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:

• 

  malibu - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tbonestone - July 18 - 2:00 am

  everything my wife and i exspected

• 

  Nice Truck - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Former Z Owner - July 18 - 2:00 am

  This truck is marketed toward people who wont do a lot of towing and value ride/comfort, which is me. The crew cab has lots of interior room, even for 6 footers in the back seat. The 5 cylinder engine has plenty of power, better than the V6 it replaces in the S-10. Plus its better on gas.

• 

  like it - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By RipB - July 18 - 2:00 am

  overall a fun car to look at and drive, big and roomy but sporty. an exec or family car with some style and fun

• 

  northeast driver - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By vikki l - July 18 - 2:00 am

  The Tahoe was intimidating to me at first, after a few drives I find it to be a pleasure to ride in and drive. It handles like a dream, my car requires more hands on driving than the Tahoe. I was in a terrible snowstorm with it and I was stuck to the road the entie trip home, everyone around me was not! I feel very safe when I am in this SUV, and and very happy to own it.

• 

  FUEL - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By PAW - July 18 - 2:00 am

  THE TRUCK HAS POWRE BUT THE FUEL MILAGE IS NOT AS GOOD AS MY OLD ONE. I TRAVEL A 140 MILES A DAY. 7 DAYS A WEEK, AND I SPEND 30.00$ A DAY IN FUEL

• 

  Great in the Snow - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Cook - July 18 - 2:00 am

  Buffalo had a snow storm two days after we bought the SUV. The auto handled beautifully and I just drove to work. After driving a minivan for years, this certainly surpassed my expectations. Weve had on long trips ~8 hours and it was very comfortable and drives nice.

• 

  I like mine - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By rc1261 - July 18 - 2:00 am

  My Trailblazer has been a very good vehicle for me. Good power under the hood and very comfortable inside. Great for going off the "paved path" as well as long highway trips. I would buy another.

• 

  New Item for us. - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By k gainey - July 17 - 11:13 am

  We are very satisfied with our HHR. We have three small children, and they have plenty of room as well as the front two passengers. It is very hard to use the cupholders up front while driving. Other than that the only other odd thing is the battery placement. What is up with that? I havent even seen the battery yet. I hope all of the rear storage doesnt have to be removed to get to it. I am disabled and this would pose a problem for myself. Other than those small things, the SUV is great in every way.

• 

  3 Engines and stiil rolling - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Pat Jenkins - July 16 - 10:00 am

  Vehicles first engine began to smoke heavily during start up the first week we owned it. GM said it was defective PCV. After that didnt fix it, they finally replaced the motor. The dealers quality on this engine swap was terrible. My test drive off the dealer repai lot revealed a heavy knocking sound from the passenger side of new engine. GM had to replace engine again and have aera rep supervise the installation. I doubt that Toyota or Honda would have had to replace the motor twice!

• 

  Great vehicle, cant get past a few item - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rysamem - July 15 - 4:26 am

  Overall I like the vehicle. Drives nice, great mileage, many features. Bluetooth, OnStar, backup camera, USB make traveling much more enjoyable. Only 600 miles but I average about 29 on the highway.