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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  Totally satisfied - No complaints - 2000 Chevrolet Suburban
  By hatipa - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Safe, comfortable driving for 2 years with absolutely no mechanical problems. Still runs like new at 25,000 miles. Great for hauling the kids, their friends, and their stuff. My wife originally was lukewarm about the purchase (she hates station wagons) but she quickly became a fan.

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  2009 Malibu LTZ V6 - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By surfgermany - November 18 - 11:30 am

  Well have had this car for 3 weeks now and it is impressing me more and more. We looked at all the sedans and chose the Chevy. Exterior is great interior is very good fit and finish (wish it had a rear arm rest) The two tone color grows on us its ebony and brick. QUITE ver Quite much more so than the 04 accord i just sold. engine is strong and gas mileage seems to be in line with the accord v6 25 or so in my commute 70/30 hwy city. would recommend to anyone looking at the accord camry esp with the pricing now. Drive them all and see trust me we were surprised that we ended up at the chevy.

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  Great car!! - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Chefbornag - November 18 - 10:00 am

  I love this thing!!!!!!! its so much fun to drive aroundin with my family.

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  2000 Silverado Z71 - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Migs - November 18 - 10:00 am

  Awesome truck...solid, reliable, comfortable, solid off-road performance. Over 45K miles and running great. Parking can be a challenge, especially in cramped areas. Will definately buy another Chevy truck.

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  perfect 1st car - 1991 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By wagz - November 18 - 2:00 am

  this car is so much fun to drive. its got a fun engine which can keep up with any of the newer cars if taken care of. hook up the sound system, put in a cd player, put a nice paint job on it and your set to ride. maybe fix up the engine a little, give it a little more kick, and damn your set.

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  Best crossover you can buy at this price - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By SDrider - November 17 - 5:33 pm

  Just go the SUV and drove for 500 miles and its so quiet and smooth that its hard to believe it only costs us less than $24K OTD in CA.

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  I Love My Cobalt - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By KIMZEN - November 17 - 4:30 pm

  My car feels so sturdy and well made when I drive it because it is so quiet! I really love the circle "motif" with the rear lights and especially the chrome circled gages! I think they need to advertise it more because not too many people know about just how good it is- people might think that it is just a Cavalier with a different name!

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  MY first cr - 1996 Chevrolet Impala
  By Scarface Junior - November 17 - 2:00 am

  i got the car fo $17,000 cash. Now i have added about $13,000 on my wheels, system ad power to the engine. i could not ask for a better car thanthe impala ss

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  Excellent Car - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Savage - November 17 - 2:00 am

  As a proud owner of a 96 Chevy Z24 for around 6 years now, I have enjoyed owning this car and never once regreted buying it. Its powerful 2.4 twin cam engine and 155lbs of torque give it a fun sporty feeling of driving and its sleek sporty look is even better. Great reliabilty and perfect for anyone to own

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  very good - 1993 Chevrolet Camaro
  By chelleshark - November 17 - 2:00 am

  the car runs really well fun to drive willserve you good if you like really fast cars