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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  bought another one - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By bob s. - July 24 - 2:00 am

  had a 2002 just wanted a new car 2003 tighter quieter

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  50th Vert - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By dacuck@msn.com - July 24 - 2:00 am

  I cant believe the ride quality of my 50th Anniversary Red/Shale Corvette convertible.. having owned a previous C5 and C4, I was skeptical of the magnetic ride control.... but it works very well. Power Sport seats are comfortible and supportive. Nice paint job for a Vette..!! Shale interior is a nice break from black... Steering feels a little dead at center, especially coming from 02 330Cic.. Plenty of power and V8 torque... smooth

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  My 50th - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By genepreston - July 24 - 2:00 am

  This is a very good car. Too bad there were so many copies sold. It will be years, if ever, before it becomes a collectors car. Its a good thing they made a really good car, but you didnt have to pay an extra $6,000 along with literally thousands of other folk for the "anniversary edition".

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  You dont really get what you pay for - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By ItalianKU - July 24 - 2:00 am

  The car looks great . . . and it is fun to drive . . . if you can put up with just a few little details. First, the interior, where you spend most of your time, is downright embarrassing for a $50,000 car. Everything inside feels like it was taken out of the Cavilers parts bin. It must be embarrassing for Bose to put their name on the sound system . . . it is horrible! My 1999 Ram Air Trans Am with the 500-Watt Monsoon System was worlds better than my 2003 Vette. With all that performance I though I could live with the low quality interior . . . I was wrong!

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  great truck - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By tomq1 - July 23 - 2:00 am

  this has been a good solid truck, the v6 vortec is a tried and true engine, has nice options that, for the money, make it one of the best push button 4x4 values on the market.

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  S-10 needs some recalls - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By th3006 - July 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought my truck in Oct.2002 The dealer was very unhelpful once I signed the papers. I am a diehard chevy fan but I have had a couple of problems. The problems I have had are: the secondary air injection pump went at 40k and the dealers I talked to said they have seen alot of these come in to replace. The other problem is the seat recline handle broke off, G.M. should have known better to use potmetal to hold the handle on. It is CHEAP!! I feel that G.M. should be talking with the dealerships more to fix these common problems(recalls).Cheaper is not always better and the competition is looking better all the time when these situations arise.

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  Bad Car - 1997 Chevrolet Malibu
  By boshkash - July 23 - 2:00 am

  Very Bad break system, avd A/C

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  camaro keeps on going - 1993 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Georgerx7 - July 23 - 2:00 am

  excellent vehicle, lasts long and takes a beating.

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  Smooth Ride - 2000 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Ohio Sales - July 23 - 2:00 am

  3rd Suburban for a traveling salesman and this one is the best to date. 125k and no major problems to date. Towing 9000# with very little effort. Problems with the previous Suburbans have been addressed. Excellent ride with handling to match.

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  Service gets to see it alot - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Kristin68 - July 23 - 2:00 am

  I have to say when I first got the Venture, I was thrilled. It fit 8 people comfortably, the kids had room and entertainment. However, in 1 year I have had the brakes replaced and the rotors. The rotors cannot be turned on a Venture....strike one Then we had to get a new Hub Kit...the wheel bearing went....strike 2 Not sure I would get this one again. Expensive van and something we purchase as a safe reliable family vehicle.