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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  Broken - 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
  By bdew - November 11 - 2:00 am

  Our suburban is on its 4th alternator and its 4th fuel pump which is a 400.00 part that is inside the fuel tank. The water pump and intake manifold gasket have both had to be replaced with countles other problems like brakes and electrical failures. The motor pings badly when under no load but going up a slight incline and has 60% of its original power.

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  very nice truck - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By steve w - November 11 - 2:00 am

  I bought this as a second vehicle and I have had 0 problems from it and it had 28000 miles on it when I got it

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  Outstanding Performance Automobile! - 1998 Chevrolet Corvette
  By jimhild - November 11 - 2:00 am

  63000 miles, no real issues. 28+ mpg on highway, 165+ mph capability. Trunk will hold two golf bags and luggage for two people for three weeks. We have driven as many as 960 miles in a single day and the car is comfortable and easy to drive. Active handling is a benefit. Indy Pace Car colors and trim is bold, but tastefully done. Many, many thumbs up, photo requests and discussions when stopping for fuel. Would do it again.

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  Chevy Tahoe - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By gandalf - November 11 - 2:00 am

  Rear Window no longer works

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  Sparky to the Rescue! - 2016 Chevrolet Spark
  By John King - November 10 - 11:31 pm

  One of the lowest priced new vehicles one can purchased, yet it doesnt look like one or perform like one. I had MINI Cooper for 12 years and loved everything about it EXCEPT its fuel economy (much less than people think), propensity to break down, and cost of repairs (its made by BMW). In less than a month I have fallen in love with my Chevrolet Spark. It simply does not feel like an economy car and it looks dashing! The engine is so quiet I have had to check a few times to see if it was still running (and it always was)! It is nimble to maneuver, cruises at 55-70 mph smoothly with no strain, the front seat was comfortable even for a 6 foot +, 300 pound man.

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  Yes to SS!!!!! - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By j. kugel - November 10 - 11:23 pm

  I need a truck. Three kids,so I needed a 4 door. I pull a boat, so I needed a truck that can haul the kids and a boat. This truck does it all day and its a cool truck too. I can still go to the cruise nights with it too!!

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  A lot better than past years! - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Day - November 10 - 9:50 pm

  Ive had a 2002 Monte and after I had a lot of stuff go wrong with it, I looked into getting a new car. I narrowed my choices to 3 cars. Mustang, Monte and Charger. Mustang way too small. Charger has more power. But only 2/10 of a sec quicker. Plus doesnt have some of the features that I like. The Monte has everything but a DVD nav system. Cell phone, on star, DOD (charger doesnt let you know when its active or not.) Remote start. I think alot of people need to rethink the GMs lineup. There cars have power not stuck at 200 HP like in the past. This car all around better then 2000-2005 Monte year. MPG for me is around 15.8. Sorry people, you have to pay for power.

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  Cheap interior, poor design - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By B Kohlhase - November 10 - 5:46 am

  I purchased my SS new. Transmission going now at 85k. Headliner fell behind sunroof, dealer never could fix from day one. Electrical under seat poor design. Moving seat has pulled wires. Pulled seat heater, seatbelt light flashing. Electrical is poor. Signals quit working and can hear buzzer at times. Good driving machine though and still get compliments on the car at almost 7 years old.

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  Too much money spent to keep car running - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Joerell - November 10 - 2:00 am

  I have a 1998 Chevrolet cavalier rs, which now have 90k. This car has been the worst. My brakes went 3 times in a year and a half, which didnt come cheap. at 81,000 mile my gasket went, at 89,000 my alternator went, now at 90k it in the shop because of its transmission. After a while the trunk wouldnt close so i had to get new lock parts for it as well as the drivers door. It seems like the car is in the shop more than on the road. For a student or a 1st time buyer this was the worst car, in the future i would stay away from american cars. My mom have a Subaru Legacy Out., which have well over 100k,the only expensive thing she paid for was brakes.

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  Not again - 2000 Chevrolet Suburban
  By mradford - November 10 - 2:00 am

  I have the 5.3 liter engine. From the factor it used 1-2 quarts of oil per 4000 miles. Chevy says this is normal. Rattles to beat the band. Window motors have failed twice each. yada yada yada. I love the size and comfort but the quality is poor.