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:

• 

  What a disappointment - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By C---L - November 10 - 2:00 am

  Just over 3k miles and my passenger window is stuck. This is pretty pathetic for any car, even more so for $50k or GMs "flagship". I called GM, they used two great excuses: the car is man made and its supplier error. First, you hired those people and pay them $20+ more an hour than Honda or Toyota of America. Second, you qualified those suppliers!!!

• 

  worst car I owned - 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By frogger - November 8 - 2:00 am

  Constantly in the shop for engine problems, many mechanical defects including head gasket, drivetrain

• 

  Its been 7 years... - 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By monza305 - November 2 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for seven years, this should be the last winter before I get a new car this spring. Looking back I think Ill probably miss it. It has decent power, especially with the manual trans. It can be fun to drive too. But Ive had problems too. The motor started knocking at 100,000. (I know its not an uncommon problem for all GM 3.1 in the first couple years.) I also blew a head gasket (on the new motor). Other than that, its been a good car.

• 

  transmission - 1996 Chevrolet Astro
  By poohbear12 - November 1 - 2:00 am

  So far the astro van has been pretty good for our family. It has helped us move 2 times. The interior is very roomy. The only bad part has been the transmission. It has gone out on me once already and seems like it is getting ready to do it again. Luckily I do have a warranty on the repairs done. Also I have replaced the 02 sensors twice.

• 

  Nightmare - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By HarleyFXDL - October 28 - 8:50 pm

  I bought this truck used with 72k miles. It has the 8.1/Allison combo. Right from the start the windshield washer,horn,interior lights did not work. I noticed many electrical glitches coming and going. Now the trans is giving me troubles not to mention the piston slap. Chevy refuses to take responsibilty for any of the issues. I understand the truck has 78k now and is 7 yrs old, but this many problems should not occur this early. Had Fords my whole life and never had this many problems. I tried Chevy and the problems never stop coming. They dont offer enough space to list all that has gone wrong. Chevy step up or you will lose customers!

• 

  My Metro - 2000 Chevrolet Metro
  By Shawn PArrish - October 28 - 2:00 am

  It performs well for what I bought it for which is good fuel economy, cheap insurance and maintenance.

• 

  Big timebrake problems, $$$$$$$$$ - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Wesley R. - October 24 - 10:00 am

  I had to ship this one. It was bad. Right fron spinde would not allow for the mounting of the spare. Any spare would run on the calipers. Went through brake pads & rotors like a movie theater through popcorn. Rear shooes did last almost 30k. Pads every 5 or 6 k, rotors at 8-10k. It is the only time I knowingly traded in a vehicle with problems.

• 

  Trailblazer - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Knoxville - October 24 - 10:00 am

  I really liked this vehicle the day I bought it. I made a really bad mistake by purchasing this vehicle. For $34000 I should have purchase a Jeep Grand Cherokee. My friend bought one and it is 10 times the vehicle my Chevy is. The Jeep will run circles around by Trailblazer. There is no way my trailblazer makes 270HP. I wish I would have driven a Trailblazer first.

• 

  Heart attack of America - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Airmike - October 24 - 2:00 am

  Where can I start, brakes inadequate for this heavy vehicle- rotors always going out - calipers replaced ,on the 3rd transmission - replaced fuel pump - universal joint - alternator - starter - water pump - heater control valve - a/c evaporator - battery post problems - fusible link - it now has 146000 miles, I have owned for almost 3 years , about $9000 in repairs. Every time I think nothing else can go wrong , it does. If you own one of these I strongly suggest joining AAA, they have towed me 3 times this year. Dont get me wrong, I have a 86 K1500 truck and it is great, I guess I got a Friday or Monday build.

• 

  So far so good - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By VDOG - October 23 - 2:00 am

  Only had 1 mo. Mech. said except for possible oil leak this is a verry reliable veh. Could certainly use more power, but if you put your foot in it it will suffice. Verry good handling for size. Feels verry stable & corners well. Does not feel top heavy like others.