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:

• 

  Old Berthas still going - 1993 Chevrolet Astro
  By Gus1960 - November 3 - 2:00 am

  We have had Bertha for eight years. She has hauled, kids, dogs, lumber, trash and everything in between without complaint. She has over 170000 miles on her. We plan to keep her till the wheels fall off.

• 

  Great Buy - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Vic - November 1 - 7:56 pm

  Overall its a great little car, excellent fuel economy, and plenty of power. I even tow my 16" boat with it! It is sharp looking and drives great considering the price. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but I think its a great buy for the money.

• 

  bad mpg - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By MCRIDER - November 1 - 8:36 am

  Anyone else with a 08 chev silv. 1500 v6/4.3l reg cab 4x4 8 ft bed, have terrible gas mileage? I only have 3400 mi. On truck. Normal driving between city/hwy I get 10-11 mpg. Definitely not good!

• 

  Good solid truck - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By Ritch - November 1 - 2:00 am

  I have had no problems with my truck, the power is great, the gas mileage is okay, never have had to do anything to my truck except maintenance...I would highly recommend a S-10 to anyone...

• 

  Jeff the Car Mans 92 Camaro - 1992 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Car Man - November 1 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this 92 RS CONV sinse it was 6 months old with only 5,000 miles on it. Aside from hoses, brakes, tires, etc, in ten years I have replaced the starter, alternator, and the hvac dash controler. Probably spent about $500 on repairs other that required maintenance. And the call hondas economy cars.

• 

  So far.....great - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By freeflowin - October 31 - 3:36 pm

  I bought this new in 2009. My very first new vehicle ever. I bought it during Chevys big rebate program and it was well worth it. I have the LT2 with leather bench seats. I truck rides down the highway so unbelievably comfortable that I forget Im in a truck. It is smoother then my moms Cadillac and way smoother then my BMW or my wifes Liberty. I have 38k miles on and the tires are still almost new and it hasnt burnt a drop of oil. Working in the oil fields it has been dependable on ALL road conditions from the mountains of CO and UT to the ice sheets of ND, it has been great. When I had a company Ford F-150 XLT, after my 1100 mile drive to the rig,my back killed the next day, not this

• 

  Best Truck I ever owned - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By tahoegirl - October 31 - 10:00 am

  This is the best truck I ever owned. No major problems except for air conditioning belt, and replaced brakes at 7,000 miles now have 52,000 miles and no problems. Captian chairs excellent heated seats are great in winter time. Only problem with interior, is the back seat does not give enough leg room for my growing kids.I pull a 5,000lb horse trailer in the MT, and I cant tell its there. I look forward to up grading to the 2500HD crew cab on day.. If you want a good family truck get the silverado...

• 

  Nox review - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Jason Sexton - October 31 - 10:00 am

  Ive had some intial quality problems. The front struts seem to be faulty. They are on back order so it has become a headache to deal with. Overall the rest of the car I have no complants the stereo in excellent. There is more back seat room than any other car Ive been in.

• 

  Tahoe LS - 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Ashley - October 31 - 2:00 am

  Extremely smooth ride, I havent found anything better. It is a very sharp looking vehicle, which makes it hard to take it off-road, but if you do the ride is still very smooth and enjoyable.

• 

  2000.5 Chevy Tahoe LT - 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By djp255 - October 31 - 2:00 am

  I love this vehicle