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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  Worthless after 200,000 km - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By B MacAvelia - February 6 - 3:14 pm

  Not bad if you dont drive much. Lego kit used to put interior together. Leaking manifold gasket, coolant problems, gas gauge either full or low, poor lighting for night driving, electrical problems constant pwr.windows, pwr. door locks, oil light reset is difficult to reset, and when it reaches 200,000 km its scrap metal. AC/heater problems only worked on high. Removable seats are too heavy and are not that easy to remove or put back into place. Money pit in almost every way. Very poor value for the price.

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  Good Value/Good Choice - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Amy - February 6 - 5:33 am

  Vehicle was bought as the primary vehicle for my 3 kids and my wife. Our kids 10 month,3, and 5 required 6/7 pass seating and an easy way to get to the back row. Uplander was compared to Odyseey and Freestyle. The LT verison was evaluated - MSRP 32.2K for LT,FWD,Premium leather,XM,CD changer,Remote start,(2) power doors,Conv package, towing package, others - reduced to 28.5 k financed b-4 trade in. Likes - XM, DVD, interior trim. Confortable seats (front and last row) for 60 200 lb adult. Dual power doors Dislikes- rear hatch close effort high Rear windshield wiper control location Overall: Solid value/price - good choice

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  Great Ride - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cklescewski - February 6 - 4:03 am

  Bought this to replace a large sedan. Ride is great.

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  Love her but hate her at times - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Bad Girl - February 6 - 4:00 am

  Bought my Monte new, and overall this has been a good car. It still looks great and can intimidate on the road, even though V6. Love the Monte Carlo distinct style, that is what sold my on it originally. Fun to drive but it has had more that its share of repair issues that were aggravating. Heated seats went 2 times, costly to repair, converter replaced 2 times, computer electrical issues, costly. The transmission had had to be replaced. Also issue with front wheel bearings and the traction system and ABS some type of wire connection issue with that, poor design. Steering column issue too. If it did not have so many mechanical issues I would have been a repeat buyer.

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  Good for the Price - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By K Chandler - February 6 - 3:46 am

  This is a nice, cheap alternative to a very small SUV. Good gas mileage, cheap insurance, and room to store stuff when you fold down the seat. I did have to take back to the dealer to get work done on brake rotors at only 5000 miles though, seems fine now. The gearing in the automatic is very high though, so it seems a bit sluggish unless you really punch the gas, but when you do the engine gets very noisy at high RPMs, much more so than many other 4 cylinder cars out there. This car woudl really benefit from a 5 speed automatic. Great car for the money though, as long as you dont expect the highest refinement or a silky smooth engine for the price.

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  Best truck - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Ryan B - February 6 - 1:40 am

  This truck is the best truck I have ever set foot in. Inside and out, this is a beautiful truck, from the 20 inch chrome rims, to the embroidered leather seats. This truck has pulling power, quickness, and very responsive steering. The only bad thing is the gas mileage, but what do you expect with an SS? I love this truck.

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  Great versatility - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By David Hrivnak - February 6 - 12:04 am

  The versatility of the truck is unmatched. I have been able to use two tiered hauling, filling the area under cargo panels and then stacking an equal amount of weight and stuff on top. I can haul 2 yards of mulch in the back, hose it off and go out to a nice dinner that night.

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  A Car With a Soul - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Dennis DeBoer - February 5 - 9:23 pm

  This is my first Corvette, so I had high expectations for it. The experience has exceeded the expectations. Its a beautiful, sexy and comfortable car, and Im glad I did it.

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  Welcome to the World of Corvette Owners - 1995 Chevrolet Corvette
  By he2 - February 5 - 9:04 pm

  I bought this car about 3 weeks ago sight unseen. It had 60K miles on it. I drove the car back from the pickup point. When I got it home I noticed about an inch of mold all over the passengers side due to a water leak. I replaced all the carpet and seats $2200. Then the car would not start. Tune up for $1500 and the Brakes were shot $1800. I still have a few interior pieces to replace. Now the car is fun to drive. The Looks are great. Need to replace the complete weather stripping on the car.

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  Perfect car for couple or 3 people - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By ruth wilhite - February 5 - 4:16 pm

  Most of the car is fine. Generally pleased with the car. It rides good. Holds the road well. Carpet/ seat coverings look cheap but wearing o.k. Had to replace the back seat hinge where it folds to be flat. Routine wiper/ hubcap/heat/air/cond/.. All done with a smile at routine check ups. Recommend this car for a good cheap ride. All of grandkids love it...