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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  Not Bad but Not Good - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By markarian - June 27 - 2:00 am

  All those people driving Suburbans, I thought there was something to them. Big, bulky, and horrible on Gas. One of the leather seats is cracking (not sure if they will replace), Stereo took 2 months to get fixed, make a lot of odd noises at odd time (clicking when A/C is on, Rubbing when using brakes) and paint job already showing problems.

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  Enough Already - 2000 Chevrolet Astro
  By dellwen - June 24 - 2:00 am

  Although the initial quality was acceptible this vehicle does not hold its miles well. All maintenence was done on schedule however after 60000 miles the vehicle seemed to be in self destruct mode. Starter, Battery, Water Pump, AC Compressor, Blower Motor, Rear Wheel Bearing, Transmission... This vehicle was the last straw for the big three (GM, Ford, Chrysler) in my book. I never had any issues with my Hyundai and I love my Honda even more. I hate to say it but our Union workers are overated. Abolish the Unions and lets start building decent vehicles here in the USA. Until then Honda has my business. They are over 75% USA or Canadian anyway.

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  This Is A Real Bow-Wow - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Fed Up - June 23 - 4:13 pm

  For the upper end of Impalas, this has been a real joke. The rattles and windshield leaks make you feel like youre watching an outdoor concert of bad music. Hit a pothole and OnStar wants to know if everyone in the car is OK--even though they think Im about 80 miles from where I actually was . . . and they called back three times to verify that nothing was wrong. I listened to them more than the radio. Where do I find the fuse to kill that beast?

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  What a piece of junk - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By nick barta - June 20 - 8:13 am

  This is by far the worst vehicle I have ever owned. The interior started rattling after 2500 miles. The chrome on the grill peeled after one winter in Montana. The new exhaust system is a joke. I had this truck in the dealership eight times in the first six months of which two required towing it there. The tranny fails to shift out of 5th gear after busting through heavy snow drifts. Off road traction is terrible this truck wont drive through 3 inches of snow without putting it in 4wd. Fuel economy is decent when its empty. It gets 14 to 18mpg at 75mph. A light 16ft interstate cargo trailer will bring that down to about 9mpg. My truck is for sale and you couldnt give me another one

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  No matter what color, impalas r lemons - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By troy8432 - June 17 - 2:00 am

  Electrical - Turn signals wouldnt work at 3K miles. Brake rotors - Warped at 3K miles. Chevy replaced but told me next time I would pay. Transmission - Fail to shift at 15K, 20k, 25k, and 35500 miles. Chevy found no fault until 36100 miles. Hmmm...just after original warranty expired. Ignition - 38k, intermittently wont recognize key and fails to start. Cant disable system. No matter what I will sell this car at 69999 miles or before. I expect the fenders to jump off at 70k.

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  WHAT A GENERAL MOTORS LEMON.... - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By M WITKOWSKI - June 16 - 2:00 am

  HAD THE CAR FOR A YEAR.AVERAGE HIGHWAY MILE.3.4 LITER MOTOR HEAD BOLTS BROKE,WITH NO LOW COOLANT ALARM/INDICATION.MOTOR COOKED FROM INSIDE OUT.G.M HAS SOME SERIOUS ENG.ISSUES WITH THIS 60 DEGREE 1sT GEN.V 6 MOTOR.1sT AND LAST G.M PRODUCT I WILL BUY.

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  A bad Venture indeed - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By penwasser - June 11 - 2:00 am

  Bought this vehicle new in 98, and like many others had no real problems until about 40,000 miles, just past warranty. I had to replace the transmission at a very hefty cost. GM would not even think about defering some of the cost, great customer support, not. I have also had problems with electrical items (ie...windows, door locks), and the same manifold gasket leak that just about everyone complains about. I gave the US market a shot, and they failed miserably. Hello Toyota.

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  bought a LEMON yellow - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By twtybrdrn - June 11 - 2:00 am

  the car stalls suddenly without warning while shifting, the spare tire is a joke, it blew out on a major highway, leaving me no choice but to have the car towed on a flatbed, the back seats are very narrow and hard. poor exceleration and loose gears

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  Disappointed - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By lupeknight1 - June 10 - 2:00 am

  Dont let the looks of this car persuade you into buying it. This car devours gas and is far from being reliable. Atleast mine has continously given me transmission problems. Its interior is very roomy, but there are plenty of other SUVs with the same attribute and better quality.

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  Bad Chevy - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bozenuts05 - June 5 - 2:00 am

  This is my first car that I have owned. I have never had so many problems with it. I am averaging a once a month in the shop. Many problems have been repeating, but GM cant fix them! This will be the last Chevy I will ever own, maybe even the last Domestic car I will ever own!