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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  1998 S10 ZR2 Ext Cab - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By Bigstik - May 27 - 2:00 am

  An extremely reliable vehicle from the day I drove it of the lot. Very limited repairs needed over the 5.5 years I have owned it. Ask your mechanic about these 4.3 liter Vortec V6 engines, hell tell you that they are built for the long haul. I tow my 19 Sea Ray, haul mulch, furniture, and anything else that will fit in the bed, and racked up about 60,000 miles the first 2 years working the MD/VA territory - all highway, and I dont baby this truck. It still runs like the day I drove it off the lot.

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  Sporty S-10 - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By kherald - May 27 - 2:00 am

  First of all, my truck is the 4.3L, 4Spd automatic trans, ZQ8 suspension, locking diff (which isnt listed in drop-down style options). If you are planning on towing anything avoid the ZQ8 package because it isnt designed for towing. The engine gives me about 17-20 MPG which is as advertised.

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  Im sellin it! - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Localboarder22 - May 27 - 2:00 am

  When I bought this truck I thought it was the coolest thing. Yea little did I know that durring the time I owned it, it would be in the shop 7 times!!!! Thats right 7, different problems every time. I baby the hell out of it and it still breaks. I will never own another chevy as long as I live. I am purchasing a Dodge now.

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  Looks can be deceiving - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By fatmawyer - May 27 - 2:00 am

  Looks very sporty at the dealer, but not so on the road. The only possibility for performance is with the v6 setup and the manual transmission. I had the 4 with automatic. Xtremely poor performance. The build quality was horrible. The rotors went bad after 20k miles, the transmission needed an overhaul after 30k, and at 56k the truck was having trouble starting. I was very disappointed and after trading in the truck (after ENORMOUS depreciation-over 60% of original value in 2.5 years and 56k miles) and purchasing japanese, I will never buy american again, the quality just doesnt exist.

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  Good Car - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Sugasara14 - May 27 - 2:00 am

  This is a very good car. I havent had any problems with it. It has a lot of power for a 4 cylinder.

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  A true lemon - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By jgm - May 27 - 2:00 am

  Clearly the least reliable vehicle Ive ever owned. Breaks down every 15,000 miles. I average $1000-$2000 of unscheduled repairs each year. The transmission just gave out completely yesterday. Im kind of glad, now I have a good excuse to buy another vehicle.

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  Rock solid - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By 350 LS1 - May 27 - 2:00 am

  This car is very powerful, and after almost three years is 100% reliable without a single problem or glitch. Also, I love the disdain heaped on the Camaro by automotive mags.. it just adds to the "in your face" of driving a huge V8 in a time of 1.8L econo-boxes.

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  Ho-Hum - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Auggie_24 - May 27 - 2:00 am

  Having this vehicle for two years has been great. It is sleek enough for pre- baby years, and trustworthy enough since we have had baby.

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  After 2 years...its still a great SUV! - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By mikesc - May 27 - 2:00 am

  I did a lot of research before I bought my brand new 2001 Tahoe over two years ago. I read about the build quality and the problems when the new Tahoe was introduced in 2000. Sure, you worry about things like that, but two years later I love my Tahoe as much as I did the day I bought it. Ive done all the schedule maintenance and havent had a single problem. I use it as my commuting vehicle (80 miles daily) and its never let me down.

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  DecepticonWiplash - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Wiplash - May 27 - 12:43 am

  Going on two months since I bought my RJT SS, and I have absolutely no complaints. The car is everything I had hope for(way back in 2006!) I waited, and waited, and waited some more. And I can now say it was definately worth the wait.