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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  LS 4Dr Auto - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By CDN Ren - November 22 - 3:10 pm

  I have the 4dr LS model w/ sport appearance package. After test driving this and the Mazda 3, I found that this car was a tad quieter on the highway. Im averaging 7.9l/100km (even with A/C usage) Its spacious for my needs, and the trunk is absolutely huge (about on par with the 300 from Chrysler). Its small and nimble enough to work well in the city and subburban areas, and it fits in most tight parking spaces. It did take some time to get used to the drivers seat as it felt a bit stiff for a number of weeks, but now Ive found my "sweet spot". The sun visors to me seem a little smaller than my Z24 and I can not block as much sun as I used to. All said though its a fantastic car, get one!

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  Hits all the right marks - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Sugar Land Express - November 22 - 12:43 am

  Traded in a 2005 Honda CRV and considered trading for a new one. However, the Equinox is much more vehicle for the money and doesnt have the anonymous styling of the Honda. Parked it in an airport garage and when I returned from my trip a Lexus RX was parked next to it. Without the name badging, you could not have told the difference. The 6 speed auto is smooth and responsive, and the 6 cylinder, while a little thirstier, has plenty of pep. Interior design is well thought out and much classier than the competition. Waited several months to get the right exterior/interior color combination but it was worth it. Dont expect much discount off MSRP.

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  Corvette lite - 2016 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Kelly - November 21 - 3:26 pm

  We have owned the car about a month and it is a very fast car, we also own the new Mustang 5.0 with the performance package and they are very different rides. The Camaro, while luxurious still feels ferocious, the Mustang is smoother and a little tame. The technology in the Camaro is way better than the Mustang, it seems GM look over the Mustang and made everything better.

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  Great SUV - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Brittney - November 20 - 9:13 pm

  This is a fun SUV to drive, and great space, with the rear seat ability to slide back and forth, increasing leg room, or rear cargo space.

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  I love my Jeff Gordon Monte - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By jrrotten - November 19 - 4:53 am

  This car was purchased as an investment and is driven less than 2000 mi annually now. It averages 26 mph and gets 32 mpg on the freeways. I purchased it new, and it is covered in the garage. I think GM and Hendrix motor sport did a great job of designing the package. It holds the road like it was glued to it. I took the car on 2 road trips, one to Arizona and one to Colorado. Wonderful auto, it now has 24,240 miles on it.

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  my dream car - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By nursechell - November 19 - 2:00 am

  I have liked this vehicle for almost three years. I didnt buy one until they had the extended version. I am extremely happy with this SUV. It rides well, sits up high (but not too high), and gets okay gas milage for the kind of SUV that it is... The price has gone up now that they are popular, thats the only drawback.

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  my second hwy trotter - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By jfp1042a - November 19 - 2:00 am

  my second one the first 1 gave me 190000 miles with no repairs oh yes a water pump condidering that i drive 40000 miles a year the cav is mrs old reliable and not a money pit either excellent superb in snow to roomy spacious enoiugh even 4 a big guy rar to in my 4 doors good heating sys decent satero good instruments to improve...... seats and larger brakes and all 4 disks please

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  Colorado - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By sheik830 - November 19 - 2:00 am

  so far so good but I dont have a lot of miles on it yet.It has lots of room inside the cab.Plenty of power also.It looks really aggressive.This truck should sell very good.

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  Finally! - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Skkoner - November 19 - 2:00 am

  I used to be an S-10 owners, but went Ford/Mazda for 10 years. lots of interior head and leg room. I can really notice the 220 ponies, but the torque is a little lower than my 4.0L Mazda. I wont be pushing the truck to its limits so this is entirely acceptable. four wheel drive engages very smooth and quietly, and the General tires on it perform excellent in the snow. The engine is virtually silent, and has plenty of power for my uses. An occasional load of dirt or lumber, or towing walleye boat. Overall this truck is a perfect fit for my needs with pleanty of power and more than adequate torque.

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  boat and dive truck - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By olds442 - November 19 - 2:00 am

  truck is used for trips to florida and for towing of our 24 ft boat. very comfortable and a joy to drive, even while towing. although it seems to use more fuel then i would like, its worth it. very quite ride. the storage comportments are very handy and being able to lock up our dive gear in the bed is handy also.