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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  Suburbans are junk - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By fdl - January 7 - 2:00 am

  Worst vehicle I have ever owned. Ive written Chevrolet letters and they dont even respond. The transmissions in these vehicles are defective and GM just ignores their customers. I will never own a GM vehicle again! Do yourself a favor and spend more on vehicles that have high quality and reliability ratings.

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  Bat out of Hell...whos too sick to fly - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By MarioZ - January 7 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 1994 Z28 with 27K miles on it. The car has got to be hands down, the most fun you can get for 8K. But man, the repairs on these cars are KILLER! I had a distributor go bad in this car and it was over 1000 dollars to fix ( part was 640 and labor 440). Then the starter..( another 520 with diagnostic), then the water pump ( 640 dollars), then the intake manifold gasket ( 300)...This car will eat you alive financially..but whne it runs..its the most fun you can have by any means. If you plan on buying one, you are rolling the dice. Its a thrill to drive ( and gamble) but theres a good possibility it will cost you thousands over the life of the car.

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  Junk! - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By POD in Houston - January 7 - 2:00 am

  Anyone buying a Tahoe needs their head examined! What a piece of pricy JUNK!!!! After spending over $7 Grand in the last two-1/2 years on repairs, Ill never buy another GM vehicle again, even if I have to walk!!!! Buyer Beware!

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  I do not like this truck - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By dorothy - January 7 - 2:00 am

  I will never buy anything from GM again. My Tahoe only has 50,000 miles on it and it has needed an excessive amount or expensive repairs. When I tried to call GM to tell them about my complaints I realized they have discontinued their customer service number. That says it all!

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  03 Z71 - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By casper101 - January 6 - 10:00 am

  raildust?? truck showed signs of rust problems @ 6000 miles...dealership buffed under warranty, but vehicle has poor paint adhesion on front grill & painted surfaces. 4WD inoperable @ 9000 miles... dealership removed error codes and problem has not yet returned.. highbeam relay failed causing the lights to remain on & melted down the fuse panel under the hood @ 11000 miles.. dealer replaced components under warranty (all except the blackened cover).... overall i like the truck, but am disappointed in the quality... the guys @ the arlington plant need to do their homework!

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  Safety - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jimrs - January 6 - 10:00 am

  This is the worst truck that I have owned to date. Bad vibration in the steering wheel. New tires or balance helps for a few hundred miles than its back. Gas pedal sticks and is hard to drive in tight spaces. 80,000 miles on the truck. Most of the milage was on the interstate where it was not a problem after I reach 70 mph but between 62 and 70 you cant hold the wheel from shaking the whole truck. I have heard that this has been fixed in the newer trucks. I am thinking of trading for a Toyota.

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  Unsatisfied - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By TBlazerLS - January 6 - 10:00 am

  Air conditioner wont work after only 2500 miles. Not enough leg room in rear seats. Recommend buying the RAV4 instead; better build quality. Only gets 15 mpg. Rear cupholders let drinks spill out all over new car with the slightest bump or turn.

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  Best Corvette Yet! - 1999 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Silver Bullet - January 6 - 2:00 am

  In 1964, I bought my first Corvette. Thirty-five years later, my wife and I bought a 1999 silver coupe. While the 1964 Sting Ray still holds a special place of all cars I have owned, there is absolutely no comparison with the C5. The C5 is the best Corvette yet! We love it and would not trade it for anything. The performance, technology, handling, quality and ride are outstanding. The interior design has many of the Sting Ray features, which is a nice (and fast) trip down memory lane. We have had no problems with it of any kind so far. Without question, we would make the same purchase again!

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  Unprecedented Reliability - 1991 Chevrolet Corsica
  By Brian Mills - January 6 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car from an elderly lady during college with 30,000 miles. Needless to say, it lasted through college and 5 years later @ 140,000 miles, its still going strong. GREAT ENGINE, bad exterior paint problems. Its Lt. Blue paint color chips like crazy, but the engine more than made up for it. Great Reliability!

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  Dam nChevy POS - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By memyselfandI - January 6 - 2:00 am

  What a rude awakening. I have been driving Chevys all my life and I will never buy another. The paint job sucks. I tried to haul a carpet (yes a Carpet), and it really scratched up my paint job. I returned to my dealer to complain and was told that it was not warranted and that Chevy would call it excessive wear. Hauling a carpet is excessive? it is a pickup right. Anyway, after 4 phone calls and numerous threats to sue GM they finally agreed to fix it. All they did was spray some touch up paint on it and then wouldnt even give me the damn warranty receipt. The Morale of the story is to NEVER, EVER, Buy a Chevy.