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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  Heart attack of America - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Airmike - October 24 - 2:00 am

  Where can I start, brakes inadequate for this heavy vehicle- rotors always going out - calipers replaced ,on the 3rd transmission - replaced fuel pump - universal joint - alternator - starter - water pump - heater control valve - a/c evaporator - battery post problems - fusible link - it now has 146000 miles, I have owned for almost 3 years , about $9000 in repairs. Every time I think nothing else can go wrong , it does. If you own one of these I strongly suggest joining AAA, they have towed me 3 times this year. Dont get me wrong, I have a 86 K1500 truck and it is great, I guess I got a Friday or Monday build.

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  Keep the kids away! - 2002 Chevrolet Express
  By jdbayes - October 24 - 2:00 am

  This van is my favorite vehicle out of many new car purchases in my life. It is hard to imagine driving anything smaller. If you need to create space between yourself and those pre-teen monsters we call children - this is with out a doubt the van for you!

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  Does It All - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By JackR - October 24 - 2:00 am

  Great seats, my wife was sold on this SUV after driving it a block. We love the interior, ride, room and power. The "tow/haul" feature is a winner. Push the button and the transmission resets itself to a new set of shift points. Perfect for hauling a heavy boat. We get 16MPH @ 75 and 14 around town.

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  good little car - 1994 Chevrolet Beretta
  By haml - October 23 - 2:00 am

  Good reliable car, which means it never broke down. Replaced radiator (small crack in end tank), front rotors (seem to rust on inboard side), and small coolant leak between intake manifold and rear cylinder head (tighten manifold bolt every once in a while). Wax it and still looks like new.

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  s-10 - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By the pimp - October 23 - 2:00 am

  extreamly nice good well rounded

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  S-10 Ride - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Huh? - October 23 - 2:00 am

  This S-10 is a 6 cyl regular cab. The list maker missed this one. I listed a 4 cll and it is not!

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  What a Great Car! - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Jeff83 - October 23 - 2:00 am

  I special ordered this car and have been the only owner for seven years and 61000 miles of trouble free ownership. Had it for five years before I had to do anything to it other than oil changes because the battery started leaking.It is almost 8 years old now and the only major repair has been to replace the water pump for a heafty 800 dollar bill last year.It still has the origional rear brakes and all 4 struts.I got 50000 miles out of the origional tires. No rattles,leaks or anything that does not work. Overall a great car!

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  Unhappy Owner - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By tonylaura - October 23 - 2:00 am

  Very poor quality. Always something going wrong. Constant SES light. Air bag light intermittent. Rear wiper intermittent. Replaced many parts.

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  So far so good - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By VDOG - October 23 - 2:00 am

  Only had 1 mo. Mech. said except for possible oil leak this is a verry reliable veh. Could certainly use more power, but if you put your foot in it it will suffice. Verry good handling for size. Feels verry stable & corners well. Does not feel top heavy like others.

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  Tickedoffowner - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tickedoff - October 23 - 2:00 am

  In the last 4 years/32k miles Ive been thru 3 sets of brake pads and rotors. Ive had a hole in the wind shield wiper fluid reservoir. The temp gauge is bad. The intake maifold gasket died in Feb 03. And most recently/today I had a new resistor installed becuase the low speeds on the heater/ac were not working. Oh yeah I also have put on 4 new tires. Needless to say I will not be buying another Malibu!!!