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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  GM will have to win me back - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By cec28007 - January 12 - 2:00 am

  I have replaced the brake pads twice, my rotors are warped, replaced the serpintine belt twice, all four tires, replaced front passenger wheel bearing , and alternator. When driving 75 mph the car shakes, and there is still a bearing noise which comes from the front passenger wheel. In the shop right now having the head intake gasket, water pump and serpentine belt replaced. 3.1 L problematic, just look around the web, youll see. I thought Id give GM another shot at winning me over. Lets just say my next car will be a Honda. No wonder GM is loosing so much market share to Honda and Toyota.

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  DONT WANT ANOTHER ONE - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By BUD - January 10 - 2:00 am

  POOR HANDLING QUALITIES ON THE ROAD. THIS IS MY SECOND VENTURE, HAD SAME PROBLEMS AND COMPLAINTS ON THE 2001. ALOT OF ACCESORIES THAT WERE STANDARD ON THE 2001 ARE MISSING ON THE 2003. AMAGINE A 30000.OO AUTO AND NO GLOVE COMPARTMENT LITE. MILEAGE ON THE VAN IS WAY BELOW EXPECTATIONS.

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  2007 Silverado 2500 HD - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By 66elcamino - January 9 - 6:33 pm

  Very poor performance, Everytime brakes applied, transmission shifted into neutral, truck would then rev up and jerk when you accelerated. Drivers side power window made terrible squealing sound as it went up or down. The speed control was disgusting. Couldnt adjust from downhill to uphill fast enough and would kick-out. Ive had chevy trucks for 40+ years and lots of good ones, but this one was terrible. Chevy and the dealers didnt seem to care. Considering the cost of these trucks, they should be better

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  Learned My Lesson - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By MaggieMae - January 9 - 2:00 am

  After owning it for less than a year the a/c switch would not stay on. Luckily that was covered by the warranty. May2003- the head gasket seal blew - goodbye $900! July 2003- the turn signals quit working and the fan would only blow on settings 3, 4, and 5. Bye, bye another $300. January 2004-the radiator cracked and leaked onto the belt, ADIOS to a grand! This doesnt even include the 3 sets of brakes and new rotors that Ive put on the car. I cant afford to live this way! $2200 is seven months is too much to pay for a car that is only worth twice that. Next time Im buying a Honda!

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  try again chevrolet!!! - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By winston - January 8 - 2:00 am

  All though the 2002 Avalanche is an innovative design it is poorly designed from stem to stern. Specifically, head lamps that hold water/condensation,engine air vents that collect all sorts of debris,plastic side panels that will probably cause corrosion problems in thefuture, combo leather and cloth seats that are absolutely uncmfortable after 30to 45min of driving, a fold down bed extension system that leaks and a covered bed design that the chevy dealer says is water resistant, ie it leaks, yup you guessed it by luggage and golf clubs have gotten wet more than once. To sum it up Dont buy the avalanche, built like a rock and worth about as much!

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  Disappointed - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Kristin Clark - January 5 - 2:00 am

  My experience has been one of dissatisfaction. Knocking in the engine, oil consumption, irregular tire wear, flutter in the dash board below the windshield, grinding in the front end(drive Train).I have burned a qt. of oil every 1000 mi. since I purchased the vehicle, and the engine knock sounds like a diesel.Though not all vehicles are experiencing the problems I have, it appears a number of them are experiencing some of the problems I have when refering to the TSB quick look. Buyer Beware!!!

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  mixed feelings - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By volson71 - January 3 - 2:00 am

  Bought the van 2 1/2 weeks before making a 2000 mile trip 3 days after purchasing, had a problem with the fuel injector, which ended up needing to be replaced. On our trip, the driver side sun visor fell out and needed to be replaced when we returned. Fairly comfortable in the back seats (we have the captains chairs in the middle row), especially with the leather interior. Not crazy about the way it handles, feels like youre tipping when going around corners. Ride is not very smooth, especially going up hills. Brakes seem rough, especially in icy conditions. Handles well on snow, however.

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  Suburban - 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
  By 123456789123456789 - January 2 - 2:00 am

  The Suburban of our family is the one we rely on and hauls the family and groceries. The mother of the home drives it and she thinks it is the best car out their.

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  Chevy start over - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By greeneyes - January 1 - 2:00 am

  I like the look of the Chevy Blazer. It handle well. My problems with it is gas performance and get up and go power. Its lacking.

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  Bad Design on Intake Manifold Gaskets - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By Manifold Gasket Flaw - December 30 - 2:00 am

  Yeah, I too have been taken to the dealership cleaners on the Intake Manifold gaskets. At 51,000 miles, a "new" kit was required. Very expensive for such low mileage. GM should reimburse at least part of the cost. I am not a satisfied GM person now. Will not buy another Venture or GM van in general.