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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  Comfortable, Reliable, and Great Looking - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Mike07716 - January 8 - 2:00 am

  Truck is great. Just reached 100,000 miles and runs like a top. Fit and finish is very good, reliability has been excellent. Has a truck ride, but then again, its a truck -- still better than a full size Bronco or Expedition.

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  malibu 2000 - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By bhaberman - January 8 - 2:00 am

  fun to drive, lots of initial power, good sound system,

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  Love My Cav - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By OhioGuy45701 - January 8 - 2:00 am

  I no Im not alone in saying that I love my Cavalier...there are so many on the road, that I simply cant be the only fan! Affordable, reliable, and full of standard features that are pricey options on similiar-class autos, the Cavalier is built for both power and budget. Choose the LS trim for better cloth seats and power features.

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  camaro z28 - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By dangerisland - January 8 - 2:00 am

  fast,goodlooking and smooth.did i menton that its fast

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  great truck - 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By jimmy - January 8 - 2:00 am

  its roomy,it can tow anything,the LT is the way too go, you can get any option you want.

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  Awesome Ride - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Greg Martin - January 7 - 7:20 pm

  The purchase of my Chevrolet Equinox was the best decision my wife and I made. I spent endless hours researching different SUVs in my price range. Finally, I came to this particular one, and I am very happy to make this purchase. I would recommend the Chevy Equinox to anyone who cant afford the higher priced imports. This SUV is well worth its price.

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  A good used car! - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By LmnaDrvr - January 7 - 2:00 am

  I bought the 95 std lumina in 2000. Since then the only money I have had to put into this car was for new tires. Ive left home for college and my car sits outside unused for long periods of time,even in the cold and it still starts easily every single time. It gets pretty good gas milieage for the size of it. While all my friends have newer cars with less miles on them, they still are having to spend thousands of dollars on repairs for their cars, while my old, yet trusty lumina is always there to give them rides while their cars are in the shop. The only problem I have had with the car are the dashboard lights.

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  nice ride - 1996 Chevrolet Beretta
  By Slash - January 7 - 2:00 am

  Nice sporty ride. Very reliable. At 52,000 miles and counting.

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  Great for home to job - 2000 Chevrolet Metro
  By Robert Ackley - January 7 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car is you want to get from point A to point B. I love it, it has great milleage. It might be a little smaller then your average car, but if you want something that is good enough to get you from one place to another with out alot of trouble, this car will do just fine.

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  Im buying a ford !!!! - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By p/o owner!!!! - January 7 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 97 chevy 1500 suburban from a used car dealer that is very well know with 46000 miles on it.With in a year and puting 12,500 miles on it the transmission went out($3345.00)the front rotors went bad ($674.00)front tie rods and arms went bad (est.$568.00) I just had the fuel pump go out and computer go out ($933.00)water pump and the list goes on !I must say that the short that happened on the fuel pump and sending unit was in the GAS TANK ! the wires melted ! and if Im not mistaken red hot wires and gas dont mix ! So in closing Im trading this car in as soon as I can !