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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  a looker not a truck - 2004 Chevrolet SSR
  By bill hatcher - December 27 - 2:00 am

  its a great truck/retro theam what ever it is its fun!

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  2011 Equinox has horrible mpg! - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By kaczara13 - December 26 - 6:24 am

  Im in Michigan, drive 38 miles each way to work, 28 hwy. I had a Subaru Outback AWD and would get 24 in winter and 27 in summer. rural roads the other 10 miles. I bought this car with FWD to get better mileage, in Oct, 2010. The mpg is ridiculous! I was getting 24.4-.7 in fall, now that Ive lowered speed "Under" 70 mph I can get 25, oh boy! I am fighting with GM to return it. This mpg is false advertising. daughters Honda CRV w/AWD gets 27 hwy! Its not right to falsify the testing. They told me (GM employees) that the "Feds" okd the testing in "controlled"environment and 48 is " ave. hwy speed". Heater is also poor in under 20 deg. and Horrible blind spot passenger side!

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  Problems with Malibu - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By aliall - December 23 - 2:00 am

  Apparently these cars are known to have problems with their manifold intake gaskets. Ours went out at 41000 miles and will cost $1000-1200 to replace. The AC/heater fan also doesnt work on settings 1 and 2 and the seatbelts have broken. All in all a bad experience with the quality and reliability

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  Decent Truck, but room for improvement - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By EC - December 22 - 6:36 am

  Ive had my truck for 7 months, and I like it ok, but its not as good as previous Silverado models. First, the fuel economy is terrible for a V6, and its not responsive enough. Next, the truck has a tremendous amount of wind noise at 50 mph or higher. The ride is way too firm, even for a 4WD. Also, I think the truck is geared way too high. So if you buy one, then definitely get a V8. The seats in this particular model are not very comfortable either. You just about have to get the higher end model to experience the comfort & quality of these trucks. I like Chevrolet better than Ford, but they sometimes leave things off their vehicles that just dont make sense.

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  Mechanical Junk - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By ZENITH - December 22 - 2:00 am

  When you think of the so called horrible American car - this is it. Problem after problem after problem.

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  CHEEP IS THE NAME OF THE GAME - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By NOTTOHAPPY - December 17 - 2:00 am

  This is a nice looking vehicle. I have had many problems with this vehicle though, most of which can be atributed to a poor quality build. After the first month this vehicle was in the shop three times. I had problems with kinked fuel hoses, rear defroster which did not work (still does not after repeated attempts), 4WD froze up and would not change out of low, then after it was repaired it would not go into 4WD the following winter. Oil leaks out of the vehicle after only 60000 miles. GM service is the absolute worst in the industry also (they cant seem to fix anything the first time...)

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  mixed review - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By Jim1243567 - December 15 - 2:00 am

  overall truck has been dependable. Looks good, body has held up well. v-6 has plenty of power. However, 4wd not working right out of showroom. I found out in snow storm. Trans went at 36437 miles, thats right 437 miles out of warranty. Caused by faulty switch for 4wd. Turning radius is very poor for such a small truck. Stepside box is too narrow, you cant fit a sheet of plywood in it. 3rd door rattles. Jump seat is useless.

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  Much better than Explorer - 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Mikey1477 - December 15 - 2:00 am

  I traded in a 1997 Explorer LTD that was absolutely loaded. I didnt get as many options on the Tahoe, but what a difference in ride, acceleration, handling, etc. I always felt out of control in the Explorer, but the Tahoe sticks to the road like glue. I wish Chevy would stop putting cheap parts into $40,000 vehicles though. The interior really leaves something to be desired, and I have had 2 window motors go out in 2 1/2 years. They do a great job on engines/transmissions, but seem to treat everything else as an afterthought.

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  Stay Away From This Vehicle!!! - 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By ssiga - December 14 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is possessed! The windows open, the lumbar in the seats change, and the clock changes time at will. We rarely drive this vehicle due to its unreliability, but since its leased, were stuck with it. The dealership has done numerous repairs, but now that our 3 year warranty is over, were on our own with the same issues, even though the vehicle only has about 32,000. Look at the Tahoes as you drive down the highway notice how many new vehicles have light bulbs burned out? Not a well made vehicle Chevy should be ashamed!

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  Not happy anymore - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By exchevygirl - December 13 - 2:00 am

  I only had my car for 10 months and it has been into a Chevy dealer twice to be repaired. The front brakes were grinding, the front axil squeeked constantly, the heater makes a terrible noise when its on and overall I am not happy with the Cavalier. I had an older Cav the had over 160,000 miles on it and was 10 years old and I never had problem with her...wish I kept that car.