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 Buyer - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By brian - April 4 - 4:01 pm

  I purchased my new 2009 Tahoe for me and my fiance and we just love it. So far it is the best vehicle I have ever purchased. This purchase made me a believer in GM! When I get ready to trade my Nissan truck, I will definitely be looking at another GM product!

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  old faithful - 1991 Chevrolet Blazer
  By khaki - April 4 - 3:53 pm

  I bought this vehicle from an orthodox priest so perhaps it is blessed? it starts and runs and goes anywhere. Given the age, mileage and price of $800 I am shocked that it only needed a new water pump and some shocks. Super reliable. I intend to keep it for a long long time. Any 18 year old car that is this faithful and great on snow is a keeper. The 4.3 liter v6 is maybe detroits best ever 6. Transmission still flawless. The upholstery is still good. The cv boot has been replaced and u joints should probably be hit now... But a great steady reliable piece of moving metal. Really needs a better stereo though.... No cd player!

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  Good vehicle - 2006 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Denver - April 4 - 1:45 pm

  I run my truck pretty hard high speed and for long periods and over the years I have averaged over 17 mpg highway and city combined, I have even pulled small trailers and the gas mileage was still good, Im going to purchase another Avalanche soon this will make my third one and am very satisfied with the overall performance.

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  Nice SUV but not "Built like a Rock" - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Tom - April 4 - 8:49 am

  This is a nice SUV when we purchased it it was much more expensive than they are today. The truck is used for both work and play. The truck has served us well but it has had many service issues from the trans going out to the DVD/ CD player that stopped working at 38K. Please keep in mind it had maybe played 20CDs and 10 movies in its life. GM has been poor when it comes to standing behind this SUV. After over 30 GM cars in my life this for me is the last one my wife will only drive GM so I will have one in my garage. In the end this is a very expensive car to maintain out of warranty.

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  Very Nice - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Michael - April 4 - 12:40 am

  First time buying a new car. My wife needed something more reliable and we both loved her Montero. Found this at our local Chevy dealer and liked it rom the first test drive. Have drove it for a few months and have no real complaints. Love the seating and cargo area. VERY roomy in the backseat. The gas mileage is getting better every month with the more miles on it.

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  My Metro did its job, and very well! - 2001 Chevrolet Metro
  By dragonfly2005 - April 4 - 12:19 am

  I bought this metro used with about 40,000 miles after I graduated high school. It was fair priced for it being newer at the time with few miles. It ran great up until about 65,000 miles when a cam sensor went out which cost about $200 to get fixed. I performed routine oil changes and have had nothing else go wrong (except normal wear and tear on tires and breaks). I have hit about 82,000 miles and it feels like the CV joint is going out, but i havent brought her in yet so Im not for sure. Id say the car was a great buy for the price and actually exceeded my expectations. It was a little shy on the power, but once you got up to speed it stays there!

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  Worst Car Ive ever Bought - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By robdiddy - April 3 - 8:27 pm

  I purchased this car with 4000 miles on it, rattle in dash at 10k. Torque Converter went at 40k. The stock tires were horrible and made loud noise on the road. The interior of the car stained when it rained. The dashboard rattle became louder as time went on. Despite attempting to tighten everything in the dash, nothing fixed it. The catalytic converter clogged at 50k. At that, I turned the car in and took my losses. I spent 4k on the car in repairs in 2 years and it was draining me.

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  Good value, reliable all around Car. - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Whit - April 3 - 5:24 pm

  We bought the car with 15k in 02. Now has 78k. Had a few issues, breaks, tie rods, wheel bearings front, gas fill issues and vapor recovery stuff, oh ya, tie rods, did I mention tie rods. Over all a good ride, and reliable 4 wheel drive that works easily. Would buy again for the price. My wife loves if for the dogs, and the very muddy roads in Maine.

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  Great in the woods - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By scott - April 3 - 4:48 pm

  I bought my Colorado used with 29,000 miles on it, and the day I bought I started putting it to the test. I have been through some of the worst mudholes, the deepest snow, I drove right through a swamp once, and it goes right through it in 4wd. The only problem I ever had with it is the transmission mount sits really low and can get hung up on things. This is a great little truck for getting in and out the woods for hunting, or just playing around in the mud. There really isnt anything that I havent put my Colorado through, and it still runs strong, and I havent had to replace anything on it and it now has 110,000 miles in it.

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  New ride - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Scott - April 3 - 6:23 am

  I have had my HHR for about 3 months now. I drive a 3.5 hour commute twice per week, and enjoy driving my hot rod every time. It moves right along, and gets great mileage. When Im home, it moves kids and dogs great too.