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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  Surprising reliability - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By cajun626 - August 7 - 2:00 am

  The ONLY reason I even considered buying a GM product was b/c I had a $4K rebate on my GM card. Im shocked, but I havent paid a dime for a repair yet (just maint.). Bad stuff - the 3rd door sticks sometimes and shakes, rattles and rolls and the 2.2L is weak.

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  Good1st Car - 1993 Chevrolet Beretta
  By TabithaP - August 6 - 2:00 am

  The car does handle well and has a great pickup engine considering its only a 4 cylinder. Ive had to put over $1,600 in repairs on it in one year. The window has come out of the track 3 times, it completely drops and needs to be taken completely apart in order to glue it. Now I have to replace the whole door. Not including getting the breaks done twice already. Other than that, its fine.

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  chevy - 1991 Chevrolet Corsica
  By tirui - August 4 - 2:00 am

  Put 700.00 dollars into it over the paqst few months, it needed a new alternator, and gaskets. Since we fixed those glitches, it runs great. It needs new tires, and has a crack in the windshield, the interior is okay besides the ceiling has a few minor tears.

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  Too many recalls and repairs - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Matt41053 - August 2 - 2:00 am

  There are to many recalls on this blazer. I think Ive had about 4-5 done to it. Ive also had to replace the 4 wheel drive servo, the control station(the 3 buttons on the dash) and the transfer case because it got stuck in 4 wheel drive. The armrest/compartment creaks and rattles pretty bad also and get VERY annoying. Id stay away from this model if I were you....

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  Worst car I ever bought - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Scortch - August 1 - 7:50 am

  Worst mistake I ever made in purchasing a car. Its a really nice car to look at but, thats it. The all plastic interior just reaks of cheap. The front windshield has you leaning up into the steering wheel to see when the red light changes. No console and thus no decent storage space. The little thing they put on the dash is very lacking. The seats are uncomfortable. The space between you and the passenger is almost non existant. Really cramped feeling. No console between seats and the cup holders are the worst I have ever seen in any vehicle. The arm rest sit too low to be of any use. Window control location is very poor. Rear seat room is very poor.

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  Mistake - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By JmusicB - July 27 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car because it was what I could afford at the time. I should have held out. The four cylider egine is way too small, I live in a relatively flat town and it struggles going up the slightest rise in the road. Since I have had it, I have replaced the third door handle, seat adjuster 3 times, Door Molding, Both window seals, and next week I am replacing the suspension system. The ride is smooth on the open road, but I think they put it together with duct tape and bailing wire.

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  Nothing But Frustration - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By aarrrggh - July 25 - 2:00 am

  Only 1 year old and in the shop 6 times now.4 times for the same problem: excessive road noise in front tires--I think somethings off in balance/make of the car. They swear that the loud squealing is normal. Hum. Something in the steering column broke within 1st month, trunk pops open everytime I drive, and somethings wrong with the engine,excessively downshifts and I cant make it up the smallest hill without being passed by 1982 Volvos. GM says, "youll just have to drive it in 3rd all of the time to fix this, nothing we can do" What?! This car has NO POWER. Im getting rid of it before something MAJOR goes wrong and I am stranded on the highway.

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  Shame on me for believing the commercial - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By goombatz - July 25 - 2:00 am

  Of course, it all happened after 37,000 miles. Breaks, rotors, AC electrical (twice), rear light circuits, front lights -- total cost of $1600. Dealer did not think this was unusual or unexpected. Rear right panel loose for no reason. Power steering hoses wore out -- $250 Where is the quality here. Foaming falling from dash, blocking vents, Shift loose, lots of rattles

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  Beretta coupe - 1993 Chevrolet Beretta
  By thabigcahunaman - July 20 - 2:00 am

  I bought a chevy beretta. I was somewhat pleased with the acceleration. I had to fix a few things as it had 127,000 miles on it when I bought it. But, it still seems to be going strong. The gas mileage is pretty good too. For the price I got, I couldnt have asked for more. Sporty and quick, this car will make most people happy to be driving a chevy.

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  Good and bad - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Cobalt Review - July 19 - 1:36 pm

  When I bought my Chevy Cobalt, I loved it. It has great pick up, and it is fun to drive. I commute, so in almost a year I have driven 24k miles. It is hard to see out of the back windows, there isnt very much arm room when shifting. When I ride around with my husband, we always bump arms. After 3 months of having the car, I brought it in for a rattling noise and they replaced my steering shaft. That fixed the problem for a month and then the problem returned. I let it go for about a month just to make sure the problem was returning, and because I work all the time. I have had my steering shaft replaced twice and my whole column replaced, and the problem persists. They say its not a common issue, argh.