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:

• 

  Awesome Truck - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By tony bean - August 4 - 2:43 am

  This truck is awesome. The 2007 model is a smash hit. I love every thing about this truck. I bought 2007 Z71 club cab and the comfort of the ride is tremendous. The design engineers really hit a home run with this one I recommend this truck to anyone that loves trucks.

• 

  Chevy Venture - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By TimiCJ - August 4 - 2:00 am

  Up until it was 5 years old, this car has been very reliable. Now, were having problems with the front end.

• 

  Big Problems and Hefty Bills - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By midnyte_sun - August 4 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car since 1998 and it ran fine for the first year and a half. Then it started having all kinds of problems. At 85,000 miles Ive had these problems: Electronic Modulator busted, water pump busted, engine constantly overheats, a/c, vent, heating only works at max, catalytic converter busted, oxygen sensors malfunctioned, and I get horrible gas mileage : 275 miles on a full tank. (Ill be nice and wont even include new tires, shocks, struts, brakes, etc). Total repairs: $7,000+

• 

  A good vehicle at a good price - 2003 Chevrolet Astro
  By ninjaxz750 - August 4 - 2:00 am

  Anyone considering one should get it. It will last forever (my father in-law has a 94 with 180,000 Miles and still going)and it hauls more than anything in its class. It also cheaper than ANY SUV, and bigger than most. It is NOT a mini-van...more like a mid size van. If you consider a Mini-Van, you may pay less, but you will get less in size and power.

• 

  The cheapest car ever built... - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By cavalierssuck - August 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 98 Cavalier last fall for $5,200. It sounded like a bargain at the time. My family has always had Chevy cars and trucks so I figured it would be a good car. WRONG. The first week I had it, the spark plug wiring needed to be replaced because it would sputter like crazy. Three weeks later it needed a new clutch (yes I am a very good manual driver). Almost every morning in the winter it wouldnt start, and if it did start it ran bad. 3,000 bucks later it still runs like garbage. VERY CHEAP CAR DONT BUY IT!!

• 

  Fun and Reliable Ride! - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Simracer77 - August 3 - 2:00 am

  Owned for 2 years and the Camaro is a one-owner vehicle. It has not been in the shop since day 1. So far, only preventive maintenance has been performed on this car. I would recommend highly for a dependable and fun to drive car.

• 

  Anti-econobox car - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Drew D - August 3 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Camaro, the first being a 95 Z28. I far prefer the V-6 in the 01 as it doesnt have the artificially inflated boy toy racer rumble and with 200 hp has more power than the 90 V-8. The Z28 was also hard to handle when power was applied in anything other than a straight line. The car gets 32 mpg at 80 mph - no kidding! So todays kids get 4 door econoboxes instead of a 5 star safety rated, 30+ mpg economical and fun Camaro. Go figure. As others say, GM got it right, but they just didnt market it for its best attributes.

• 

  2003 Chev. Tracker Performance - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Theresa Ingelido - August 3 - 2:00 am

  Comfortable - fun to drive - sharp look ing. 20 to 25 combination city and highway driving. Interior, comfortable and stylish. Happy with this vehicle - glad I bought it.

• 

  Decent Wheels - better than a lot - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By allen_hillsboro - August 3 - 2:00 am

  Great Initial Price, Good Seats, Good Handling, Great Air conditioning, good stereo. Im pleased and will buy another when this one dies... I cant really think of one complaint. When you read the reviews of this car, you think it was terrible, but those people must be driving Mercedes normally or something...

• 

  I love suburbans - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Bigrig - August 3 - 2:00 am

  This is my sixth Suburban, and even tho the family is grown, there is always "stuff" (and grandkids)to haul! The auto 4WD is great in our rotten winters and it is extremely stable even in 2WD! Build quality and reliability are great, although the interior is rather plain in comparison to older models!