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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  Happy to be Safe - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Just a Mom - April 29 - 10:00 am

  We went from a small foreign SUV to this. It is a new world! We love it! We may be driving our kids college education but it is worth the money. The leather seats are terrific and the ride is unbeatable. Most of all, we just feel as though our family is safe rising in it.

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  Chevrolet Suburban - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By jttiii - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Having ownned this vehicle since the end of April and accumulating 4K miles, I find it to be quite comfortable and secure. Front and rear seats are quite comfortable and ride is very good for the size of the vehicle. I am hoping for fuel mileage to improve as my highway driving is around 16 mpg and city driving at 10 mpg. I might add that I am ever mindful traffic and road conditions with unplanned starts and stops kept to a mimimum. Overall, very pleased with this Suburban in the LT pkg. Hopefully I will continue to be satisfied with it.

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  Suburban - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Cindy E. Martlock - April 29 - 10:00 am

  I love this vehicle.

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  Johnny - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Big John D - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Exelent truck, ive never driven anything better. I hope they keep making theese trucks, because I love them.

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  Overall a good car - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Joe - April 29 - 9:30 am

  Ive put 15,000 miles on it (127k now) since I bought it. Its a base model, but it has power options and keyless entry - big plus. Interior design is the best part: simple. 3 gauges, 3 climate knobs, and not much more. Standard GM controls work well. Car has tiny spots of rust behind wheels, but thats expected with age. Ive gotten 33mpg going 68 on the highway in calm weather, but I get < 20 in the city. This car has adequate power, but who wants adequate? The 3100 has enough grunt to make your heart race when you push it from a stoplight, and it works okay for passing on the highway. Drivers side visor clip and rear passenger window button broke, but theyre not important.

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  It is how it sounds! - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Supercharged Xtreme - April 29 - 3:16 am

  I bought my X-treme in 2008 with 76,000 miles for a daily driver and I fell in love. I go by people in X- treme pickups and they almost wreck seeing an X-treme Blazer. Im glad to see positive feedback from other X- treme owners cus it sounds like other models are goofing up. I am in the process of supercharging my blazer for some extra fun & that extra Umph of pulling into traffic but it does great while stock. It has a nice smooth ride and great stock looks I would never change. All my friends tried to buy it the first time they saw it. Im only 21, but I know a good Chevy when I see one & this is definitely one of them. My Chevys have always ran good, even my 1950 Chevy runs like a top!!

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  I am again a believer - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By What an SUV! - April 29 - 12:59 am

  We started looking for an SUV and wasnt sure what direction to go. My father in-law has a Yukon SLT and loves it. I have always been anti American when it comes to vehicles, I always stuck with Japanese. We also own a 07 Honda Pilot EX-L(w/nav) and absolutely love it, however my wife wanted something more roomy. So our search began. We looked at Toyota Sequoia....way too pricey, even the base SR5. Then we looked at Nissan Armadas, not bad but poor fuel economy, and drive too much like a truck. Then we drove an Expedition(Eddie Bauer), I was not impressed with the fit and finish and the steering was way too touchy. Then we drove our first Tahoe..I was impressed. Two days later we bought one

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  Pretty good for first car - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Jonathan O - April 28 - 11:28 pm

  I bought this 2 weeks before I graduated. It had some problems with fuel injectors, and throttle body. After I got that fixed it has been fine ever since.

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  ES 350 AT 1/2 PRICE - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jim - April 28 - 9:41 pm

  Nice tan leather interior with heated seats and simulated wood on dash. Dark Molcha exterior. Lexus-like quietness and superb Bose stereo. Nice volume controls and scan on steering wheel. E- 85 capable, On-Star, rear seat folds flat 3 things $40K Lexus doesnt have. Still proud to buy from the General. Clients I drive have commented on tight fit and finish. Makes a professional statement without being overly blatant or presumptuous. Plus makes a great family car on the weekend. Has 3 power plugs for my 2 phones and portable GPS. Nice easy to use controls for HVAC. Very logical and practical.

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  Cobalt XFE Is The Real Deal! - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Ethan - April 28 - 5:09 pm

  I just purchased my new 2009 Cobalt XFE sedan. I have not seen many of the XFE packaged cars in the sedan bodystyle, so I assume that it is pretty rare. My car is the very base model LS, and the only option I purchased was floormats. It is a very comfortable driving car. It is surprisingly quiet inside (Ive been told the sedan version has more headroom and is slightly quieter if that sways your decision). The engine power is great. I have 700 miles on the car and got an average of 40.7 MPG!!! That was on a 60 mile round trip of windy country roads and getting stuck in a little traffic. The mileage amazes me!