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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  Chevys Best - 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Larry Gehrs - May 5 - 12:30 pm

  I have a Tony Stewart special edition Monte Carlo 2005 ,supercharged, The car is very fast and the car is good handling. For the up most, the car is built strong and sturdy. Very well built and one of the best on the road

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  Fun Ride - 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By hammer760 - May 4 - 11:58 pm

  Ive had my LTZ now for about 2 months and am pretty happy with it. Had an 03 Sequoia and was about to pull the trigger on an 08 but decided to test drive the Tahoe...thank God I did. Better looking, more features, and a better price than the Toyota. Only thing the Seqouia had which I wish the Tahoe has is fold flat 3rd row seating and a little more rear storage room. Ive towed our boat and the automatic rear leveling suspension (which I guess is only available on the LTZ) works great. I wish I would have bought this a few months earlier to try the 4x4 out. By the way the guy who wrote that hes getting 18.3 mpg 70% city is a liar. Im getting 14-15 mpg in 50/50 city/hwy driving.

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  Initial ownership observations - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By SVM H-back - May 4 - 12:34 pm

  I would recommend this car to others based on initial driving. It has exceeded my expectations, which were for a small, simple, economical car. First tank of gas off the dealers lot in 60/40 highway/city driving for 2 different drivers yielded 32.8 mpg. Havent owned it long enough to rate build and reliability. For an economy car, I find the engine performance more than adequate, although not fast. 65mph comes in at just under 3000rpm. Ride is comfortable for a small car. Like the forward dash and high ceilings, which create greater interior room. Initially looked for used, but price of a new (with A/C installed by dealer) came in within budget.

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  Great little truck - 2008 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Tom - May 4 - 9:31 am

  This is my first small truck and I am very pleased with it. Rides great, has a peppy engine that accelerates quickly. My friends Nissan small truck is not as good as this one. Forget what the editors say, this is a mighty fine truck. Bed liner should be included in the future. I have 6000 miles on it and had no problems. Gas mileage is better than indicated by 2-3 mpg.

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  No problems - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Greg LeValley - May 4 - 8:19 am

  My wife and I have owned several Chevys in the last 30 years and the 07 Impala is the best. We average 27 mpg and on the highway if we run around 65 mph can easily get 30 mpg. There have been zero quality problems and I believe that this car is the most "bang for the buck". I have been telling family, friends and strangers about this car. Wish I was selling them. Car sells itself.

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  High geared 2LT RS - 2015 Chevrolet Camaro
  By West Coast Cruiser - May 4 - 5:59 am

  You should know this car with the 6 cylinder is to be driven with careful aggression to provide the performance. It is very torquey and fast when shifted to lower gears and high RPM level. With space it will generally control its domain over other vehicles on the road and it steers and brakes very well. In traffic you need to take care with the blind spot being ferocious on 3-4 lane road 1 lane over. In slower heavy traffic the 6 cylinder tends to transition meekly in auto or too aggressively when downshifted with paddle and changing lanes (a steady medium is hard to find when passing slow vehicles that are typically geared better for commuting at rush hour). But all of that becomes your risk..... and once you learn this you can drive the Camaro V6 to its maximum and eat up the road. In regard to interiors. The 2LT RS with leather and heads up display, navigation, onstar, electric seats etc. is simply another car apart from the base camaro. The interior is absolutely awesome and has much room up front for large adults with legs (more than the average mid-size sedan) . It is a 2 adult car and the family dogs easily fit in back over a padded cover.

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  AWSOME CAR - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By DALOARI - May 4 - 2:00 am

  I LIKE IT I LOVE IT I WONT SOME MORE OF IT. THIS CAR RIDES LIKE A DREAM I DRIVE IT OVER 75 MILES A DAY BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. I HAVE ONLY HAD IF FOR 3 MONTHS WITH NO PROBLEMS AT ALL.FIRST CHEVY I HAVE ONED IN YEARS. I WILL GO BACK.

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  HUH - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By SilentBOB2002 - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Id have to disagree with your review on the cavalier it has been a great car both economicly and when taking to the curves on the weekends.

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  Tremendous Vehicle - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Gary Crowe - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Until you own and drive one of these beast, its hard to call a car that rides this good a beast, you will never understand why Corvette owners love their cars so dearly. You not only become a member of a brotherhood but you become part of an elite association of car owners that give back to their communities.

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  Inline 6 - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By KeithAH - May 4 - 2:00 am

  I like everything about this truck EXCEPT the poor fuel mileage. I get about 16 mpg average. This is running about 1/2 city streets and 1/2 freeway. On long trips, the mileage increases to 18.5 mpg. So city driving mileage is really poor. The inline 6 power band really comes on (and is felt) at 4000 rpm! It cruises down the freeway (at 70 mph) at 2200 rpm!! The power is only usefull when REALLY getting on it. So normal driving is out of the power band. Less horse=bad economy. I think that if I was buying another, I would get the V-8. The mileage would be better and there would be more low end horse power.