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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  Ehhhh - 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By 20yearoldcollegeboy - June 13 - 7:20 am

  Since owning this car I have had very mixed feelings on it. Bought when I was 16. It gets me around. A great car if you have the money to fix problems which there are a lot! And each problem cost a small fortune to fix. The car handles well, has a nice ride, people always think its newer than it is (body just started showing small rust in two spots),body holds up well (hit three deer at once, insurance fixed, MPG are decent if you baby the throttle (28 hwy)but can dip as low as 14 in city. Engine seems to be stronger at some times than others, can be fast and very stable, quiet at 75-80 hwy. One cupholder for 5 seats? 1-2 downshift is slow! Occassional trouble starting. Its a 12 yr old car

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  So far so good - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Blair105@aol.com - June 13 - 2:00 am

  Just bought this truck last week. so far very comfortable ride, smoothe vortec 4300 engine - could use more low end power. very roomy for a compact pickup. love the insta trac shift on the fly 4wd. had to use it the 2nd day I had it in the sand. Would reccomend. have heard a lot of good stories about these durable trucks.

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  Great little Car - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By TooBright - June 13 - 2:00 am

  I bought my cavalier used and with high mileage. I still love it, and cant think of selling it.

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  Fun car to drive - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By CavalierGirl - June 13 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Cavalier. My first was a 1998 4-door sedan. I love this car. It has alot of pickup for a 4 cyl engine. Its a cute car that is resonably priced. No major problems with this one or the one I owned before it. No complaints. I have over 70k miles on this car and will probably drive it until the wheels fall off.

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  A good 6 years - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Matt97 - June 13 - 2:00 am

  I originally leased this truck for three years and could not part with it... so I bought it. Under warranty, GM replaced 2 a/c blower fans, fixed the power steering, replaced the break rotors, replaced the rear pinion seal, and fixed a few rattles. After the warranty was out, I fixed a coolant leak, did the brakes again, and replaced a valve in the transmission. I figure I put about 1k/year into the truck for the last 3 yrs and now have 83k miles. The other day I noticed leaks from the transfer case and rear pinion seal again.

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  ZR2 Blazer - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By tornado - June 13 - 2:00 am

  Horrible vehicle!! Its been in the shop 7 times in the last 8 months, 6 for the same HVAC problem and once due to a transmission casing issue. Customer service in 3 states has been horrible, the customer service line provided in the manual is of no help. Ill never buy another Chevy vehicle again!!

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  Forever Truck - 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD
  By Shirl - June 12 - 3:08 pm

  Husband finally got his Forever Truck - it has every thing he ever wanted , 4WD, Diesal, Moon Roof etc and it will take forever to pay for ! High Country makes you feel like you are getting the luxury truck. Love the heated seats - my husband loves the cooling , but that I dont need. Pulled trailer with sons car with no problems. Tried watching movie in back but either I have very sensitive hearing because I could still hear conversations and radio in front so it did not work for me. Still breaking in , city getting 13 mpg , 16 mpg on Highway - but much better than 8-10 mpg he got on his 2010 gas engine.

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  I love MY truck! - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By RSH - June 12 - 4:56 am

  I have had this truck for 5 years and it still drives like a dream. I have had installed new tire, new brakes (once) and replaced the fuel pump! Other thatn that regular oil changes and tune ups, keep "Big Blue" running. I highly recommend this truck to those looking for a new ride. Once you drive a truck, youll never go back to a car. 113,000 miles and no more car payments later - I know I wont!

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  Biggest lemon ever built - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By Stomper - June 12 - 2:00 am

  Since day one never ran right with miss in engine and stalling spent most of first two years in service bays. Trans. died at 75000mi. Compressor died at 20000mi. Movement in rear axle since 50000mi. Chevy says that is ok no problem!!!. All S-10 have that problem, learn to live with it!!!!

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  Yellow roadster - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By rnlemerson - June 12 - 2:00 am

  This is my second roadster, and wont be my last...I love everything about the corvette and cant wait for the 2005s...