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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  $13500 Extended Cab, Best deal ever! - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By taohk - May 8 - 1:13 am

  I purchased the truck on Jan 5th, 09. Last day of the Red tag price. It has the heavy duty chrome grille with chrome mesh, chrome mirror caps, wheels, door and tailgate handles, carpet with all weather floor mat, cargo management system, window and bug deflector, plus deep tinted glasses and a color matched OEM hard Tonneau cover which made by fiberglass. All the chrome makes the truck looks really sharp. The manager accepted my $15000 offer, then I used $1500 GM cash to bring the price down to $13500. The MSRP was over $26000 included Tonneau cover. The truck is nice, but it would nicer if it has a V8. My co-workers didnt believe the price until they see the receipt. Overall, I am satisfied

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  Do Not Buy - 1996 Chevrolet Express
  By GetRidOf_Chev - May 7 - 3:32 pm

  We bought this van new with Conversion package. Put in 1st transmission at 51K, 2nd at 75K ( 96 has big time transmission problems ) Intake manifold gasket, new radiator and finally fuel pump. About $6000 in repairs since we owned it. Cant wait to get rid of it.

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  Get It while You Can! - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Vman - May 7 - 3:20 pm

  A slick looking Ferrar-like in speed and design. The car is clean looking; even the simple interior design is nice. This car should go into the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art.

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  Great to drive - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By CharlesBarton - May 7 - 10:00 am

  Owned since the end of Jan. and have loved every minute of it. Turns alot heads and lots of great compliments.The silver color is perfect out here in Arizona and gets great milage both in town driving and out on the road. It was better driver than the Grand Prix but would have loved to get more power under the hood. And the sound system needs no upgrades.

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  Malibu pure out sucks - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By disappointed in GM - May 7 - 10:00 am

  Bought it at 0 miles. 47k now. CV boots replaced twice. Frontend retorqued. Still rattles. Alternator went out w/o warning. Replaced brakes & rotors -14k. Center front arm rest broke. A/C goes on and off by it self. Engine light came on. Was O2 sensor. Engine light came on again and started skipping but only when you first crank it. Random misfire. Replaced plugs, plug wires, 3 coils, and coolant sensor. 3 mechanics (including Chevy dealer) checked it for blown head gasket, cracked head and everything and found nothing. They cant figure it out.

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  Alright......... - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By hornet - May 7 - 10:00 am

  Well i bought this car because i thought i would be able to compete with my uncles 00 mustang cobra, but was i wrong. After thousands of dollars, i can now keep up with his stock cobra, but this car was a severe let down. Since it was the same engine as the vettes, i thought it would be easy to mod., but im still working on beating the damn ford.

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  Well worth the wait - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By gdsbls - May 7 - 10:00 am

  My husband and I purchased the crew cab, LT, diesel this weekend. We love it. For about the same amount of money and with all of the options on this truck - Ford could not begin to compete. Towing was no problem - the ride was just as comfortable with or without equipment attached.

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  Good first model, needs some tweaking - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Surgecows - May 7 - 2:36 am

  I didnt know much about the Cobalt before looking at it, but I read up on reviews and such. Basically it sounded like a reliable car because its an updated version of the Cavalier, so it didnt seem like a gamble of a first model car since its an update on another model. Overall I really like the Cobalt LS coupe. Its reliable and seems like its going to last for a good amount of time. The design is nice but could use a little updating to compete better with foreign cars. Only general complaints are the bad blind spots due to small rear windows and poor interior lighting and the fairly cheap plastic interior.

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  Dream Car For Sports Car Lovers - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By DoomDriver - May 6 - 2:01 am

  Although I have had only one year of driving this car I can honestly say I grin ear to ear every time. With the top off, the glass roof or the matching coupe look, this car looks like its going 100 MPH standing still. It has easy access and egress even for the older folks. Twin power adjustable seats snuggle you into a comfy cockpit. Once you let out the clutch on this amazingly forgiving manual 6 speed the car purrs away just like a Honda or Toyota. The car is that easy to drive!. But step on the gas the car transforms into a jet on wheels. The active handling keeps you safe and straight but lets you fly. This car is AWESOME

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  1998 ZR2 - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By jbl_forever - May 5 - 2:21 pm

  This vehicle is very fun to drive and the look of it is very appealing. I have owned this vehicle for one year and have put over $2500 in repairs. The guy before me must have not taken care of it. I didnt go more than two months without something going wrong. I was at the repair shop frequently. Although it caused me some headaches, I would defintely own another ZR2 and they are worth the money, as long as you take care of it.