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:

• 

  Great car - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By James1548562 - November 1 - 2:00 am

  this is a great car, i have over 122000 miles on it right now, and have no plans of selling it,,,,the body and the inside of the car still look new, i change the oil at 3000 miles, and have only had 1 problem with it,,,, the starting switch that is mounted on the steering collum, back in the dash, were you can hardly reach the thing, it only cost me $17.00 so i cant complain,,, i would recomend these cars to everyone

• 

  That "Sure" Feeling - 2003 Chevrolet Astro
  By Joe Tornichio - November 1 - 2:00 am

  Rugged Durability, and Reliability, is what makes this vehicle.......The Outstanding Value, in its class. This is the 3rd. Astro Van that we have owned.

• 

  Met the need - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Happy one - November 1 - 2:00 am

  Very happy. Reliable, with very few problems. Transmission had a problem within first 2 years, but was under warranty. Tires lasted over 53,000 miles. Rear window washer feeder line has been a pain... keeps coming loose. Starting to hear a few annoying rattles inside cabin, coming from doors. Love the 4.3 L engine, had it in previous GMC Jimmy. Overall, it met my needs just fine.

• 

  Blazer - 2004 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Kickmud69 - November 1 - 2:00 am

  This blazer Will get you where you need to go better than any other SUV i know of Better than the Ford Explorer Better at the leading Suv!

• 

  Mine is A GMC Jimmy - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By anneha12 - November 1 - 2:00 am

  It is a truck but it isnt I can haul things as needed but it is still small and I would never go back to a car after owning my Jimmy. I do agree the back seat comfort leaves alot to be desired.

• 

  Whats up with the brake lights - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Brian&Ashley - November 1 - 2:00 am

  I love this car to death, the only things I wish they would change are similar to most peoples complaints. I wish they would hide the change compartment, I had my window broken out for 1 dollar. The only other thing I would like to see fixed is the brake lights....my right brake light burns out within 20 minutes of replacing it. Ive put 10 bulbs in there, and have attempted to trace the problem back to the source, and am not finding anything. Everything else has been good with this car. Very reliable, and very nice. Ive only had 1 breakdown, and that was the alternator at 60000 miles, not too bad in my opinion

• 

  Not so much as a tick: Its Great! - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Ghrankenstein - November 1 - 2:00 am

  My 2002 Sunset Orange Metallic Z-28 has been nothing short of awesome. Ive had absolutely zero problems with it, and I get compliments on it almost every time I pull in to the station for a fill-up. The LS-1 truly makes this rumbling beast a "poor-mans Corvette." Ill probably have to get my speakers replaced, but thats this metalheads fault, not Chevys. The materials are cheap-looking, but the ergonomics are great.

• 

  Yet another one - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By usmamg - October 31 - 7:43 pm

  Another home run by GM

• 

  HHR Red Hot - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Mckennycoy - October 31 - 11:16 am

  I have looked at the PT cruisers for a long time but I think Chevrolet has one upped Chrysler with HHR. I wanted to get the orange color but it was very scarce almost bought one but hesitated and it sold right after I left dealer. I ended up getting a red one because the 0 percent intrest was the deal clincher. I really like the styling. It is classy , retro, and eye catching on a budget . These cars start out at about 17 grand and get 30 mph on the freeway and look cool . What more needs to be said? Chevrolet has hit a home run.

• 

  Trailblazer is a big fun truck - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By ALE518 - October 31 - 10:00 am

  This truck has plenty of passenger room and can be reconfigured easily to accomodate many large cargo loads as well. There are some areas in the interior where the plushness is crudely interrupted by hardware (bolts) and the exterior is made up of more plastic than I expected. However, overall this ride looks as nice as the ride is smooth!