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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  Very Nice Car - 1999 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Josh J - February 13 - 9:11 pm

  I have owned this car for almost 2 years now and I have no complaints what so ever. This car is very comfortable, and has plenty of power with GMs 3.1L,V6. I have taken this car on many lengthy trips and have had no problems, the car just keeps on going. I currently have 119,000 miles on the car with nothing but regular maintaince, such as oil changes, coolant and transmission flushes, and a tune up, otherwise, no extra money stuck into this car. I would recomend this car to anyone looking for a comfortable, fun to drive car.

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  My 2004 SSR - 2004 Chevrolet SSR
  By hueyhusser - February 13 - 4:59 pm

  Great style. Great pick/up,I get 19mpg in town and 26 on hwy. Love truck and conv. style of driving machine. Have not had any problems what so ever.

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  Bumblebee V6 with a 6-speed manual - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By swfcpilot - February 13 - 4:00 pm

  Ive owned higher performance cars in the past, but for a good compromise of comfort and performance, my Camaro is a good fit. We didnt want nor need the performance of the big V8, and liked the good gas mileage of the V6 models. We opted for the standard equipment manual transmission just because... The car is simply a blast. With the 19-inch wheels the car will take a corner pretty flat, but it doesnt rattle the fillings out of your teeth over bumps in the road either. Add the yellow paint and black stripes and it just simply looks sharp. Comfort is good with excellent seats even without adjustable lumbar. Visibility isnt perfect but like any other car you learn the blind spots.

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  A true Beast! - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By redz28boy - February 13 - 2:19 pm

  Man this car is hot. I bought the 5.7L V8 and it is fun to drive when it is no snow outside. Love the styling. I had a 92 RS w/ the 305, but after reading up on the LT1 I had to upgrade! Even though Im a third-gen fan, I dont believe you could go wrong with these either. True American muscle! Great car!

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  2005 Trailblazer - Good Vehicle. - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By twright - February 13 - 2:23 am

  Days after buying this vehicle, we took it on a long trip over 2000 miles. It handled very well and was very comfortable. We got all the toys (GPS, DVD, XM Radio, etc) and glad we did. I am disappointed that you lose the use of the CD player when using the GPS, but the XM radio was a savior here. Gas mileage on the trip was 21 highway to and from vacation and 18 MPG during the week of city & highway. In the city alone, with a lot of hills, I am getting 14 - 15 MPG. Good engine performance. Could use a little more storage space near the front seats. Overall, I feel this is an excellent SUV and believe I will be happy with it for years to come.

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  2008 silverado 1500 - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By richr - February 12 - 6:40 pm

  Overall a great truck, there are a few problems though. Glad I got the extended warranty. Just under 60k and it stopped running with reduced engine power code. Five months later just over 60k stopped running again same code. Both times dealer could not find a problem, reset computer and gave it back. Have a thumping in trans or rear end, cant find that either. The passengers side door lock no longer works by the power switch. Great gas mileage, 22 mpg hwy. Great power when running.

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  American truck - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Bob T. - February 12 - 6:29 pm

  I bought this truck over a year ago, i could not resist. I had a an Avalanche before which I used for both construction and leisure made over 70,000 miles, and let me tell you I new I could depend on Chevy. After having a baby and with the anticipation for the new Chevy model I purchased Suburban and I would not change for anything else. The possibilities with this truck are endless. Its a safe, smooth ride, love the space.

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  Good for the money - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By sinisterc6 - February 12 - 3:55 pm

  Well I bought the car as cheap as possible to lower the cost and regret it. I wish I had power locks and windows but thats my fault, for the money its a good car. Its horrible in the snow, worse even than my 91 Camaro with the 5L v8. Its really pathetic that this car gets stuck as much as it does. Its comfortable tho, Ill give it that with a lot of room and a big trunk, just stay away if it snows in your area unless you want to buy snow tires (shouldnt be nessisary on a car like this, was never needed on my Camaro). If I could do it again Id get the 1lt and get the features most otther cars come standard with.

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  Love my Lumina - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Judith Lloyd - February 12 - 12:00 am

  My Lumina has been driven by me only and has given me excellent service. My Lumina has 31,550 actual miles and still has the same tires that came with it brand new. I only drive it work and church which are both less than 5 miles from my home.

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  Run as fast as you can - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By james1 - February 11 - 10:26 pm

  I went from a 1992 GMC Jimmy to this. I had 242,000 miles on the Jimmy and was less afraid to take that on a trip than I am this car. I bought it with 91,000 miles on it and have only driven it 11,000 so far. Out of that 11,000 miles I have had to get it towed twice and it has been back to the dealership at least 6 times. The car is not that old or that highmileaged to have to worry about being able to make it someplace without it blowing up. plus if you live in an area with alot of potholes or on a dirt road the car is so low that it drags all of the time. I hate saying it but you are better to spend a little more money on gas and buy a Tarus. at least they dont die ever 1500 miles.