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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  commuter car - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By philnjean - January 11 - 2:00 am

  Poor brakes. Ive only got 19K on this thing and the front rotors have already been replaced. When the antilock engages it makes a terrible noise and it feels like its just rolling with no brakes. Dealer says its normal. I cant believe brakes that sound like that are normal. Average fuel economy. Interior looks cheap, but car was cheap. Awful resale. Only one year old and its lost half its value

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  ride me - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By tailfxstc - January 11 - 2:00 am

  good looking ,could use more hp 400 would be nice. smokes tires very well, it should have a better sound system . all that said, i do like the car and its fun to drive.

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  My second Prism - 2002 Chevrolet Prizm
  By PRISMLOVER - January 10 - 2:00 am

  I have owed alot of cars. This is so affordable and reliable. Great car for a single woman or single parent. Great for young drivers. So easy to drive. Almost impossible to wreck.. I TRUST THIS CAR TO THE UPMOST. AND I WOULD BUY AGAIN.

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  Great daily driver for mid teens - 1995 Chevrolet Corvette
  By StArrow68 - January 10 - 2:00 am

  Got the 95 for a daily driver that would be fun to drive. It was a garage queen, of which I think there are many, and only had 18k miles after 8 years. Only issues were the engine well and one small frayed spot on the passenger carpet. Paint, weather stripping, tinted blue roof and rest of carpet and seats were in spotless condition, reflecting mileage and sitting in garage. Got it for mid sixteens and put new fluids in along with a good cleaning of the engine. Runs strong and just plain fun.

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  graet car at 72000miles - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By OK HAPPY CAMPER - January 10 - 2:00 am

  I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE LIGHTS IT UNDER A 10$ FIX!!! BUY NEW BOARDS THAT HOLD THE BULBS AND DONT USE CHEAP BULBS!!! THE BRAKE PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPENED TO ME. I HAD THEM REPLACED AT 40,000 MILES STILL GOING STRONG. I HAVE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR ONCE AT 35,000 MILES.OVER ALL AN OK CAR FOR THE MONEY.

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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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  Im Happy - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By DesertAnne - January 10 - 2:00 am

  So far so good. For the money its a good car. I havent had any problems, I love the stereo and it handles well. My only complaint is the lack of pickup, too bad they didnt offer a manual transmission. Other than that I love the car.

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  Fun beyond your wildest dreams - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By StArrow68 - January 10 - 2:00 am

  Interesting thing is that I never thought Id own a Corvette, not on my radar. However, when looking to replace a daily driver it turned out to have major advantage, I fit. At 63" it is surprising how many cars I cant either get into or sit in comfortably, notably the XK8. The C5 at least in its later years is a bullet proof touring dream. Loads of room, great mileage on the highway with the 6 sp and my wife noted how comfortable it was on it trip home, 1350 miles to get back to CA where none of the dealers would go below MSRP at the time.

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  Great Vehicle - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By revump - January 10 - 2:00 am

  I just pulled my 1995 Jimmy to the NW. The Tahoe was better than all my expectations except for gas, but even that was acceptable. It handled great in snow and we had a lot of it. I am completely satisfied with it so far. I have made one long trip and put about 6000 miles on it so far.

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  Fun SUV - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Pawel - January 9 - 7:40 pm

  This vehicle is fun to drive, smooth, and has a few ponies behind that gas pedal. Compared to my 2000 Tahoe z71 and 05 Avalanche z71, my 2007 Tahoe LT 3lt is just great. Took it for a 3 hour ride with 4 kids this weekend, going up and down those hill on Mass pike I got 19.4 miles to the gallon. I mean, how can you beat that in an SUV. I love it. I think it handles really great, acceleration, cornering, going fast around sharp bends, and yeah braking. And all in all, this is coming from a GM Tech, Im really amazed with this vehicle and its quality. What a great comback for GM. Go ahead, test drive one, you wont leave the dealership without one.