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 Sled - 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By The Sled - April 27 - 11:03 am

  Purchased new, my second Monte Carlo. The first one is a 2000LS. This 07 LT is garbage. Problems from bad (DIC) few of them, display burns out, replaced all four rims from corrosion already, car creaks like a 10yr old car, cheaper plastics, and low grade leather seating. Maybe they skimped on quality for the last year. Really thought Id love this one the way I love my old Monte, which I still have.

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  HATE IT!!! - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By kerryd0320 - April 24 - 2:00 am

  I HATE THIS CAR...MY DASH HAS GONE OUT 3 TIMES, MY RIMS WONT STAY BOLTED GOOD, AND I JUST ALL AROUND HATE THE SMALLLL INTERIOR, OH YEA AND MY PAINT IS ALREADY PEELING

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  Very good car...when parked. - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By kody - April 21 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my 1999 Chevy Suburban only a year ago. The previous owner has all service records and apparently kept the vehicle on the recommended maintenance schedule. Unlike some reviewers have posted, I have not run into many major mechanical problems. However, I am going to complain about the countless rattles, squeaks and thumps. The build quality of this vehicle may be the worst I have ever come across (and I have owned many different cars). The new Suburbans appear to be more solid than the pre 2000 models but this car may prevent me from ever buying GM again.

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  the suburban stinks - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By kellie - April 21 - 2:00 am

  I have had nothing but problems with my suburban.... from the breaks squeaking (which was never resolved, gmacs answer to that was sorry, its just how the mettallic break pads work - theres nothing we can do), to fluid leaks (steering and air conditioning)to having the seats warped- all within only two years of owning it! I will never purchase a chevy again and I suggest you dont either - at least not the suburban

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  Built Like a Crock - 2004 Chevrolet Blazer
  By LuigiGiovanni - April 18 - 2:00 am

  I had a 96 Blazer. The truck ran fine until the warranty ran out. DonÂ’t purchase this vehicle if youÂ’re the kind of consumer that wish to keep this truck for more than 5 years. You better off trading it in after that, than faced with all the repair bills you can expect.

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  Word to the wise, buy something else! - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Spock2001 - April 18 - 2:00 am

  This is the second Chevy Blazer Ive owned, and, most definitely, the last. The quality of this product leaves much to be desired. Fortunately, I have not had to have in for too many repairs - one bad switch, which was a recall, and leaky oil cooling lines. Why does it seem that all Chevys of the same make and model have the same issues over and over again? It does not seem stable or safe. The interior components are cheap and flimsy. The engine, although powerful, is extremely inefficient! They say it gets 17 MPG average, 21 MPG highway. That is an outright lie! Im lucky if I get 14 AVG! This will definitely be the LAST American car I purchase.

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  One of the worst ever - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By savageice - April 14 - 2:00 am

  Engine broke($1200), timing chain broke (800), hit a little toothpick tree in the snow and did over $2000 worth of body damage. Add that to a couple of other problems under the hood....I pay more fixing it then I did when I bought the stupid thing

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  don t buy one - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By buc - April 11 - 10:00 am

  since6000 miles theres been a clunking noise coming from the rear end. GM says its a design careristic (FLAW!!) Ive talk to a lot of other chev truck owners there having the same problums,I havent met one one person who is truly happy with there chev truck

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  dont buy - 1997 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tn - April 9 - 2:00 am

  this was the first car i ever financed,thought i was getting a great deal, within the first month my anti- theft system locked up, and my power window/lock switch broke. i went through 2 sets of brakes, one day it wouldnt start, had it towed to chevy dealership were it sat for 4 days i couldnt get them to look at it. my husband ended up fixing it in the parking lot himself. 1 week before i traded it the emegency brake got stuck i could still drive it but every time i pulled out it made the dinging sound. the bad part is i only owned it 1 year.

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  Not impressed - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Wallywobble - April 4 - 3:00 am

  During the course of 3 years, I put 60k miles on this car. In that period I replaced the battery, brought it in twice for a fuel level indicator recall,had to reprogram the BCM, replaced the tires, replaced the front brakes 3 times, including rotors, pads and calipers replaced all rear light bulbs. Before I sold it, the right front wheel bearing, differential and flasher units were all failing, and there was a leak in the right rear lens cover. An absolute lemon of a car, with abysmal resale value, terrible customer support from the manufacturer and a bigger waste of money than most cars Ive owned. I strongly caution buyers against this car.