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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  Quality Costs less - 1992 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Funone - September 18 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car as 14 years old with just under 36,000 miles. It looks and rides like just off the show room floor. Red with Red interior, 6 speed and all the fun you can pack into the CD with Beach Boys music. It is ALL AMERICAN low end grunt with V8 horse power! Gas mileage is great on the highway as 23 MPH and city driving at 18. My Jeep only gets 18 highwat and 14 city. Other claims of Vette milage like a Honda civic are just not true.

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  Camaro, Camaro, Camaro... I love it... - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By KingSnake - September 18 - 2:00 am

  Well, I wanted a car that could out perform all my little import friends and hang with the big boys, the camaro gave me that. Even though I have a 3.8L V6 I can out perform honda civics and Celicas. I have heard numerous people say dont get this car because it is not all that, its heavy and slow, and insurance is sky high. Well, the car is heavy and it can be slow (only because you arent pressing the gas hard enough to accelerate like a rocket), and buying this car will force you to shop around for auto insurance. Oh yah, the automatic transmission does sap some punch but there is enough torque that it doesnt effect the performance that much.

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  2000 Chevrolet Suburban - 2000 Chevrolet Suburban
  By balvord - September 18 - 2:00 am

  This is our family hauler. With 4 kids it is the schoolbus of choice for us. Going to car shows, it pulls our 55 Chevy Bel Air on a car trailer with ease. Highly recommended for big families and towing.

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  Do not buy American - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Windy City - September 18 - 2:00 am

  Just traded my car in for a 02 Toyota Camry because my Malibu had a blown gasket in the intake manifold ($600.00 to fix). Bought it with 19K miles, when traded the car had less than 30K miles. Also, it wasted a lot of gas (not good with gas prises so high), leaking coolant, car shakes went it is at a stop, rattling sound by the passanger side, every time I got my car washed had to replace the right brake light bulb (water kept getting inside the rear taillight)

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  Owned 30 vettes - 1998 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Eddie RJ - September 18 - 2:00 am

  Best vette convertible I ever owned. Had a gauge burn out and thats it in 62,000 miles. Changed tires to Firestone Firehawk for better all round performance. Car turns heads and always gets comments. Love the red/tan color and its a pleasure to own. Had over 30 vettes and this is the most pleasurable yet.

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  Hunk-o-Junk - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By PatrickinOhio - September 18 - 2:00 am

  I probably cannot recommend strongly enough to stay away from this vehicle. It is a mechanical nightmare! A three year old vehicle has had 3 transmissions, drive shaft replaced, water pump replaced, alternator replaced, door lock mechanism replaced, front passenger seat tilt lever has bronken four times. This car sucks! It has a pathetic turn radius and the design is terrible with dead spots in vision.

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  Unreliable Silverado - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By BeaverFood - September 17 - 5:26 pm

  Ive had 5 battery failures. The dealer and apparently GM cannot locate the cause. Had to have it towed once. Also, cannot get enough heat in the cabin when driving in cold weather. The dealer looked at this issue twice and found no problem. No more General Motors vehicles for me! Two days ago, I traded this unreliable truck for a 2010 Tundra.

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  A very high quality, high value used car - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By robs6wagon - September 17 - 4:06 am

  I just recently purchased a 2006 black SS with every GM option, including the gorgeous black leather seats, XM, 6 disc, Bose, sunroof, etc. The driving experience is nothing short of exhilarating! The ride is very comfortable and smooth, especially for a sport suspension. The lines are beautifully sculpted on this car, both inside and out! The sound of the ultra smooth V8 coming out of those polished exhaust tips is better than many classic hot rods! I am looking forward to many miles of thoroughly enjoyable driving. If you are looking for the ultimate drivers package in a mid/large size sedan, the Impala SS is your car!

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  Real American Muscle - 1992 Chevrolet Corvette
  By RedLT1 - September 17 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car with 15,000 miles and one year later have 25,000 miles on it. It is a lot of fun, although a pain to get into. Once you are in it feels like you are wearing the car. I average 25 mpg on the road with my foot in it. Where else can you get this much power and still get respectable gas mileage?

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  2nd blazer - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By rao - September 17 - 2:00 am

  my 2nd blazer..1st was a 1999..both have been leases..love the 4wd..great in the snow..never been on the beach with it so cant comment on it..visability when turning head is not good..head rests are in way..bump on floor pasenger front seat is uncomfortable on longer trips..reliability has been great..never a problem..both cars..