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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  Chris Craft Tow Toy - 2005 Chevrolet Astro
  By DorothyJs. LT AWD - November 18 - 4:02 pm

  Very dependable, very low maintenance, so comfortable to drive, great for road trips, pulls the boat like a toy

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  Power House - 1995 Chevrolet Corvette
  By power house - November 18 - 2:52 pm

  I fell in love with this vehicle the first time I seen it- It came rolling in at a tent sale in Florida- It was a real eye-catcher. I paid the lady well below book value and now its mine- LT1---- 300hp---torch red--- vroooooooom!!

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  American Touring car - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Captain Safety - November 18 - 9:33 am

  Purchased this car for business use, and will drive 45,000 miles in 2008. Excellent seat and ride comfort for extended highway use. Great value for less than $25,000. Leather, heated, power seats; strong V-6; remote start; tire pressure monitoring at all four corners; XM radio; five-star crash rating. Better seats and ride than my previous Honda Odyssey. Likely 27-29 mpg as along-term average.

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  I love my Aveo - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Ilona - November 18 - 3:34 am

  My parents bought an 05 Chevy Aveo LT (the hatchback version) for me as my first car. Im an 18 year old college student and this car is perfect for me. It gets me to school, to see my friends, and do whatever else I need. Ive driven in it for over 4 hours with my dad on vacation, and am going to take it to Lake Tahoe (a 6-7 hr drive from LA) in a few weeks for winter break. Its an overall reliable vehicle, roomy enough to fit 5 people (4 without a problem), and to top it off is super cute. I get compliments on it all the time, and all my friends + family love to drive in it with me. I love this car!

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  Great Vehicle - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Phisp - November 17 - 12:30 pm

  Bought this vehicle because my wife loved it, I did not like the way it looked and the fact it did not have a real full size bed. I now love it the Z71 package is a must I can haul all my fire wood, take my wife and kids camping while towing the boat do some off roading and take it surf fishing easily.. No problems to speak of, GM hit a home run with the Avalanche. My buddies Nissan Titan feels about half as strong as my Avalanche and he has been through 2 rears and 5 long term visits to the dealer for service , Considering a Titan? buy the Avalanche.

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  AWESOME! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Luke Hansen - November 16 - 9:10 pm

  Incredible, that explains it! The vehicle is by far the best SUV GM has ever come out with. The Tahoe drives nice, comfortable, and stylish!

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  In love with my Impalla SS - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Annette - November 16 - 2:29 pm

  I have owned my Chevy Impalla SS for over a year now and am in love. This car is almost everything I hoped it would be. It handles like a pro on the express way and can pass just about anything out there. The gas mileage could be better, but being supercharged, its ok with me. I would recommend this car for someone who is looking for affordable luxury with a kick. This car is also very accomidating to teens. the back seat is very roomy and the trunk has pleanty of space for travel.

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  Good truck - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By pete - November 16 - 2:26 pm

  My 02 Duramax has been excelent to me. It is desined to pull around 10,000 lbs with a hitch, but I have pulled 15,000 lbs with no problem. My 18 goose neck is even easier to pull even when it is full of trash about the same weight. I love it.

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  My 2005 Aveo - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Jason - November 16 - 1:33 pm

  This car has been great! I drove an 03 Impala, which I miss, but the gas mileage is worth the down-grade. Since I bought my Aveo during the GM employee pricing, I got the LT version with all the toys for around $12,600, including a sun roof. Ive been approached by several co-workers, and friends asking me about it. Its a fun car!

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  One Great SUV - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Bill V - November 16 - 1:51 am

  I have owned a lot of Trucks and several SUVs and this rig is hands down my favorite of all times. It is Fun to drive, very comfortable and pull my camping trailer like its not there. The Tahoe is solid and has a lot of power, Im able to pull my trailer up a steep grade leading to our favorite camp ground at 55 MPH, my old SUV could only go 25 MPH max. The gas mileage is not bad for such a large SUV on a recent trip I was able to get 18 MPG. I didnt want the on- star but it came with it and now I could not live without it, the hands free phone it a great feature and works were my flip phone wont.