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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  SSr first month of ownership - 2005 Chevrolet SSR
  By Alyce - March 11 - 8:14 am

  Gas is what I figured, not good but not awful considering you have 390 horses moving 4700 pounds of weight. Actual gas mileage is 15 city and 19 highway. There are a lot of vehicles on the road getting worse. The ride, well thats in the rider, for me it is a dream to drive top down or up. There are a few down sides, when the top is up there are more than the usual creaks and noises, top down needless to say, its a cruiser like you have never driven. To stop the wind blowing your hair all over be sure to buy the windbreak option, well worth the price. Yes its a bit pricy, which in this persons opinion was part of the poor sales, the other was, its not really a truck , is it?

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  Laundy list - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By mali"blue" - March 11 - 12:30 am

  No probs except a loose nut in the drivers side door (warranty). As soon as I hit 37,000 miles, the O2 sensor went out ($250). Since then Ive gone through 3 gas caps. The rotors and brakes were replaced at 40K, followed soon by the tires. Check engine light became a daily feature. In 2003, manifold and intake gasket went bad along with ignition coils - that was a grand. Right wheel hub bearing and A/C problem resulted in $700 bill in early 2004. Temp control switch then stopped working on 1&2. Diagnosed with weak air flow sensor. Coolant began leaking again. Alternator died ($295 with tow). Radiator hoses and coolant ($75) replaced after leak progressed. Cannot wait to trade in.

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  Ole Faithful - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Webe - March 10 - 10:06 pm

  I bought the truck new as it came off the transport truck, seriously. This truck has done anything I have asked of it and is still going strong. Other than normal maintenance, I have had it in the shop for a fused transmission sensor. That is it. Averaging 17 mpg in town, 25 on the highway, and 17 when pulling 13000 camper I cannot complain about that at all. With a truck this size, that is great. I see me running this truck probably til I die. It is that good a truck.

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  Love this car! - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Melissa - March 10 - 12:14 pm

  I had a 94 Vette before this and the C6 completely blows all previous versions away. Took a little longer to get due to problems with convertible top, but well worth the wait! Great for a quick drive or a long trip. The trunk makes light traveling a breeze. Lots of room. beautiful design, GM really outdid themselves. Corners really well. The car lets you know when anything is wrong, from low air to needing oil changed. For especially tall men, may pose a problem getting in and out, seat seems lower then previous versions. Great highway mileage (400-480 miles per tank), in town its average (@350 miles per tank) Love the auto top. Manual top in last car was a real pain to use. An amazing car! I love it!

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  our 2nd Cavalier - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By tom decker - March 10 - 8:03 am

  Oil changes and tires have been the only maintenance to date for our Cavalier and for us, that equates to reliability.

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  Keeps going and going - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Travis Wynn - March 9 - 10:32 pm

  This is the most reliable car Ive ever had. Have 100k on it and it still has factory battery, never needed any major repair, well has never needed any repair except for the intake gasket. Good on fuel for its class. GM should consider make more cheap reliable cars like the Lumina.

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  Great Truck So Far - 1995 Chevrolet S-10
  By Tony Cross - March 9 - 10:11 pm

  I just got this truck and so far so good. When I first got it it was on E and I put $10 in it and it got me almost a half of a tank so I can imagine how much it would be to fill it up. I was shocked because before I had a gas guzzling Dodge Dakota and $10 from E might get you 1/25 of a tank. This S-10 has a smooth idle and runs quiet when driving. This truck is not afraid to get up to speed either. You will be at 70 before you know it. That is when the cruise control come in handy.

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  Solid Like A ROCK - 1996 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Ron - March 9 - 7:10 pm

  After 10 years this truck has proved that America can build a quality truck. Other than a few brake jobs and 2 sets of tires, 1 tune up and 1 fuel pump. This truck pulled a 25ft travel trailer 1 16ft boat 1 23ft cuddy cabin boat and a duel jet ski trailer and pulled my trailer thru a muddy field after we got blind sided by a thunderstorm that washed out the dirt road. In other words this truck was worked. Wasnt only used as a suburban assault vehicle. This truck worked hard and partied twice as hard without looking like it. She still shines, no rust and she lives outside in IL winters. I will put my 10 year old truck up against any new import SUV. She will out run, out tow, and all Oot off road head on

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  2nd 1999 - 1999 Chevrolet Corvette
  By IXLR8 - March 9 - 3:43 pm

  This is my second 1999. Only this one is a fixed-roof coupe. And this one has a 6 speed. You drive this car rather than point and shoot as with the auto. My 5th Corvette overall and absolutely the best. Its a rebuild and the tolerances are better than from the factory. 30mpg. No problems. Hard top is very tight. Much more stable in cornering. My German buddies would die for this car. Why? Price - I paid less than $20K. And great gas mileage.

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  My unpleasent experience - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By simon - March 9 - 12:24 pm

  I bought this with the hopes for a nice comfertable car that was suposed to be an upgrade from the standerd Venture. What a disapointment.