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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  NIce Car - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Sinner - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Nice car for the money....bought it on GM employee plan paid 19k for 27k car...Rides & drives great...nice performance excellent fuel mileage 33 mpg...overall nice car...

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  No one else gets to drive it. - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By DMB - October 19 - 1:06 am

  Bought used. Have put approx 20k on the Blazer. During the summer on extended trips I got 24mpg. Limited snow this year so I have not had alot of chances to test it out in bad weather. Handles well w/o AT Tires. No problems yet. Rides well.

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  My first new car! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Delcorbett - October 17 - 12:00 pm

  I recently purchased this car and am nothing but happy so far. It is my daily commuter and I have nothing bad to say so far. It gets me to work and it runs great. Good on gas and very fun to drive. Anything beats my old Crown Vic on gas, but this one is great. This is no race car but it gets out of its own way very well.

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  Great car but unreliable - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By amcurtis - October 17 - 2:00 am

  I have driven my car 16k miles in the 6 months I have owned it. I do lots of harsh city driving and many highway miles. I am religious about the maintenance and upkeep. I love the car it drives great. Rotors warped 29k, dealership turned free. Warped again at 34k. 43k miles a lower intake manifold gasket started leaking and a fuel injector went bad. merging onto the highway yesterday something under the hood went crunch and the computer shut the engine down. now it is in the shop for what I expect to be a torque converter or transmission at 43k. very glad I bought the extended warranty not so glad that I bought the car.

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  good little car. - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By chasler - October 16 - 2:00 am

  I get 35 miles to the gallon! It rides nice and handles great. Just a good value in a small car.

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  EASY ROLL OVER - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By cassnjake - October 16 - 2:00 am

  My fiance and I purchased this vehicle as a reliable way to transport our 1 yr old son. Luckily we did not have him with us when we went to check out my fiances shooters bench in the hedgerow... it was around 8am and the grass was slick from dew... my fiance was driving and he wasnt goofing around or anything on the grass road between the cornfields... he pushed the gas a little and the blazer did a 180 degree turn, the wheels stuck into the ground, and rolled us on our top. I would NEVER buy an SUV again. It was cray that you could roll a vehicle going only 7mph!!!! I loved the way it looked and it was very comfortable... but it is NOT SAFE!!!

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  What a great ride! - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By szerfas - October 16 - 2:00 am

  Let me start by saying this car is not for everyone. We actually have it as a summer fun car. With that being said it is everything I hoped it would be. The LS1 pulls hard all over the RPM band. The power is there whenever you want it, especially with 6 speed. I did not expect much from the cornering but for is size and live axle it sticks very well to the corner, I love finding corners to carve. The comfort is really good, long trips have been a pleasure. Decent storage space for a sports car. Take this car on a curvy hilly mountain road and no one is going to be able to wipe the grin off your face.

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  2WD Z-85 - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Dale - October 15 - 7:53 pm

  What a looker this truck is with the 20" chrome wheels, maroon, extended cab, side rails and step bars. WOW - I was a GMC fan until I saw this in the showroom and had to have it. The deals are just too awesome and the vehicle is fabulous. I got the 3.23 rear end with the 5.3 and it goes 52 mph at 1,100 RPM - mileage TBD Now the bad side, the 20" tires and wheels ride terribly. If you get the HD, it is exacerbated even more. Seems almost like a roller coaster ride over even the most minor bumps. The dealer said it would go away in 500 miles, but I certainly have my doubts. Any others experiencing the same problem with this wheel upgrade package? Strongly recommend the vehicle

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  Car Performance - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By cls - October 15 - 3:50 am

  Uses too much fuel. Accelerates quickly. Be aware and conscious of speed of vehicle. Stopping suddenly is difficult while driving at anything over 35 mph.

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  2Door Tahoe - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By DontWorry - October 15 - 2:00 am

  Tahoe is the best full-size SUV.