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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  Great Van and not so mini - 1995 Chevrolet Astro
  By Earl Drake - October 15 - 2:00 am

  Great vehicle. I bought it new. Altinator went out at 79K but so what? Good on fuel, good on tires. Can fit 7 people in my van. I paid 21k in 95. This vehicle is the biggest bang for the buck. The 4.3L engine is Chevrolets best engine. I have a friend that has 237K on his 91 Astro and not problems expect for AC....and normal maintenance stuff.

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  It doesnt get any better - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Adlar Landry - October 14 - 2:00 am

  For this price its a steal, I was going to get a VW Jetta 12000, got in this with 99000 miles on it , it drove a lot better than a Jetta with 50000 that I was going to buy , its fun sporty sun roof and great sound system for being stock , and the pep is something else all together, The dash is great and very very durable , my only complaint is the Plastic on the seats and seat belt covers is weak and falls apart easily , other than that I paid 4,400 it was used by a personal friend runs as if I took it off a lot ... I give this a 87 - 92 out of a 100 rating

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  1998 C5 "WOW" - 1998 Chevrolet Corvette
  By tony c - October 14 - 2:00 am

  I purchase the car new in 1998, it now has 28,000 trouble free miles on it. Never been back to the dealer except for some minor recall mods. Simply the best car I have ever driven. It gets me from 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds, gets almost 30 mpg and rides like a caddy. It even has room for two sets of golf clubs!

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  2006 SS Impala - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By jack - October 13 - 12:46 pm

  I recently purchased a 2006 SS and I have to say that I have been impressed. This SS is a blast. This car is not a BMW or some make that costs 2 To 3 times as much. It is a very competitively priced car that will do 150+, gets 25+ MPG and will out accelerate just about anything in its class 0-60 MPH. If you want to pay 40- $60,000 for a foreign car that will do this then great, but for my money, this car is has big bang for the buck.

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  Impala 1996 - 1996 Chevrolet Impala
  By greenboy - October 13 - 2:00 am

  What a car! I own two 1996s, one black and one black cherry!

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  *Stunnin* - 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By joby - October 12 - 2:30 pm

  This is a great driving car. It has a smooth ride without the noise of the road. It has plenty of room both in the front and the back, not to mention the trunk is huge. Most of my friends are rather big and non of them have trouble fitting. I get an average of 18.5 mpg (city/highway) with a K&N air intake but I dont drive much on the highway. I ran a 14.3 @ 100.7 mph at the track when it was stock which was better then my friends stock mustang gt. I have picked it up to 140 after getting tuned and the bigger breaks helped slow this big car down. It dynoed at 287 whp with 264 pounds of torque. I am really impressed with this car and Im sure anyone else who owns one would agree.

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  Moved up from LS to SS - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By J&J - October 12 - 10:00 am

  We had the 2000 LS and when it was time to trade in the car (we lease) we decided to jump to the SS just to see if the power was as they claim. It is! We have upgrades of the stero system, love the on the steering wheel controls, side air bag, anit-lock brakes, the traction control was fantastic in our mountain winter condtions - want that again! Have the milage, temperature, etc. readings on this one, fun but not needed. We plan on getting another SS in 2006.

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  Fun to Drive - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By parispat - October 12 - 10:00 am

  Love this vehicle. It drives like a car and is very versatile. I drive the Tahoe mainly to work, but during family vacations, it has been wonderful. The acceleration is very good. Handling is excellent for my type of driving ( mild).

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  5.0 V8 Good mpg and lots of hp - 1992 Chevrolet Camaro
  By The Chad - October 12 - 2:00 am

  I bought this one from my best friend, his dad rebuilt it from the ground up about two years ago. This is the best car a guy could ask for. Great looks and fun to drive, I will never sell this car!!!

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  Quality transportation - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By sperryrand - October 12 - 2:00 am

  I havent had too many problems with my Blazer in the over two years I have had it. Purchased it from a dealer with 60,000 miles on the odometer, and now with 110,000 miles, I dont hesitate to take it anywhere. The fuel injector assembly failed shortly after purchase (a common failure on all the Vortec CPI/CMFI engines). Steering components on front tend to wear out somewhere before 100,000 miles and can be pricey to fix. I havent had transmission problems with mine. Get transmission service records if youre looking at one. Be especially leery of one equipped with a trailer hitch the 4L60E transmission doesnt seem to like heavy loads for extended periods.