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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  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.

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  2000 cavalier z24 - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By jlo411 - November 10 - 2:00 am

  ok for first car

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  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!!!

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  A great value for the money! - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By kaushik - November 10 - 2:00 am

  A fantastic SUV for the money. I have the fancy, decked-out version with the optinal Z71 off-road package, which gives it a really taut, robust (albeit a teensy bit rough) ride. Corner handling is excellent for a bus this size. I currently have a little over 40,000 miles on it and the brakes are hardly half-way through!! I had a really bad experience with the brakes on the previous model (the previous body-style), but this is worlds better. Very comfy and roomy inside, the A/C is superb to control and maintain temperature. Very reliable so far, although Ive only had it for a year-and-a-half!

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  Great Car, Fun Ride. - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Doug White - November 9 - 12:53 pm

  Leaps and bounds above all the other cars in its class right now. My only complaint would be the typical "plain" design on the interior that Chevy is famous for. Build quality seems improved over Chevys of the past. My In-laws have an Impala SS and its a couple of years old and havent seen any of the Chevy-Famous Squeaks that usually pop up in older Chevys. Good Car, Skip the Corolla & The Honda, pick up a Cobalt today, youll be glad you did.

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  Enviable Equinox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By anmaric - November 9 - 8:50 am

  I love my new Equinox!!! I couldnt have made a better choice.

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  Great Truck for the price - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By WVU - November 9 - 4:43 am

  I was looking for a decent mid-size truck with decent gas mileage. I narrowed it down to 3 trucks. Colorado, Frontier and the Tacoma. I ruled the Dakota out because their V6 model does not have enough ponies and their V8 is a gas hog and has less or only slightly more HP then its competitors. I really wanted the Tacoma or Frontier becasue both have great HP for a V6. But the price for these trucks is outrageous because the dealers will not deal. I went with the Colorado because of price. My truck stickered at $29,500. I paid $22,000 because of the rebates and GM employee price that was offered. You can get a Colorado for $7,000 to $8,000 cheaper then its competition, so its a no brainer.

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  chevy traker 2002 - 2004 Chevrolet Tracker
  By FFHS74 - November 9 - 2:00 am

  I just love the car and would buy another one. It is very comfy and it is nice looking...I get compliments on how nice the car looks all the time. I goes great in the snow and ice and I have not had any problems with it during bad weather.

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  Good Family Car - 1999 Chevrolet Lumina
  By mma786 - November 9 - 2:00 am

  Our Lumina has taken care of our families transportation need thorugh thick and thin for the past five years. The car has given us few problems considering the abuse we put it through. The car seats six plus the low end torque really gets you moving. When ever the weather is bad our family prefers the Lumina, because it "just feels more secure."