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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  Well designed and improved - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jb - April 2 - 8:23 am

  Im going into my third year of this vehicle and I am mostly impressed. The build quality is better than many of the foreign trucks for the first time ever, and a huge step up over previous models. Gas mileage for me has been about 15.5mpg with mostly city driving and a lot of 4wd in the winter. Other than a fender bender which caused no body damage other than the PLASTIC flashing below the bumper that was easy to remove, Ive had no mechanical issues. The cloth seats are comfortable but collect lint like mad and already are falling apart at the seams. The ride is great though, and the back seats easily fit my 3 kids on 6 hour fishing trips without a problem

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  Not bad at all - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD
  By BINCS - April 2 - 2:53 am

  Ive had mine for 2 years now and never had a problem with mileage - 15/18. I use it a lot in the woods and never had a problem on or off road. I do agree the tires are too small for the truck (that was the very first thought when I saw it). But its been a good truck that handled well on a WA to NJ road trip of 4000+ miles with a motorcycle and stuff in the bed ranging from twisting turning roads in Yellowstone to 90+ MPH straightaways in SD (milage goes to 14-15 at 90MPH).

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  Gas hog - 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By joe - March 31 - 8:10 pm

  I have driven chevy/gmc cars and trucks for 30 years and have obviously been pleased with their products because I have purchased many new products from them. This 2010 truck is an extended cab, LTZ,5.3 v8,3.08 rear. EPA estimates 21 highway and 15 city. Also,it has a six speed transmission. I drive 25,000 to 30,000 miles annually and keep accurate records of my gas mileage. This truck gets 16.3 miles per gallon with 85% highway miles and 15% city miles basically going the speed limit. I still have a 2003 Chevy extended cab,4 speed trans,5.3 liter engine, 246,000 miles on the truck. I get 18 mpg on this truck driving the same way as I drive the 2010.

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  Stick shift sticks it to you - 2017 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Bill - March 30 - 10:40 am

  The manual transmission forces the driver to shift from first to fourth a great deal of the time. The owners manual dictates it and states that if you dont follow the instruction to do so your transmission can be damaged. This negates the primary reason I bought a stick shift to begin with. If you want a stick, beware of this dictated shift pattern. I assume it is to help meet government milage standards, but it ruins the purpose of the stick.

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  Dependible Chevy - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Rayfelins - March 30 - 10:00 am

  Ive Had 46,000 trouible free miles. Just changed brake pads. I go to work in a foot of unplowed snow without worry. Leather, CD, Sunroof. Great value for the money.

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  6 liter gas - 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Gary Nichols - March 27 - 1:13 pm

  Very poor gas mileage, average 11 mpg, transmission constantly shifting into passing gear to catch up on a very low incline or small head wind

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  Avalanche 1500 2WD is truck luxury! - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By lizzieann - March 26 - 7:33 am

  Finally, automakers took heed to consumers. No more borrowing hubbys F150. Went from a Celica to the Avi & eased my road rage. 13K miles & were still happy. A few quirks that need to mentioned. Midgate gasket can leak if not installed correctly. Leaking only visible when back seats down, check for deformities. (Not covered by warranty, but dealer should work with you soon after purchase.) Side exterior body moulding held on by expanded, plastic clips & adhesive. Watch for loosening (Body moulding only covered 12K miles). Unreliable tailgate latch. Gate falls while driving after locking & pulling the handle. Even with the quirks, probably the best vehicle I have driven & owned.

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  My pickup - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By swarens - March 25 - 10:00 am

  I really am enjoying this pickup. I had a 2002 and several improvements have been made on the 03 model, the new model no longer has vibrating rear doors, the build quality on my LS seems substantially better than the 02, the rear window defroster was a great idea since my 02 would fog up quite easily, the engine (5.3) has plenty of power, the electronic 4X4 works great, the satelite radio is amazing when combined with the Bose system. I test drove the dodge and the ford, Im not sure why some of the reviews rate them higher than the chev/gmc.

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  Tony - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Bb083064 - March 24 - 10:26 pm

  It is a great truck. Well taken care of. Flowmasters were put on.

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  Silverado 2500HD - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By JT French - March 24 - 3:10 am

  Love the price I paid for the truck. Love the style/looks. Dont like the paint, scratches way too easily. Dont like gas mileage, only 13 on freeway and 10 around town, but mine does have 32 inch mud tires. Was 15 on highway with stock tires and it is a big truck, its going to get poor mileage. Other than that, I really like it..