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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  Chev Venture - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By Lfisher - November 9 - 2:00 am

  The vehicle is well constructed,response well to commands. Gas milage is average. Number of options avalable makes is worth investigating all. Fie vehicle, passenger comfort excellent.

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  Great Z71 - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Rapowitz - November 9 - 2:00 am

  We just bought an 03 Suburban Z71. Its for my wife and she loves the car! We were looking at smaller imports (Touareg & FX35), but for les than those, you get a loaded to the brim full size 7-seater. We added a 10" DVD screen and Garmin navigator and still right at $40K all-in. It drives like a dream and can handle anything. Those imports are very nice, but just not practical if you have small kids like we do. With 2500 on the odometer, no problems at all. Avg 12.5 MPG in the city. If you stay 65-70 MPH (hard to do)on the highway, you get 19 MPG. Bumping it to 75 MPH reduces the MPG to 17 - its on regular gas though. We love this truck!

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  my 1st 4wd - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Jerry bishop - November 9 - 2:00 am

  Simply said its a luxury vehicle with the strength and power of a truck. Unbelievably quiet and ready to go anywhere. A little tough on the fuel economy but I guess that can be expected given its size.

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  worst car I owned - 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By frogger - November 8 - 2:00 am

  Constantly in the shop for engine problems, many mechanical defects including head gasket, drivetrain

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  astro van 1997 - 1997 Chevrolet Astro
  By gbsuy - November 8 - 2:00 am

  Very comfortable, only problem I have had is the windshield wipers and a window motor, runs very good

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  Corvette - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Solar Fry - November 8 - 2:00 am

  Love this car. Great take off power, beats the pants off all BMW z4s. Top speed to date 155 on speedo. Still has more to go. Love to see it with a 600hp 427V8..

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  Little Red Z34 - 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Chad - November 7 - 3:53 pm

  Bought the car 2 years ago and really have no complaints. I find the performance of the 3.4L Engine very nice for a 11 year old car. Mileage is about 27 HWY and 19-21 city. The keyless entry is such a nice thing to have (again on a 10 year old car). Power windows and locks, good stereo system. I find the front seats very comfortable with the power seats. Ive only sat in the back once and found it to be acceptably comfortable (Im 62 225 LBS). Leather seats are showing no signs of wear. Exterior is amazing. When purchased with 85,000 MI there were no rust spots or chips. People always think the car is newer than what it is. I have an aftermarket spoiler with LED tailamp (not boyracer showy)

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  Have always owned Chevy - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
  By tuftrks - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Gas milage is bad no matter what we have tried to do. Computer chip, air intake, dual exhaust, doesnt make a difference. Still only get 13 miles a gal. 8 miles a gal towing. Should have bought the 454 it gets same mileage and has more power.

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  Its all I had hoped and more - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Firemansgirl - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Only have 6,700 miles on my car or so, but so far so good. I bought this after owning a Lumina Euro for 7 years. Keep up the good work Chevy! Great gas mileage and since the LS didnt look much different than the SS I get a break on insurance as well but still a fine lookin ride. WOO HOO! The only thing Id change is the color...big dummy I got yet another black car and man is it a pain to keep clean!

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  This car is pure junk - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By JulieKay - November 7 - 10:00 am

  after only six months it is now sitting back at the dealership and has been for two weeks with the transmission out of it, the steering shakes and something is wrong with the brakes and the heater control switches are broke for my first new car i bought a pure lemon