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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  Love Hate Relationship - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Shalom - February 13 - 6:27 pm

  Its a beautiful car but within the 2 years weve had this, we have had to take it in to the dealership 10+ times for various issues (key fob, 4wd going out, 7th cylinder went out, etc). Each time one thing is fixed, something else goes out and were left with no car. We bought it brand new no less. I have read more good than bad reviews, so I think we just bought a Monday/Friday car. If it werent for the issues that keep cropping up, I adore this car. Its gorgeous, cushy, and compared to the Ford SUVs that cost 5k more, you get tons more features. Hopefully GM can figure out how to avoid these problems with current/future Suburbans.

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  A daily driver shouldnt be this fun! - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By DC - February 13 - 3:41 pm

  Handles great, steering is snappy and sharp, (some say clunky, but for a spirited driver, its perfect). Combined with 4 doors and a large trunk, its sporty and versatile. Opted for the silverstone metallic with black leather, sharp! Great stereo, firm but comfy seats with heaters. XM and OnStar are great. 303hp doesnt hurt either. Have scared a lot of tuners on the line when the 5.3L makes the tires scream (just remember to turn off the traction control). And it even runs on regular 87 octane! (Tell that to your Charger owners!)

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  A great all-arround mini truck - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By john - February 13 - 12:11 pm

  I bought my truck with 3 miles on it and now I have over 111,000mi. I have only had 2 issues. 3rd door handle broke and I believe this is attributed to lack of maintenance which asks for lubrication of the body every so often. And my heater core which I caused by running a radiator flush in my vehicle too long. Otherwise this truck has been like a rock. Filters and fluids are the only things I have changed on my truck. The interior is hardly showing its age. I love my truck. Just enough room in the bed for a homeowner to complete any weekend project. The key to any vehicle is maintenance. If people followed their vehicles maintenance schedule these problems would be cut in half.

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  One Owner - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By boom - February 13 - 12:06 pm

  28 to 30 mpg to work and home regularly. 31 mpg highway. No major problems since purchased at 12 miles now has 90,000 miles.

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  Great Value - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Anthony - February 13 - 9:27 am

  Ive had my Malibu LT2 for about 4 months now. I am very pleased with the car, even with the 4 banger it still is able to get up and run if i ever need it and for the gas mileage I get 30-31 highway and 26-27 mix with about 60% highway. The leather seats with the suede fabric in the middle is what sold me on the car. It is silly luxury for a car at this price. I also love the hvac and stereo controls. They look good and are very easy to understand and use. I recently had someone try to break into my car by going through the driver side front window and they were not able to break their way through the laminated glass!

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  Transmission Stinks - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Keith trovillion - February 13 - 8:36 am

  The transmission on this vehicle went after only 2 1/2 years, and at 42,000 miles. I dont tow with it, or use it for work. Most of the miles on it are highway, none off road or abusive. Chevy didnt want to know anything. They told me I should have purchased an extended warranty. This in my opinion, is telling me that they know the Chevy Avalanche is substandard and I will have problems with it. I dont know of any car company that backs their product less then Chevrolet. Im very disappointed with Chevy.

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  Great truck - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By Bob Itzel - February 13 - 2:00 am

  I did alot of looking to find the right truck. Watched the commercial for the silverado,this truck exceeds all of the expectations I had for it. The truck rides better than my Cadillac, and I cant pulls 6 horses with my Sedan Deville. Chevrolet has out done themselves with this truck. Congrats on a job well done!!! The commercials didnt lie

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  A few flaws, but great overall - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Slowpoke - February 13 - 2:00 am

  The Trailblazer has plenty of power on hand, a surprisingly small turning radius, and great gas mileage for a vehicle as heavy as this and with this much horsepower (average 16 city, 21 hwy). Ive had two problems with it though: 1) the gauges have quit working twice (after the vehicle rests for about an hour, the gauges will begin to work again), 2) the air conditioning quit working once (again, after the vehicle rested for about an hour, the AC started to work again). Also, Ive noticed some vibration-noises in the rear suspension. Besides those issues, Ive thoroughly enjoyed this vehicle, especially on long road trips.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By albertls - February 13 - 2:00 am

  So far so good. Great performer, good looking style. Has performed everywhere as expected

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  22 times in the shop - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By lives in the shop - February 13 - 1:22 am

  I bought this car new! It was in the shop from week one, which the guys in the service dept have bent over backwards for me. They did not design or build the car, not their fault. The rattle was finally fixed, after the 3rd visit struts replace, strut mounts replaced 2 times in first yr, rack and pinion replaced? steering column sleeve replaced at 34,000 miles visor 2 times radio replaced ac fan motor, Car drifts to left all the time Car is very loud with road, noise brakes are showing signs of issues. Havent taken it back in yet. Headlights shake even if road is smooth. This is my 3rd Malibu and last Chevy.