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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  Wow! - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By iAmNotManan - June 8 - 2:00 am

  This van is simply mind boggling! Amazing. I love it. i have three of them. what else could you ask for.

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  Poor - 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
  By poor - June 7 - 7:23 pm

  very poor

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  LT COUPE 5 SPEED 2.2L ECOTEC inline 4 - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Eric Struebel - June 7 - 2:03 pm

  I purchased this vehical cause chevy seems to always have the most reliable vehical. The power the 2.2 puts out, but a little more wouldnt hurt! The shifter is to close to the driver, but has a nice short shift package. The emergancy brake is ok if you dont have the armrest console in the middle of the car, you cant use the ebrake when parking without dumping everything inside the console. The seats are Not to comfortable for long drives more than a hour, but for short trips and to work its ok. I was impressed with the stereo, sounds wonderful, also liked the controls for it on the stearing wheel. Trunk is big,opening to small. I had to put a clutch in already at 12800miles, wasnt happy!!!

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  Works well, few problems - 1995 Chevrolet Astro
  By Carl Bradshaw - June 7 - 2:00 am

  Reliable, roomy, comfortable for kids.Drivers seat a bit small especially left leg room. The main driver, my wife loves it mostly for the great view of the road and the carrying capacity. Dutch doors in the rear nice, however the weatherstripping has to be replaced once every three years. Handling fine for a truck chassis vehicle.

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  2000 Corvette-3 yrs. later - 2000 Chevrolet Corvette
  By mross4734 - June 7 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned the car for 3 yrs. Bought it new. Great way to travel. Fun to drive. Not without problems however. For example, electonic steering column lock failure stranded me in Palm Springs. Not a bad place to break down. Oil pump failure in the 2nd year required 5 trips to 2 different dealers before factory technician diagnosed. No engine damage due to momentary initial start-up failure only. Pain in the butt however.

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  Hatchbacks are great!! - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Kit Gerhart - June 6 - 8:20 pm

  I bought my car new in 2006, and it has been great. The seats are very comfortable for me on long trips, and, while not a sports car, it has plenty of power and handles well. I got the LTZ because I wanted a few gadgets like HomeLink that werent available on cheaper trim levels. The gas mileage, while not great, is at least as good as could be expected for a car this size and power. I get in the low- mid 20s in mixed driving, and 29-30 on the interstate going as fast as I can get by with. The reliability has been great; Ive had no problems in 3 1/2 years of ownership.

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  our first suv - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By blazen away - June 6 - 10:00 am

  Weve this Trailblazer EXT for two months and we love it! We recently took it on a 900 mile vacation. We averaged 20 mph on the highway at 80 mph with five people, a/c running and a full load. It went up and down hills with minimal effort. The wind noise up front wasnt as bad as we had heard, although still noticeable. We made the switch to the Trailbalzer from a 2001 Venture. We thought the suv wouldnt be able to rival the convienence of the van. We were wrong. Well never have a van again.

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  cheverolet - 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By susan bartholomaus - June 6 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is very dependable. Gets around extrememly well in adverse weather. Comfortable to ride in.

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  1998 LT 4 Door - 2003 Chevrolet Blazer
  By TJT1963 - June 6 - 2:00 am

  I have a 1998 Blazer LT 4WD that I bought used with 59,000 miles. The drivetrain is terriffic! It pulls my 4300 lb. boat/trailer plus equipment with not nearly the strain one would think. It uses absolutely no oil whatsoever even after 5000 miles. The drivetrain really is A1! I have the metallic silver paint job and it is flawless. The stereo is awesome. Cons? Ive had to replace the ball joints, u- joints, water pump, front right bearing assembly, drivers power window motor. The interior plastic trim pieces could be of higher finish quality and are rather brittle. The front end styling could be more attractive.

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  No pizzaz - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dl76st - June 6 - 2:00 am

  Substandard front brakes. Coolant leaks. Eats batteries. Alternator replaced. Rack and pinnion replaced. Tie rods replaced. Suspension creaks and rattles. Environmental control panel failed. Light bulbs in radio burned out. Front window trim whistles when strong cross wind hits just right. "Check" engine light keeps luminating - dealer says its the cat converter that has already been repalced twice out of emission warranty.