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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  why the Mustang won - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By slickmick - October 11 - 2:00 am

  1.) use a quart of oil in 1200 miles 2.) "SES" lights weekly 3.) holes in the carpet after 1 year 4.) stereo sounds like it was in the river 5.) count the blind spots!!! 6.) dont forget "skip shift"!! The consumer has voted the Camaro out. Duh huh GM! Or are we the real ididots for buying this junk?

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  chevy breaks - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By tweetybird - October 8 - 2:00 am

  I love my truck, but I have had it towed to the dealership twice. The six disc changer is awesome. Little stuff is really the only problems that I have been having.

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  Runs well after all those fixes.... - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By rotektwo - October 7 - 2:00 am

  After 45,000 miles, my car has all new parts... New Hazard Light switch...replaced 3x. New Battery...replaced 2x. New Front ABS Brake...Just replaced. New Air conditioner fan switch...replaced 2x. Affinity Tires...Just replaced Squeeky Suspension...Didnt replace yet. Windshield fluid chamber keeps losing fluid. Dealer couldnt find out why. I just learned the pump has a leak...Leaked when purchased. Rear brake light lenses filled with water after most recent snow. I guess thats why the rear brake lights need to be replaced often. Replaced cigarette lighter too. Replaced the plastic molding inside the trunk just under the trunklid.

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  Not a reliable car! - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By AJ kline - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car thinking it would be the greatest thing ever! This has given me nothing but problems! It doesnt get very good gas mileage, i needed to replace the alternator, battery, head cylinder, brakes and more. It has 130k miles and many things are falling apart on the inside. The rear left door gets jammed shut, the drivers door hindge is falling apart, backseat drivers side power window button broke, and many other things are falling down hill! Everytime i get in the car i just hope it will get me from one place to another without dying. Do yourself a favor and get a different car, unless you plan on putting 5,000$+ into auto- parts!

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  Jurys still out - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By GOLF MAN - October 6 - 2:00 am

  NICE TRUCK TO START THEN THE RADIO KEPT LOCKING OUT NOW WITH 42000 MILES REAR AXEL SEAL GONE ALSO REAR PINION SEAL BIG $$ TO FIX

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  ITS JUST OK - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Brian Builder - October 6 - 2:00 am

  I agree with all the other reviews that I have read the brakes are terrible. I have also had some additional electrical problems all of which I have seen in the other reviews. These problems are buzzing turn signal, cruise will not stay engaged, blower speed switch stopped working on 1 and 2. The factory tires are horrible I had to replace them at 27000 miles. There is a knocking sound in the engine when cold. The dealership has been great and I purchased the extended warranty so I have not spent much out of my pocket. I have recently noticed a squeak while driving, I wonder what that could be.

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  chevy lemon - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By mattl - October 6 - 2:00 am

  to many problems for a new vehicle in this day and age. the 2500 hd pick up truck that i purchased had a cracked oil pan, the rear end leaks, all door locks have fallen off on the inside of truck, leaf spring pads have fallen out, the left rear door on the crew cab does not open, and when it rains the truck jerks back and fourth like the transmission is going to fall out. chevy has had a very poor response to all the problems i had with this truck. Its one big lemon and its my problem because i purchased the truck. my company owns six other chevys trucks but this will most likely be my last purchase of a new chevy truck.

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  Lots of problems - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By bikrchick - October 3 - 2:00 am

  rebuilt transmission, steering gear, heater core, 3 instrument clusters, 2 alternators, bad brakes, bad spark plug wires, bad strut mounts, mystery problem with voltage idiot light and digital odometer display

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  I Hate My Cavalier - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Todd Hong - September 30 - 10:00 am

  I have a Cavalier that gets only 22 mpg highway even with the overspeed transmission. The dealership & Chevrolet will not work to determine what the problem is, their answer is "tough cookies". There are several pickup trucks that get better mileage! Car also doesnt hold value. My recommendation: BUY A TOYOTA COROLLA or SATURN. For the same money you get a much better riding car in the Corolla that holds a high resale value!

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  Cheap in more ways than 1 - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By replica48 - September 30 - 2:00 am

  For the $9k I paid for the car, I wasnt expecting anything fantastic. For the most part, I was right. Ive taken it back to have the horn fixed, along with the trunk lock. A tail light went out after 3 months. On occasion, the RPMs will drop to below 500 and come back up, and sometimes stalls, so I now have a new reason to take it in to the dealership again. When you put down the sun visors, they usually hit the rear view mirror. Installing an aftermarket stereo is VERY time consuming, as the whole dash must be removed. Its a good thing theyre dropping the line in 2005. GM needs a new design.