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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  best buy - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By realjackass - March 23 - 10:32 am

  I purchase this truck 13 june 2011 with 147 000 km , today we are 27 nov 2013 , with 182 000 . got this from the original owner , he never put a dime in it ( what he said) other than oil the truck yearly . i just replace all the brake line and front brake and rotor . and one front bearing last year , and i still oil the truck yearly , frame and body is in excelent shape , im very sastisfied with this truck , also im running 35 inch tire and lift kit .

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  Great Car, Great People, Real Fun! - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Mike Carlson - March 23 - 4:36 am

  I have owned my Cobalt for a little while now. This is a great car for the price. Its a blast to drive. I look forward going to work and leaving work because of this car. The people that complain about the interior and style should have not spent the money on it and saved till they can afford a million dollar car. The interior is very clean and nice to keep that way. Performance-wise, like I said, fun!. They did a great job and I drive defensively at times and still average 28 mpg, but mostly 35 mpg. All I can say is that Chevy did a great job!

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  Im happy with it! - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Donna - March 22 - 3:41 pm

  I bought my Blazer used over 3 years ago. Ive had great luck with my little truck.

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  Simply a must have kind of car - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Camaroholic - March 22 - 10:27 am

  This car is amazing. I have owned it for a couple months, and in that time, I have had a blast with it. Drifting is fun with the ASR (acceleration-slip reduction) off, and downshifting from 5th into 4th while going down the road just to get the feeling of being thrown back into the seat is just indescribable. I wouldve gone for a Z28/ SS, but for an entry-level sports car, I saw the base Camaro as a perfect idea

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  Nice SUV! - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By dom9 - March 21 - 11:54 pm

  This SUV is fun to drive. Came out of a Ford Escape XLT 3.0 liter lease and was looking at another one when we test drove the Equinox to the Ford Dealer. My wife drives this 99% of the time. She fell in love with this SUV. Did a ton of research on the Equinox and got great feedback from others who have them. Saved some money by going with front wheel drive only as I was told it is good in the snow and has been in one snow storm and one ice storm. I drove it for about 2.5 hours before purchase and liked the ride and less interior road noise then the Escape. One bad note wife said brakes felt weird. Took it to dealer and rotors needed to be replaced along with new transmitter fobs.

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  As expected - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Mo-Jo - March 21 - 9:26 pm

  Granny has tranny issues and sold the car to me at 80,000 miles. Had that fixed and put 50,000 more miles before it was using so much oil I couldnt get 3000 miles without adding oil. I ended up neglecting it once and now it needs an engine. During that time I changed the water pump, compressor, and some sensors.

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  Problems with Uplander - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By daizy43 - March 21 - 9:00 pm

  I love the comfort of this vehicle and driving it is very easy. I have not been very happy though with all the problems. The outside tempature gauge is incorrect all the time. The vehicle once in a while wont start over correctly. It constantly says on the dash that it needs to have maintanence. I have already had to turn in this vehicle for problems 3 times and its not even a year old yet. I regret buying a Chevy Uplander. I should have listened to all my family and friends and bought a Honda or Toyota minivan. I have reported all my issues with the dealership but they tell me they cant repeat the problems with their computers. Would not recommend this van to anyone!

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  Still going strong - 2000 Chevrolet Express
  By Joe Harper - March 21 - 8:05 pm

  Ive had this vehicle for six years. Has 218,000 miles. Never had a problem with the engine. Recently started to have problem with trans. The van still runs great and starts every morning. I definitely will purchase another Express. The interior parts dont hold up too well but the performance and mechanical reliability make up for it.

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  My 2003 Tracker - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By JIM - March 21 - 4:11 pm

  Lucky to find 03 with less than 6k. I drive a lot, 250 to 400 miles a week. Use it in my job and get mileage allowance for it. Fun to drive. The optional 2.0 liter engine is very peppy over the base engine, even with the automatic trans, which I have grown to like. Easy to park, easy to turn in tight spots, turns super tight U-turns. Lucky to find and like white color for very sunny climate I am in. I did have to replace the rear axle bearrings at about 36k and a cost of about $1,300, ouch! Just out of standard warranty. Still wondering why the 2 door uses the same axle as the 4 door, and having less weight, should not of had a problem burning out, even carrying me, 280 lb guy! No other problems.

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  Im iffy on this one - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Fred - March 21 - 2:36 pm

  When I first bought it - I was excited to have an SUV becasue of the space (I upgraded from a 92 Cavalier) But from the start I had problems getting it started (which turned out to be a fuel pump issue that we figured out 3 years later). I, like a lot of other people on here, had fuel gauge problems, even after the pump got fixed - and I replaced the wheel bearings and ball joints twice! Gas mileage stinks - even for an SUV - and it doesnt really handle that well. I was always replacing brakes and rotors -and the spare tire blocking all the rear visibilty was brutal. If you are not in 4WD, its terrible in the snow - and even in 4WD its marginal at best.