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:

• 

  Willows truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Willow883 - February 20 - 2:00 am

  This truck rides so smooth! Hardly any road noise. Easy to handle. Accelerates nicely! (must watch speed!) Headlight highbeams--excellent! Window cranks a little hard however, hopefully after some use, it will get easier to crank. Doors a little hard to shut, must use some power to close them. We just bought the truck brand new recently, so, Im sure it just needs broke in a bit!

• 

  Great SS - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By 2k SS VERT - February 20 - 12:31 am

  What a fun car. Plenty of power. What a blast to put the top down. I love my convert and found out its 1 of 48 artic white 6 speed SS converts built in 2000.

• 

  Wore out over the long haul - 1998 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Sam S. - February 19 - 10:17 pm

  This car had pretty good reliability, but the real flaw was the interior. It really did not wear well, and started to fall apart after about 5-6 years. his included problems such as the stripping around the doors peeling off, and all of the interior door handles breaking. The air conditioning went out at about 6 years too, which is a pain. Engine wise this car never gave me any trouble, which I assume has to do with it being a Toyota engine. Just beware that though the Chevy Prizms are made by Toyota, much of the body is made and assembled by Chevy.

• 

  What a car! - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By bizman - February 19 - 2:13 pm

  I have an early production model 2005 LS 4 door with all the options except a sunroof. It has the sport package with an auto tranny. I have been getting 38 mpg hwy and avg 31.4 mpg city/hwy. I love this car! So far with almost 30,000 miles and 2 deer hits, Ive had no complaints and no problems. Just regular oil changes.

• 

  2004 Chevrolet Van Extended - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By kcamero - February 19 - 1:48 pm

  A bit of a "Plain Jane" van, however, very dependable and no repairs to date. Currently have 65000 KMs

• 

  Low MPG - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jon - February 19 - 10:42 am

  Overall this is a good car. It rides great and looks great. It has many nice interior features, such as dual zone climate control, automatic headlights, and an amazing stock stereo. The trunk is huge. There is plenty of room for an adult to sit on each side of my sons center mounted booster seat. However, my fuel economy is awful. I am concentrating on being as easy on take offs as possible and still only get 17mpg. I have called the dealer and they say that unless the check engine light comes on, there is nothing wrong with the car.

• 

  Heavenly Heavenly Ride - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By LINDA THEOBOLD - February 19 - 5:56 am

  I had been waiting for this car to come out, calling the dealer every week, checking on line. I prayed my 11 year old car would hold up until then. I bought my HHR on September 9th. I was blessed that they had exactly what I wanted. Sunburst orange metallic ii, 5 speed manual, CD and cruise. I drove to Talladega for the race a few weeks later. I was getting 38.5 mpg on the highway. I get 26 to 27 mpg in the city. It has great pickup going through the gears. Vroooooom! I have had more people in or around my car, wanting to know about it. Im sure IÂ’ve sold a few. After seeing mine a family member bought one. You get a lot for your money, and lots of looks too.

• 

  My z34 - 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By z34monte - February 17 - 10:00 am

  i love this car

• 

  Better than most expect - 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Malaclypse - February 17 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car for over a year and am rather pleased with how its handled both in terms of driving and reliability. The key to keeping this car for a very long time is maintainence. Take care of this car and itll take care of you.

• 

  Too Bad Its The Last Year - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Camero Lover - February 17 - 10:00 am

  Everyone should invest in the 2002 Camero. I have been nothing but pleased. Everything runs and works beyond my expectations.