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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  Ive had worse - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By tcrews - June 8 - 12:16 pm

  My wife had this car when we got married. Weve had to do some motor work (2.4 ltr.), but it has 197,000 miles. What gets me are the comments from mechanics when I take it in. Every mechanic that sees it says, "Oh great!" and tries to pawn it off on one of the other mechanics to work on. They tell me the motors a pain to work on and was known for overheating. I drive it 150 miles a day bare minimum. Still getting 28 miles to the gallon. Very uncomfortable. Best fix for the road and motor noise is a louder stereo. Was going to trade it in for a different car but nobody wanted it.

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  My Venture Van is a Money Pit - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By Thompson Family - May 29 - 12:39 pm

  From an appearance standpoint, I am pleased with my 2000 Venture, and enjoy driving it. As far as quality of the build, it blows me away how GM continues to flood the market with poor quality vehicles with embarrasing resale values. Among the mechanical problems Ive had in my first 3 years of owning it (between 45,000-90,000 on the odometer): -Expensive leaking manifold gasket/coolant problems at 50,000 miles -Expensive ABS brake issues -Expensive front end & ball joint replacement -Warrantied sliding door Issues -Int. and Ext. electrical constantly flickers because of a short somewhere. - Fuel gauge always pegged on Full until the low fuel light comes on (then it shows empty)

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  Above Average Car - 1990 Chevrolet Corsica
  By Masked - May 28 - 8:05 pm

  I have been impressed with the cars reliability, but it has nothing to offer that would make you love it.

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  Old Blue - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By basspro - May 27 - 10:08 pm

  With upgraded seats and all electric, it is very comfoprtable. Auto start is great. Power is not good, way to much noise. With upgraded suspension, traction control and stability control, handling is adequate.

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  Disappointed - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By disappointed cunsum - May 18 - 6:40 pm

  When we bought ours, it had 52000 miles on it. It was great for a little while, then the transmission went bad (reverse). At 76,000miles, the radiator needed to be backflushed. The front wheel bearings went at 80,000 miles. A rear axle noise started at 81,000. The axle seals were bad when we got it. The rear u-joint was replaced at 60,000. Also had some other minor problems. I would probably never buy another one. I love Chevy, but dont care for the Blazer at all. At least not this one!

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  S10 Blazer let down - 2005 Chevrolet Blazer
  By john - May 15 - 9:04 am

  I went through serious and expensive front ball joint repairs and wheel bearings. Check engine light goes on and off for a shift code. It has very bad blind spots, and a very noisy ride. The truck needs a stronger front end.

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  Poor brakes - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By polish cowboy - May 14 - 2:00 am

  I`ve had the car in three times to have the front brake rotors turned.I have had brake performance problems very early. The dealer asked me if my driving habits had changed and I said no and that I got eighty eight thousand miles on my front brakes on my last lumina.

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  In my Opinion - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jw622 - May 13 - 10:00 am

  I purchased a used 2000 Malibu in March of 2001. Barely a year after I purchased it, it had to be in the shop three times in one month. First the check engine soon light kept coming on, next the cruise control would not stay ingaged, and now I have a gasket leak and am unable to get the part for a month. Other than the most recent problems, the Malibu is a nice car. Unless I have a lemon off the line, the integrity of the car needs to be improved. The Chevrolet warranty department is great, I havent had to pay out of my own pocket yet. This car is great for people with a family.

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  Not so blazin - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By ZR2broke - May 10 - 6:51 am

  I`ve owned my Blazer for two years,had nothing but problems the first year and a half. The following has been fixed or replaced, 2 universal joints, idler arm, 2 lower ball joints, alternator, no heat in the dead of winter, CD player, front speaker, pass.side recliner lever, ABS is junk, 4wd works when it wants to.

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  Nice but awefull interior - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By tjdayney - May 8 - 11:37 pm

  I bought this truck because I got a great deal with 0% apr. The thing I did not notice when new was how bad the interior seat fabric and dash material is. everything sticks to the fabric like velcro. it so almost impossible to get hair off and any dust just stick like crazy to the dash. it looks nice when it is clean but as soon as you sit in it it gets dirty. Drive train and mechanical functions are all good so far. the only problem I am having is the door handle is loose and the dealer could not fix it.