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:

• 

  Still running strong... - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By mrmcderm - September 4 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car almost 6 years, and have put 85k on it (mostly highway) and it still runs well. I had A LOT of problems with the coolant system when it was new (1 year old). Was in the shop 7+ times in 3 mos. Eventually filed and won a lemon law suit against GM. Since then, no problems. Seats are falling apart (moldings and adjustments) and has a lot of dings...i just hope it keeps running.

• 

  Powerful..but its a truck - 1997 Chevrolet Astro
  By daddyronhank - September 3 - 2:00 am

  This is a great vehicle if you want to pull a boat or a travel trailer...as long as there are no side winds. Its a truck. It drives like a truck, it sucks gas like a truck, and it rides like a truck. I average about 15mpg. Ive had the vehicle a year and it needs front brakes...the previous owner replaced the brakes at least twice so a set lasts about 20K miles. The windshield wipers work when they feel like it..not always when I need them. Knob on heater fan control just twisted off. Rear heat control doesnt work.

• 

  Equa-Looser - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Equa-Looser - September 1 - 9:06 am

  Had the vehicle for 1,100 miles, discovered no oil in engine--Engine used excess oil, engine replaced by GM after some haggling, China must have forgotten to put in the piston rings Transmission Slips from time to time at low speeds Seat difficult to adjust to a comfortable position Left Arm Rest to low to properly rest elbow and hold steering wheel at cross member location of steering wheel Window seal too high and slants not allowing proper height adjustments and making elbow slip off easily Driver Seat difficult to adjust to a comfortable position Radio controls difficult to reach comfortably, purchase the steering wheel control option, it is worth it

• 

  Nice looking cool vehicle when it runs - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Glenn from Greentown - August 27 - 2:00 am

  Best thing about this vehicle is the cup holder, and its too small. Ive had nothing but problems with the suspension, alignment, and the computerized engine controlls. I had a perfectly good Ford Ranger pickup with 2WD, but wanted something with 4WD. I traded "up" to a newer and better vehicle??? Yeah, right. The Chevy dealer has no problem charging money to fix it, but the only part of the transaction that gets completed is me paying - no fixing involved.

• 

  Basic Transport - 2000 Chevrolet Metro
  By Mark A. - August 25 - 2:00 am

  For what this car is about, getting from point A to point B it does it, and with little gas. At 62" it is not the car for me but for my wife it works fine. Credit card dollars helped reduce the cost of this car to < $6000 new. So, that helped.

• 

  piece of junk - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By financially strapped - August 23 - 2:00 am

  (1)A couple of months after having the car, heard annoying squeak.The dealership replaced the rotors and the squeak remained. Never could find out where the noice was coming from. 2)The seal around my back window, when driving down the interstate it comes loose and makes a horrible noise. 3)Had to have air conditioning switch replaced, because it was shutting on and off. (4) Just had a new alternator put on (5)Most recently,loosing coolant from my radiator. Took it to the shop, was told it was the manifold gasket. A $500 dollar repair. The car only has 45000 miles and I have 2 more years to pay on it and the warranty just expired a few months ago.

• 

  Broke faster than it could be fixed - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Leroy R - August 22 - 2:00 am

  I loved my blazer but it never seemed to be defect free. I had to replace the entire braking system three times, the transmission, the entire cooling system, even the windsheild wiper system. The truck had problems that would stump mechanics. About once every 2 months I had to put another $1000 into the truck. I did all of the preventive maintance I could and I had the car checked out every 3000 miles, but it just kept falling apart. I calculated that if I had leased a car last year instead of owning my blazer, I could have leased a Porsche instead and had an extra $2500 left over for the insurance.

• 

  Way too many problems - 1996 Chevrolet Astro
  By Hemst - August 20 - 2:00 am

  Bought new in 1996, first major problems began after 40K (after weak warranty) and put well over $2k in it by 54k miles. Over the years, it faired OK but broke down at the worst times, and cost plenty each time. Thank God for AAA. From 100k -111K miles, I just put over $6,300 bucks into it, you name it, engine work galore, trans, etc. Too bad for the poor quality in the mechanical aspect, it has great functionality.

• 

  Bad Luck Car - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By smh1543614 - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Nothing but problems, one after another. Do not purchase a Lumina with the 3.4L engine.All repair costs are double, due to increased labor costs...based on parts not being accessible under hood. Car is also a gas hog.

• 

  nice car - 1992 Chevrolet Corsica
  By Jens - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Gets me where i need to go with some pep and plenty of comfort and room