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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  chevrolet truck - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Greg Brooks - July 17 - 2:00 am

  At 1000 miles door handles broke.16000 Miles fuel pump went out and the front oil seal.18000 miles brake problems.Very unhappy with the chevrolet s10

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  ZR2 - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Sugarmama161799 - July 17 - 2:00 am

  Alot of problems....I have been in and out of the shop for things breaking....tailights have gone out twice....Ride is very rough and gas is not the greatest...but my service dept. has been great...they get me in and out and always fix the problem the first time no questions asked and no hassles...Thank goodness they are there.

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  GM should listen - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Roberto - July 17 - 2:00 am

  Had an 86 Blazer for 14 years and was great. This one is a major disappointment. Can relate to many of the problems expressed here including replaced multifunction switch, oil lines, idler arm/tie rod joints, torsion bars causing vehicle to lean, engine pings, A/C leaks, air bag light comes on intermittently, rear hatch leaks, etc.

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  Soured GM Owner - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By JE Clary - July 16 - 2:00 am

  No Bells or Whistles - very little in space needed, and very poor pickup in acceleration. After years of Gm satisfaction - this vehicle was a poor choice and poor dealer introduction to the few gadgets it has. Gas guzzler far exceeded the listing on the sticker, and I will never buy another again.

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  Crappy Car - 1997 Chevrolet Malibu
  By katmay - July 7 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car for what I thought was a deal at 4,000.00. In the past month have had to replace brakes, rotors, wheel bearings (twice), tire rod, and left front axel. All at only 79,000 miles. This car is junk, all I have to say is never buy american made cars and never buy as is.

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  Tried Tested and Boooo - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By shimmer - July 6 - 2:00 am

  Extended Cab with sport suspension, handles well. Many issues with check engine light. Air pump gets dirty and fails, replaced two. Aluminum brake lines required replacing- leaking, ignition switch failed, transmission hunts for gear when excellerating - annoying, dash lights reflect in side mirrors - annoying, hood release pops too easily with foot, no box light, too much body flex, rotors warp prematurely, ABS kicks in on bumps as previously mentioned - way too easily. I have a complete lack of confidence in build quality and reliabilty. Have not been stranded but truck is only 2.5 years old.

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  most gut less vehicle i have ever owned - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By jim my real name! - June 19 - 2:00 am

  motor has NO power,downshifts on every incline no matter how minor,at 60 u r forcing it,and a " go- cart" like this thing should get much more than 25 to 27 mph,i have a 91 dodge spirit with a 4 banger in it that will eat this things lunch any day of the week n gets 32 to 35 mph. most gutless vehicle i have ever owned,definately regret buying it,will never repeat this mistake!

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  Wont do it again - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By sabdsbu - June 15 - 2:00 am

  Over all I like the truck it is just little problems that have irritated me. Broken reline handle on driver seat, broken lumbar support cable. Paint chipping off behind tires and I dont drive dirt roads, Rattles inside, doors leak water in a good rain storm, wind whistles. Also starting to find gasket problems, what is next??

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  199 subur4ban - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By RNA - June 14 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car with 35k miles and have spent $1000 on brakes, The rotors are nearly gone, they squeal when new and old and everything in between and have never worked very well. But the worst is the rear differential.I pull a trailer, about 5000 lbs,and the differential has gone out twice. It definitely can not handle the load claimed by the factory for towing and the factory wont stand behind it. Also the gas gauge stopped working at 80k miles and the dealer says it is $750 to fix and no offers from the factory. I have talked to other people who have had the same problem with chevy trucks gas gauges.

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  not impressed - 1999 Chevrolet Metro
  By stix - June 14 - 2:00 am

  this car sux, if its just u and a friend and you have about 3,000,000 miles to drive and about $5 to spend on gas, this is the car to drive......its crappy overall but at least itll get u from 1 point to the other.....