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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  Favorite of Mine - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Alwyschevy - April 5 - 2:00 am

  This is my 3rd cavalier and 2nd Z24. I love the cars. Not as much as the old 3.1 V6, but this little car is fantastic. I love the spacier inside, the sound system is great, and I love the 5 speed version. Id buy this car again.

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  None - 2001 Chevrolet Astro
  By gimil - April 5 - 2:00 am

  Great van, beside the VW Eurovan the only one of its size. Quality disappointing.

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  im in love with it - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By len 1 - April 5 - 2:00 am

  its a perfect machine if u love speed adn great looks .

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  Great Venture Van - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By Matilda - April 5 - 2:00 am

  I like this van very much. Its fun to drive and gets good mpg. Usually around 20 in town and up to 26 highway. I have the eight seating van and it has come in handy more than once although I usually am alone--back and forth to work. Its very comfortable for the driver and front passenger. Middle passengers have mentioned they would like to have armrests. With seats out have gotten 8 dining room chairs in the back!

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  LOTS OF OPTIONS, BUT LACKS DETAIL - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By PRUDGRL - April 5 - 2:00 am

  LOVE MY VAN, BUT GM COULD IMPROVE THE SECOND ROW BY MAKING THE MIDDLE SEAT EASIER TO FLIP FORWARD WITH A LATCH SIMILAR TO THE SIDE SEATS AND BY MAKING THE WINDOWS OPEN IN THE REAR TO WHERE YOU ACTUALLY GET AIR. THE ENGINE START UP SEEMS WEAK. TURNS OVER A LOT THEN FINALLY STARTS. DVD PLAYER SOULD WORK WITH OUT NEEDING THE REMOTE AND SHOULD BE LOCATED IN THE REAR SO THE KIDS CAN INSERT DISC IN STEAD OF THE DRIVER.

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  Sweet Ride! - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By hanley - April 4 - 1:06 pm

  I love my Victory Red Impala. The ride is super, with awesome acceleration, and loads of room for the youngins. We test drove all the the imports, and came back to good old Chevy.

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  My Equinox LS FWD - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Betz68 - April 4 - 9:00 am

  I love my New SUV. I have driven it back and forth to Florida 3 times since purchasing 3 months ago (1000 miles round trip) It does well on interstate. Only Problem I have had, is I went from a small sports car to this and I am not used to feeling the wind move me on the street.

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  S-10 pickup - 1994 Chevrolet S-10
  By Tommy Zuniga - April 4 - 2:00 am

  ran real great...no problems at all

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  Big Blue - 1990 Chevrolet Lumina
  By steve malroy - April 4 - 2:00 am

  I have enjoyed my 1990 Lumina from the start. It always starts and runs like a champ. It gets me to where I need to go with a little sportiness and responsive, powerful 3.1. Now with 124,600, its not as good as it was new, but still will put you into your seat when you want to get up and go.

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  best used car ever - 1992 Chevrolet Caprice
  By rttaylor - April 4 - 2:00 am

  After I bought this car all I had to do to it was changed the oil. Interior spotless and the engine was clean. At first I thought I would never find a clean chevy that would run good in January without spending some money on repairs. But this car started perfectly when temp was below zero. Only a chevy would handle like this. Praise God for being so good to the chevy name.