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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  gtg - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By shellyjarv - December 30 - 2:00 am

  no power but very reliable

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  Nickels and Dimes - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By JustSayNoToChevy - December 30 - 2:00 am

  I bought this rolling nightmare six short months ago, from CarMax, where they have the 160 point evaluation . . .hmmm . . . they dont keep records of them, by the way . . . This thing has been in the shop at least once a month since Ive owned it, and every time I get it back, I am just waiting for the next problem. The interior trim is a joke - I am amazed that the engineers at Chevy could get away with such a poor design. This thing is truly a joke. Thanks to this thing, I will never, ever buy a domestic car again, nor will I ever buy from CarMax again.

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  Fuel pump problems - 2000 Chevrolet Suburban
  By LGrugin - December 29 - 2:00 am

  We traded a 1999 Suburban for a 2000 Suburban because we had had problems with the older one. After owning the second for a little over a year, the fuel pump went out. Over the past 6 months, we have had 5 fuel pumps, the latest stranding us 120 miles from home on Christmas day. The dealer cannot find out why, but says he had a Yukon that did the same. He told us he would "get rid of it" if he were us and it went out again.

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  Dont buy this one!! - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By dissatisfiedinMO - December 29 - 2:00 am

  Although initially you will love the comfort and convenience of the Venture you will end up hating it. We replaced the brakes, bearings and mater computer chip (twice)! Now it is in the shop again because with a cracked cylinder head. Apparently leaking coolant since day we got it. Nothing but problems and Chevy does not care! With 2 small kids I need reliability not just comfort!

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  Problem after Problem - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Sam50 - December 21 - 2:00 am

  If I can keep it out of the shop I may start to like it. The air conditioner has broke twice with the same problem....turns on full blast and none of the controls will turn it off (even if you turn the vehicle off it still runs). CD player broker after only using it 10 minutes. The brakes squeal most of the time and the dealer says that is normal. The Firestone tires make a whine noise and the dealer said I must rotate tires after every OIL CHANGE (yeah right) to prevent cupping. The power windows squeak on roll down. The transmission slips and the dealer said its within specs. Other than the above problems the LT Sub is great (sarcasm).

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  Chevy Sinks Like A Rock - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By acme - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Since I have owned this POS I have replaced Two water pumps, two starters and three altinators. All parts replaced were GM factory parts. As for the interior the dash cracked fater the first year and the seat frame broke and I only weigh 185 lbs.

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  Poorly built - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Will Neverbuyanother - December 17 - 2:00 am

  This car is fairly quick & comfortable. Transmission makes horrible noises(GM refuses to repair) front struts rattle, Sunroof drainhole (RH front) plugged causing wet roof liner, flaking paint around gas cap (when brand new) LH power mirror quit adjusting, Loud whistle from sunroof at highway speeds, radiator reservoir cap broke, sqeaks, rattles everywhere, engine runs hot when idling(rad fan rarely comes on)

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  Poor gas mileage - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Steve - December 13 - 9:16 pm

  Only got 14 mpg in town and 17 mpg highway. GM said some cars have this problem, but no solution. Drove for 6000 miles, and traded for a Mercury Mariner. Very dissatisfied with Chevrolet, their excuses as to the bad mileage, etc. My recommendation is to stay away from a Chevy Equinox.

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  Chevy Z71 - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Mikhelin Desuderio - December 12 - 8:33 am

  Z71 is very aggressive ride, dont dare to use a Z71 Chevy in the city area with a few pot-holes. Dont let anyone 300lbs sit on tailgate. This tailgate is the only weak spot for all Chevy trucks

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  The first lemon I ever bought - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dbk - December 8 - 2:00 am

  This car was beautiful to look at it drove well at first. THe PROBLEMS: electrical system problem brakes power windows the car overheated --- and with the electrical system acting weird gauges did not work the car ran hot rebuild the manifold fam jerryrigged so it would not run hot again replace the struts