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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  enough pep for the pepsi man... - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Pepsi man - July 5 - 10:00 am

  I have had this vehicle for almost 3 weeks now, and i have already put almost 2000 miles on it. This car will give you a run, on the interstate you have to watch your speed, because i have caught myself doing 95 easily and not even noticing it becuase of the smooth ride. This is a great car and i love it to death. I have only had one problem with it so far and that is with a squeaky fan belt, which can be easily fixed. The leather seats make it very comfortable. All together i am very satisfied with my vehicle, except for the fuel milege, i am lucky if i get 14 mpg.

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  Wind / Road Noise - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Tom Swanson - July 4 - 5:30 am

  My car gets 20 mpg in town driving and 30 mpg highway. I have had it 6 months. It accelerates quickly enough to get on freeways safely. The heated seats need to be re-designed so more of the seating surface gets warm. The only complaint I have is about wind & road noise, especially at highway speeds, the noise sounds like a window is not completely shut, especially on passenger side, between the front & rear door. This appears to be the result of a design flaw. There is only one rubber seal around the front doors, & if there were two, like on the rear doors, I think the problem would not exist.

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  Wanted a GMC but the Chev will do nicely - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By RagDoll - July 1 - 10:10 pm

  I was actually looking for the new Sierra but it was too late in the year to find the things I wanted in stock at a dealer. So off to Chevy I went. I searched lots on Sundays and the internet during the week and after an exhaustive search of about 400-500 trucks, I found one that was very close to the exact truck I wanted with the options I wanted. GMC and Chev actually have a bit different look this year and I prefer GMC...that being said, I wanted the Flex-Fuel, a sunroof, LTZ, Z-71, and either Gray or Black...with the power rear slider up in the air because you lose the defogger if you get that option and in Minnesota, the rear defog gets a lot of use. I have about 3500 miles on my truck.

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  New Owner - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Terry Henderson - June 30 - 10:30 pm

  I find this SUV to be very comfortable and fun to drive. It handles better then any SUV that I have driven. I like the body style. It is sleek and orginal. It has a lot of leg room. I like the back seat that moves back and forth. I like the sound system, it has alot of power. All in all, it is the best SUV out there

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  Great car with a few problems - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Chevyforlife - June 30 - 9:13 pm

  Have owned car for 3 months, very stylish outside. Have LT1 version, interior seats are very nice though a bit uncomfortable especially for your lower back. No carpet in the back seats, basically a big floor mat latched down. I get 20.2 MPG. My biggest problem with the car is the location of the oil filter. I have changed oil on dozens of vehicles (new and old) but never had to change the filter from the top of the engine. There is not enough room to place a filter wrench on the filter, it took 3 hrs for 3 men to unloose the initial high torqued filter by hand. When the filter was loosened it went all over other components located underneath the filter. Otherwise a great car and roomy.

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  Steering column and driver seat heater - 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By CB - June 26 - 11:40 pm

  I like the body and look, everything I look for in a car. I noticed after 20 thousand miles a feeling in the steering, something to do with an addition to the steering column to comply with some sort of collapsing requirements. The mechanic was aware of the problem and replaced the worn part under warranty. Shortly there after the drivers side seat heater stopped working. I miss that option as I drive in all weather with the window open. Wont pay to have that fixed. After 30 thousand miles the feeling in the steering column has returned. Time for another diagnostic check, hope it wont cost too much. I like the car and Ill fix it for a while.

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  They Could Do Better - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By No More GM for me - June 26 - 12:26 pm

  Overall, not too bad but not much of an improvement on previous version. Theyd better look out because the new Ford Taurus has this one beat by a long shot. Thatll be the second car for this family (bye-bye GM)

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  Surprising "cheap" car - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By MN driver - June 26 - 10:56 am

  Having had a LOT of different cars (all price ranges including Lexus), I was looking for a real cheap drive to work car. The Aveo has proven so far to be a very acceptable ride. My only complaint is the choice of tires which do not provide much handling especially on ice/snow. The car starts in cold weather (below 0) is quiet has a good radio/ABS/Auto Trans and great interior space. It is a lot of car for the low price.

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  2004 Z71 - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By lance kap - June 23 - 2:00 am

  great truck...put 22" tires on it and corsa exhaust with carbon fiber dashboard. Very nice!

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  chev avalanche - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By jeffmarsh - June 23 - 2:00 am

  purshased the vechcle nesw at the end of 2002. the vechicle is fun to drive and gives you great overdirve performance in the ford explored i had when yu went up a hill the over drive would kick off and eave yu hanging. This doesnt. one thing the vechicle comes with a different size spare tireand its not the same make of tire. it had 190000 miles on it/ the dealership need to improve their customer relations as well in the service dept. not ver swift sorry courtesy but you flunked the satisfaction test.