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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  Suburban Review - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By dstanley - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I like it and it fits my budget,lifestyle, and garage while still being stylish and not fitting into the minivan mold.

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  Fun City - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By JBWoods - January 27 - 10:00 am

  My VETTE Roadster (Convertible) is the most fun vehicle I have ever owned. Performance is true sports car and mileage is amazingly good at 20 miles per gallon. The Millenium Yellow color is a head turner for sure...

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  Pros & Cons - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By vachevyguy - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I had a 98 Blazer for 4 years before I got my new 03 Trialblazer LT. New new Trailblazer is light years ahead of the old Blazer. However, they are really getting choosy with the option packages. Its not enough to get the basic LT package. There a lot of things I wish were included that arent

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  Best I ever bought - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Happydude - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I have owned over 8 cars in the last 10 years. I traded in my 99 Ford Ex XLT SUV for this truck and have been very happy with it. The ride is super nice, no bumps or engine nosie, unlike on my Ford. Plus it shifts smooth while towing at high speeds, unlike my Ford. Plus has lots of power to get moving in traffic.

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  Monte Family - 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Patti Baughman - January 27 - 8:00 am

  I love this car. It is my first brand new vehicle and it is great. It rides well, its comfortable to drive. The styling is good. I did not like the looks of the 06 so we got an 05. This car is very driver oriented. Plenty of room inside for passengers. We are now proud owners of 1970, 1998, and 2005 Monte Carlos.

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  A sweet ride - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By blueturtle - January 27 - 3:52 am

  Victory Red HHR SS turbo. Excellent performance. Very comfortable inside, high bolstered sport seats, electric adjustable seats, are excellent for me and I am 61". Plenty of head room,leg room. Inside has a comfy-cozy feel, but not cramped. Nice ride and the 18" wheels help that cause. Very smooth on the highway. Have to get use to this 260 horse. Doing 80 on highway without realizing. ou do not feel the speed in this car. Very quiet. Loaded. Got it all on this SS. Have 900 miles in 2 months, and so far having fun and love it. No reliability issues yet (holding my breath on the brake issue plaguing this car).

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  Gas mileage not as advertised - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By 90headednorth - January 27 - 12:16 am

  I have enjoyed my new SS since purchasing it in mid November 05. Pretty much as advertised with only one exception. My only issues is the gas mileage. When buying a V8 one should expect that gas mileage will be less than a 6 cyl auto, but when the manufacturer states 18-28 MPG, you would expect to average inside that range. To date Im averaging about 17.5 per tank in town and 21 or so highway. This represents mileage without A/C or a lead foot at this time. GM would be wise to revise their advertising as I suspect this car will be more in the 16-20 MPG range once I quit babying it.

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  Happy with a few complaints - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Sunburst Orange - January 26 - 9:28 pm

  This truck is absolutely gorgeous, so many compliments, rivals that of my Corvette. As far as mpg not bad for what you are driving. Drives nice but I encourage all buyers to purchase air ride! Makes your $40,000 vehicle ride like a $40K should. This is a big vehicle with lots of blind spots. Get back up camera for sure! Another problem, to lower the mid gate you have to move both front seats up a lot! Not even an option for long trips. Seats arent as comfortable as I would like but maybe its just me. Light in bed should be controlled by tailgate not courtesy lights. I have had a few things that seem like they need replaced but I bought mine used so might just be driven rough. I love it.

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  Last Chevy S10 - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By mbcinos - January 26 - 8:08 pm

  Junk, junk, and more junk from the GM people. I owned an older S10 (1985) and put 169,000 miles on it. This one has been one nightmare after another. I used to be a GM mechanic, so I saved myself a lot of repair bills. But fuel pump,O2 sensors, map sensor, two coils, various distributor caps, they say napa has the best one, Im going to try it next. K&N filter helps on gas mileage just as long as you dont spray much oil on it. Intake gaskets leaked antifreeze out instead of in ,so it didnt blow motor, lucky! The check engine light is almost always on and I cant get my brake lights to go out, which by the way is a common problem usualy caused by the master switch.

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  Nit picked to death - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Ron - January 26 - 2:49 pm

  Bought for step daughter at 120k, now with 175k. Drive train held up till about 170 with no issues, then head gasket went and tranny that you can not service, had to be replaced. I did not mind those due to mileage but the rest of the vehicle a disaster, abs, ignition, passlock, heater control, ABS sensors and more, majority items where maintenance can not be done.