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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  Good while it lasted. - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Dave GG - January 12 - 2:00 am

  Great car, but transmission problems after 30K miles. Once the warranty ran out, Chevy abandoned me, wouldnt stand behind their work and raked in the repair bucks.

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  My Dream Car - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By sdream696 - January 12 - 2:00 am

  Camaros have always been a favorite of mine, and my car has only reinforced this attitude. My friends and family know that my car is a part of Chevrolet, American history. Never before or since could you get this sort of bang for the buck! I paid $24K in Sept. of 1998, and have absolutley NO COMPLAINTS. No problems, excellent performance, and great quality. Five summers of fun, fun, fun... GM did their homework on these cars... I will keep my car so that my kids will someday know what a musclecar really is. Oh yeah, it eats V-8 Mustang Cobras for lunch. :-)

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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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  I like mine!! - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bennigan - January 12 - 2:00 am

  I bought mine with only 33,311 miles. Only problem so far is A/C fan ddi not work at speeds 1&2. There is a tapping in the mornings. Told not to worry.

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  4 Years and counting... - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Jay_1970_K5 - January 12 - 2:00 am

  Great looking Truck. Very few 2 doors on the road these days. In 105K miles there have been a few problems. Mass airflow sensor is too delicate so any type of grime causes problems. Since it cannot be cleaned it has to be replaced at $400 a pop. K/N air filter will also cause it problems. Transfer Case sensors and ball bearings wore out too quickly. I believe this is due to the auto 4x4 which I use alot here in CO. Breaks and steering is mushy, always has been. Gaskets for coolent cracked too soon as well. I love my truck, but I love my 1970 K5 better because it lasts longer.

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  Great SUV - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By John - January 11 - 7:10 pm

  I just purchased an LT Z71 and I love it. I was torn between the Escalade and the Tahoe and I am glad I went with the Tahoe. I saved $15,000 and got 4 wheel drive. I have always owned small trucks because the bigger ones are tough to park and drive, not the case with the 2007 Tahoe. Rides like a Caddy and handles like a sedan! Great family vehicle. Make sure you shop around. 3 dealers only came down $4000, the 4th came down $6,000.

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  dont buy a chevey truck - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By mattcmore82 - January 11 - 10:50 am

  I bought a 2005 chevey silverado crew cab with 52k on it and have had one problem after another. All problems were descibed as very common to fix buy the chevey dealer. I have a very noisy rattling from under the sterrling colum also rattling from the a/c vents and lots of interior lights going out all the time. The dealer told me to fix all these common problems it would be about 1000$. These problems are small but every expensive to fix. I have also had problems with the factory cd player/radio making a buzzing noise threw all speakers and the cd player doesnt even work.

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  is better than expected - 1995 Chevrolet Suburban
  By danmorea - January 11 - 2:00 am

  is the 5 chevy truck that i own,very familiar with them,had 88,89,91,94 models but this one is the most easy to drive.Impresive braking,power,road feel

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  Camaro SS - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By TommySS - January 11 - 2:00 am

  Best bang for the buck - ever. Solid car, no rattles/squeaks/leaks. Extremely fast, very sure-footed.

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  great purchase - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By vicaltman - January 11 - 2:00 am

  I bought a basic 4wd with an awesome look and a stable feel. One of the best purchases I have ever made.