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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  Not meant to be driven hard! - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Jrock12 - August 2 - 2:00 am

  Well Ive owned this car about 5 months and the dealer has had it about 4 of those months! Its been mechanical problem after problem. Tranny has been replaced, rear diff blew up, bent rod, etc.. The service manager told me I must be driving it too hard! lol.. Its a $55k piece of crap. I should have stayed away after hearing about friends experiences with vettes. Im getting rid of this thing and getting an M3.

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  What a lemon! - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By mad cavi owner - July 27 - 2:00 am

  This car has turned out to be such a lemon! Within the first 18 months the steering rack had to be replaced. It needed a new clutch after 50k miles and now at just after 60k the head gasket needs to be replaced! Oh yes, and the windshield wipers have decided that the new off position is straight up. Yikes! Steer clear of this one my friends!

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  NO MORE CHEVYs - 1992 Chevrolet Lumina
  By highly upset - July 22 - 2:00 am

  I will never, ever buy chevy/gmc in life!! Its a pretty car, but the bonus stop after that. I bought the car used in early july and by late july I needed a new engine. the blinkers never worked correctly for me and the steering column tends to smoke when you attempt to use them. Just got a new altenator, which cost entirely too much for the car. ANY repair for this car will be two time as much compared to any other domestic vehicle because of the way the engine was designed for the car. Even autobody shops hate to see this car coming! Oh and it doesnt even have cup holders.

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  Buyer Beware!!! - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Scarface - July 18 - 2:00 am

  I purchased a 1995 Chevy Blazer from a private seller and after over $3,000 in repairs later I am still having nothing but problems with the vehicle. So far I have had to replace the fuel injectors, the entire distributor system, numerous repairs on ball joints and universal joints, egr valve, and abs system, and I am told that the fuel pump is due (Another $800). Buyer Beware!!

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  Chevy S10 Xtreme - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By MadXtreme01 - July 3 - 2:00 am

  This is the worst vehicle I have ever owned. So far it has been in to service 7 times and I only have it since november. Ir took them 4 tries to fix the annoying sqeak coming from the brakes that made them sound like they were going to fall off. Now the steering makes a clunk and its going in for the 3rd time and im filing for the lemon law and in the process of getting refund.

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  Next Time,Ill buy FORD - 1996 Chevrolet Express
  By PERK - July 2 - 2:00 am

  I bought this van used.At 50,000 miles,the fuel pump went bad.I have spent over $1000.00 on the air conditioning.Now the computer is bad.I expected better performance from a GM product.Fit and finish is poor,at best.The outside rear view mirrors vibrate excessively.

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  Not Satisfied at All - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By matamc2 - July 2 - 2:00 am

  i have not been satisfied with my blazer at all. I have a constant wind noise on the passenger front window (only on this side) that is quite annoying and distracting. I have only 3,000 miles on it and have had to take it in 3 times for 3 different malfunctions. In order to try and fix the wind noise, the door was bent when the dealership was trying to adjust it. What can I do about this vehicle?

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  WORST CAR EVER - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By FRANNI - June 30 - 2:00 am

  I HAVE HAD 3 SETS OF BRAKES, 2 WATER PUMPS NEW TIMING BELT, LEFT AXLE, WHEEL BEARING HUB,ALTERNATOR RADIOTOR SENSOR 2X. AND ONLY 20K ON TIERS I AM ON MY 3RD SET OF TIRES.

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  My Lemon - 1991 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Cari - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Typical GM paint job...meaing it doesnt have much left. Both window motors replaced. Headlight knob replaced...twice. Alternator replaced five times. Six different batteries. EGR Valve replaced. Major oil leak-still cant fix it. Fuel cell replaced. Rear end leaked. speedometer replaced. All dash wiring replaced. Computer chip gone bad. Fuel pressure regulator gone bad. U-bolt in rear end bad. Spoiler on front end has had to be replaced four times as the car sits so low and it breaks if you go over ANY kind of bumb. And it only has 72,000 miles on it.

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  Horrible experience - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By No More American - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Only a three years old, and I have spent over $2000 in repair already. My shifter cable has snapped for the second time tonight. Also had both rotors replaced, as well as getting one of the bearings changed as well. I THOUGHT Cavaliers were reliable. But this car proved me wrong. This car has convinced me not to buy an American car ever again.