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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  Nothing but problems - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Chris W. - October 17 - 6:10 pm

  I have had my Cobalt for a month now, and it has had nothing but problems. Its been in the shop three times. First it was the AC, then it was a wiring problem causing dash and tail lights not to work, now the radio wont work. Think twice.

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  My first new car! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Delcorbett - October 17 - 12:00 pm

  I recently purchased this car and am nothing but happy so far. It is my daily commuter and I have nothing bad to say so far. It gets me to work and it runs great. Good on gas and very fun to drive. Anything beats my old Crown Vic on gas, but this one is great. This is no race car but it gets out of its own way very well.

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  One of the best that I have owned - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By A. Lane - October 17 - 10:00 am

  This is an awesome, big, comfortable car. Its handling is great and it is very smooth driving. The gas mileage is great and it has a great safety rating. Finally a 4-door sedan that is fun and practical to drive. Congrats Chevrolet on a great car!!!!

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  Nicest car I owned so far. - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Anne Pennock - October 17 - 3:53 am

  This is a great step up from the Cavalier, I owned a 1999 and a 2001- I like them but this is really a much better car. Feels solid, rides well even over our bad roads. Very comfortable seating. Probably the best car Ive owned considering my low end price range.

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  2nd and Last Suburban - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By mustang43 - October 17 - 2:00 am

  Its amazing that such a huge vehicle has such little interior room for second and third row passengers. Our 1993 model is much more comfortable, even though the new one is fully loaded. It handles like a lumbering moose. We decided to put a new engine in the old car and trade in the newer one on a better quality car that also has higher gas mileage. Yeah, pretty much we should have waited for the 2000 model, but a roadtrip to Yellowstone was calling for a new car. The 2000 model might be better, but were getting sick and tired of the cheap materials, shoddy build quality and unreliability of GM cars. Lexus here we come.

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  1st vann owned lt fwd - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By 1walt - October 17 - 2:00 am

  this is the first vann i have owned. i like driving it. with leather seats, it is easy getting in & out. we also like the heated seats and sitting up higher which provides better vision. 1walt

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  Great car but unreliable - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By amcurtis - October 17 - 2:00 am

  I have driven my car 16k miles in the 6 months I have owned it. I do lots of harsh city driving and many highway miles. I am religious about the maintenance and upkeep. I love the car it drives great. Rotors warped 29k, dealership turned free. Warped again at 34k. 43k miles a lower intake manifold gasket started leaking and a fuel injector went bad. merging onto the highway yesterday something under the hood went crunch and the computer shut the engine down. now it is in the shop for what I expect to be a torque converter or transmission at 43k. very glad I bought the extended warranty not so glad that I bought the car.

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  Not good or bad - 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By David3991 - October 16 - 4:46 am

  I bought this truck with 73,000 miles on it. It worked fine when I test drove it, but days later everything went downhill. The brakes need to be replaced and the tranny is now slipping and the power steering is OUT

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  Great Buy - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By Big Phil - October 16 - 2:00 am

  This truck is a great buy. I have 104,000 miles on my truck and havent had a single problem. It isnt a flashy truck but it is worth every dollar.

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  good little car. - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By chasler - October 16 - 2:00 am

  I get 35 miles to the gallon! It rides nice and handles great. Just a good value in a small car.