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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  The future of the Automobile - 2011 Chevrolet Volt
  By jreason - February 8 - 7:18 am

  I have had my Volt for one month and am impressed with this vehicle. It is more refined than I expected. The ride and handling is very good especially for a 3700 lb vehicle. The seats are very comfortable. I like this car so much that I have ordered a second one.

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  This car is a winner, in every way possible. - 2011 Chevrolet Volt
  By jerry150 - February 7 - 10:39 pm

  This car could have been just another ho-hum electric/hybrid, but it isnt that. Instead, it continues to amaze and delight me in how well designed and constructed it is. It has excellent handling, power, and comfort. The sound system, nav system, and integration of bluetooth, USB, and Onstar are probably the best in the industry. The "feel" of the car is of a nimble, high end European sedan, and I would choose this as my daily driver, even if it didnt deliver better economy than any other car, which, by the way, it does, with the possible exception of the Nissan Leaf.

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  Comfort and Reliability! - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By hotshorts - February 4 - 10:10 pm

  This car is honestly the best vehicle I have ever owned. I purchased it in mid-2009 with 52,000 miles on it and it now has 95,000 miles. The only problem I have had thus far was with the instrument panel, but that was fixed under warranty. It has been 100% reliable, always starts, always runs well. I have run full synthetic oil in it since day 1. I have taken this car on several long trips and it is super comfy and has gotten 31 mpg driving at 75 mph. The power is substantial, but I will opt for the 3.8 next time around. Overall this car is hard to beat. Power, comfort, reliability, and great gas mileage for a huge car! A+

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  2010 Tahoe - 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By sctrooper - January 30 - 7:43 pm

  The Tahoe is Americas SUV, and I know why. It is an exceptional vehicle with a ride quality that the competition cannot come close to. I traded my 2011 Pathfinder in on the Tahoe, and I highly recommend the Tahoe over the Pathfinder. I use it to tow my ATV, load stuff up from Lowes & IKEA, and haul some friends around. The Bose sounds great, the lighting is pleasant, the leather is comfortable, and the interior and exterior styling are superb. The comfort and handling are great for an SUV of its size. The engine is quiet at all speeds and has sufficient power for anything you need it to do. My only complaint is the inability to lay the 3rd row seating completely flat.

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  25,000 exotic - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By kmart77 - January 29 - 2:18 am

  People this car was 25,000 and has the best looks of any american made sports car out there. Plus add to that a 312 hp engine a boston acoustics 245 watt stereo system, onstar, vehicle phone built in and sick performance. Are u kidding me try finding that elsewhere for the same price. And as to the knocks on blind spots and comfort it is a SPORTS car wake up. The overall experience of drivng this car is spectacular. The ecceleration is sick as well as the handling. I owned 6 camaros and 2 firebirds in the day as well as a 1988 toyota supra. This car for the money cant be beat. Remeber its not a camry or a milk toast family car if you what that buy one of those and not this head turner.

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  Whats Not To Like? - 2009 Chevrolet Colorado
  By oyeme - January 16 - 8:48 pm

  Sometimes the professional reviewers from Edmunds, Consumer Reports, etc are just too picky because my Colorado Z-71 has been a great truck! It has 24,XXX miles now. I have had ZERO problems with it! It gets about 24.5 mpg on highway and a combined 23 mpg recently with in town and highway driving. This little truck has been very reliable and the build quality that Edmunds pans is not seen on my truck. It is still rattle & squeek free and overall impression is that of a real solid truck. The only complaint, although it is not the trucks fault, is that the OEM M+S tires are noisier than I like. I will replace them for quieter ones when these wear out but they are wearing like iron!

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  Our second Malibu - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jt1088 - January 16 - 5:12 am

  After looking at all the competition, we bough a 2008 Malibu and put 50,000 miles on it. Last week the car was totaled in an accident. The safety systems performed well. We did another review of the 2011 competition, again the answer was Malibu. Hard to beat the features performance and price.

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  2SS/RS White-Black Leather - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By slowbrew - January 15 - 12:56 pm

  I tried to get her to make a house wife /mother sensible decision but after driving SUVs for 13 years she wouldnt settle for it. We have only had it a couple days and got nailed by a rock on the freeway after the first 50 miles and chipped the windshield. Hopefully that will be the official "break in". We got white because of what I have read about the soft paint and figured we can fill the chips with wax or touchup will be easier. Car feels great-If you are intimidated about the visibility at first you get use to it after the first day. Looking forward to opening it up but am being nice to the motor for the break in. Hopefully it will be reliable. Car is BEAUTIFUL/DREAM CAR!!!

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  Great Buy - 2011 GS - 2011 Chevrolet Corvette
  By c6_2011 - January 15 - 7:44 am

  This car is everything you would expect from Corvette and a sports car. From the acceleration and handling to the sound of the engine. The fit and finish are very solid and have come a long way from other GM products of the past. This car truly challenges the imports of the same class in all aspects. The GS is really a great value for what you get compared to a lot of other sports cars. Even vs. the other Corvette sub-models, you could spend a lot more for the Z06 or ZR1, for what, maybe 0.3 and 0.6 in 0-60, maybe some handling advantages, but is that really worth the extra money? I would say no. Congratulations to GM and Chevrolet for creating such a wonderful machine.

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  Awesome Car - 1996 Chevrolet Corsica
  By brent1996123 - January 14 - 11:34 pm

  Perfect car very reliable strong V6 3.1 liter excellent transmission.