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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  Danger - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Bert Wagner - March 28 - 10:00 am

  For years the 6 speed transmission is the worst in "smoothness" hard and compares to the shift of a tractor ... if compared to other sports cars notable Porsche or Audi.Also the seats lumbar suport is none existing.

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  Average car - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By johnjohnjohn - March 28 - 2:00 am

  Make sure you obtain an extended warranty. After 3 years, this car starts to have problems.

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  honest opinion - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By usagi - March 26 - 2:00 am

  Costly maintenance. Break does not work well. Dont be decieved by the appearance.

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  Poor workmanship, service - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jenmcm76 - March 22 - 2:00 am

  Ive had many of the problems mentioned here - break wear, blower not working on 1 or 2, etc. My dealership would NOT fix the brake problem under warranty. They said it was due to normal wear and tear, though I only had 30,000 miles on it - probably 90% highway driving. Even in 2000 everyone knew it was a design issue, but they refused to cover it - so it cost me $250. The workmanship is pretty bad. The cover keeps coming off the control panel in the drivers armrest, the trunk liner ripped away from the trunk, and the cargo net hooks ripped out of the liner. The gas tank is smaller than advertised - they claim its 15-gal, but its more like 12.5-13 gal.

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  reliable drive - 1998 Chevrolet Prizm
  By logansbounty - March 20 - 2:00 am

  This 98 Prizm came with 95k miles of which 90% were highway miles. The car was serviced with replacement of auto trans fluid and coolant and serpentine belt. The car is a very useful comuter and very comfortable seating and large trunk for a compact. Mileage was found to be only 26 on highway. I found the dealer had installed the wrong spark plugs. The car is typical toyota quality but a bit cheap in construction when compared to a Dodge neon which seemed more solid. Yet for dependability it has proven itself. I doubt I would buy another because of the cheezie construction, but as it is Chevy quit offering the model. To reliable!

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  Poor Qualtiy - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Charles - March 19 - 3:30 pm

  Liked the truck very much, but entirely too expensive to keep. New transmission ($1500), new antilock brake controller($1000). It appears to me that several failures were coming up. Most expensive vehicle, by far, I have ever owned, bar none. No reason GM can not build reliable vehicles, Toyota can! I drive only Toyota now, and have no plans to ever return to USA brand names!

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  OK car - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By MP111111 - March 19 - 2:00 am

  I had a 95 Geo Prizm and was very pleased with it and got and 2001 because the 95 was totaled. The 2001 is alot smaller and was cheaper than the corolla. This is a 1 person car and is really meant for city use.

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  98 S-10 Ext Cab Pickup - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By hoch2820 - March 13 - 2:00 am

  Original truck was 1.06 inches lower on left side. After much stalling, and finally arbitration, GM replaced w/truck that was 0.8 inches lower! Performance OK. Engine much smoother than 92. Brake problems persist. Had to replace pads & turn front rotors at 19,400 miles, at my own expense. Construction somewhat shoddy (poor fitup in sheet metal on roof).

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  S 10 are too avg. - 1999 Chevrolet S-10
  By Saint79 - March 12 - 2:00 am

  The truck is extremely boring! The engine lacked power, the stereo lacked umph, and I just dont like the way the look.

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  Hmmmmmm..... - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By Matt R - March 11 - 2:00 am

  Well, I cant say I havent been totally dispointed.. But, I have owned this truck since it was brand new. I had to replace the transmission at 35,000 miles (which sucks). My wiper blades went out and than broke. But, other than that this truck has never has left be stuck somewhere. Its gets okay gas mileage. The performance sucks, it doesnt have a lot of pick up, but that is probably because I have an auto.