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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  Great car for teens - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By JwSugar - May 29 - 9:23 am

  This is a great car to carry things as well as people with good fuel economy. It has great pick up and can pass with ease. I drive 120 miles to work everyday and I never feel like Im in a small car.

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  My Chevy Lumina - 1994 Chevrolet Lumina
  By D. Landers - May 29 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this automobile originally as a get around car. After having driven it for 5 years mostly back and forth to work, shopping, and ocassionally sightseeing, I have found that this car was a real find. I have only had to have one expensive service done, that was a brake job. Otherwise, the car is a comfortable ride, has real class, and everyone who has ridden in it has nothing but good to say about it.

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  Fast and Furious - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Jlay - May 29 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive and always wins the take off from any stop light!

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  Tahoe LS - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By kaskillah - May 29 - 2:00 am

  Good vehicle overall. Can take severe abuse and still hold up.

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  New 2006 Monte Carlo - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Janice - May 28 - 8:20 pm

  This is my third Monte Carlo, the last being a 2003 SS but I did not want a V- 8 nor rear wheel drive as I like the front wheel. New front end looks very sleek. Personally I find the new bucket seats to be a bit too hard and the interior seems more narrow than the 2000 and 2003 Montes I owned. Only have a couple of hundred miles on this one but if the car holds up like the last two Ill be pleased. Low the traction control! Had that on the 2003 SS.

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  I got my Xtreme before they are gone... - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Xtremely Happy - May 28 - 2:00 am

  Already an owner of an S-10 I knew I would be pleased w/ another. My 96 has over 110k & except for normal repairs (brake pads, shocks, plugs, clutch, filters, etc.) it has been a great little truck & I kept it for my daily driver. It appears S-10s will be done after 2003 & I didnt want to miss my change to grab an Xtreme. Being my 1st new car, I wanted to place a factory order & get exactly what options I wanted. After having the order in writing, but on hold, for almost 4 months I finally took the leap mid Feb. As it turns out, I got Xtremely lucky & it arrived just 3 weeks later as GM launched 0% for 60mo & $1k GM loyalty rebate.

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  Best small REAL suv - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By clintondee - May 28 - 2:00 am

  Driving a SUV with a full fame is a real pleasure. First off you are much safer and the off road capabilities of the TRacker are great. It has a real transfer case and a true 4x4 system. Its great on gas (2wd) mode and is a real fun vehicle to zip around town in. Dont listen to the so called pros calling this truck "dated" they are comparing apples to oranges. The Tracker is about $4,000 less than the hondas and toy-otas. With rebates and low APR rates you cant beat the TRackers Value!!

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  A pretty good van -- one problem though - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Ventureowner - May 28 - 2:00 am

  The van has been pretty good to us so far. Weve owned this van for 8 months (10K so far) and the only problem (a recurring problem) is with the struts on the driver side. The dealer cannot seem to find the problem with the struts. Theres a noticable clunking (metal on metal) whenever we hit certain bumps in the road. I hope they can figure this out soon, were going on our third round of service calls for this issue. A side from the strut problem, weve been mostly pleased with our new Chevy Venture!

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  Crunch - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Synkronized - May 28 - 2:00 am

  I gotta tell you all, I have been rear ended twice and both vehicles have just crumpled under the might of the tahoe. Not even a scratch or dent left on it. There is enough power to crawl over cars and make your own road. Install a grill guard and strike fear into all that drive slow in the fast lane. If thats not enough, install fog lamps. Once I ran over a civic and thought it was a pop can.

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  Unhappy with Cheverolet company - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Billie Jo Shifflett - May 27 - 3:40 am

  I purchased this car new. The first week of ownership I received a recall notice for the intake bolts due to them running hot. At 23000 miles I started having brake and rotor problems. Noticed a noise and took to the dealer and was told the steering shaft needed replacing. This seems to be a problem with these cars according to consumer reports magazine. Also with the brakes, rotors, and calipers. At 27000 miles I had all the rotors replaced. GM did nothing to help me with the latest problem of the steering shaft due to the car being out of warranty and being a 2002. I reminded them that this car has only 28000 miles on it and they need to correct their faulty parts by having a recall.