transmission going now at 85k. Headliner fell behind sunroof, dealer never could fix from day one. Electrical under seat poor design. Moving seat has pulled wires. Pulled seat heater, seatbelt light flashing. Electrical is poor. Signals quit working and can hear buzzer at times. Good driving machine though and still get compliments on the car at almost 7 years old.

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  A great value for the money! - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By kaushik - November 10 - 2:00 am

  A fantastic SUV for the money. I have the fancy, decked-out version with the optinal Z71 off-road package, which gives it a really taut, robust (albeit a teensy bit rough) ride. Corner handling is excellent for a bus this size. I currently have a little over 40,000 miles on it and the brakes are hardly half-way through!! I had a really bad experience with the brakes on the previous model (the previous body-style), but this is worlds better. Very comfy and roomy inside, the A/C is superb to control and maintain temperature. Very reliable so far, although Ive only had it for a year-and-a-half!

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  Great Truck for the price - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By WVU - November 9 - 4:43 am

  I was looking for a decent mid-size truck with decent gas mileage. I narrowed it down to 3 trucks. Colorado, Frontier and the Tacoma. I ruled the Dakota out because their V6 model does not have enough ponies and their V8 is a gas hog and has less or only slightly more HP then its competitors. I really wanted the Tacoma or Frontier becasue both have great HP for a V6. But the price for these trucks is outrageous because the dealers will not deal. I went with the Colorado because of price. My truck stickered at $29,500. I paid $22,000 because of the rebates and GM employee price that was offered. You can get a Colorado for $7,000 to $8,000 cheaper then its competition, so its a no brainer.

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  Good Family Car - 1999 Chevrolet Lumina
  By mma786 - November 9 - 2:00 am

  Our Lumina has taken care of our families transportation need thorugh thick and thin for the past five years. The car has given us few problems considering the abuse we put it through. The car seats six plus the low end torque really gets you moving. When ever the weather is bad our family prefers the Lumina, because it "just feels more secure."

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  2000 AWD AstroVan - 2000 Chevrolet Astro
  By catlover - November 9 - 2:00 am

  Have found vehicle to be extremely reliable, have put 90000 miles on it in 3 years, gone through the worst blizzard in the east coast in 50 years in 2 ft of new snow without even a hesitation. Very roomy, great cargo space, seats comfortable. not good on foot room, cant stretch out drivers legs. drivers information center was very useful.

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  Chev Venture - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By Lfisher - November 9 - 2:00 am

  The vehicle is well constructed,response well to commands. Gas milage is average. Number of options avalable makes is worth investigating all. Fie vehicle, passenger comfort excellent.

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  my 1st 4wd - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Jerry bishop - November 9 - 2:00 am

  Simply said its a luxury vehicle with the strength and power of a truck. Unbelievably quiet and ready to go anywhere. A little tough on the fuel economy but I guess that can be expected given its size.