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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  GREAT - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Rich714 - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE MY TRAILBLAZER

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  chevy silverado 2004 - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By thumper - December 19 - 2:00 am

  performance is great but truck is too slow for the v6 4.3 vortec has no torque

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  A+ First Chevy Experience - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By D Friess - December 18 - 10:56 am

  27 years I drove Ford (7 different models), and Im as happy as I can be now driving Chevy. Got the 6.0L Vortec Max. 367 hp and 375 lb-ft torque and 18.9 mpg (after first 500 miles)! Im still amazed at all of the amenities. The comfort, the quiet. I understand completely why this truck got all of the design and performance awards that it did, including Motor Trend 2007 Truck of the Year.

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  DASH AND MOTOR FROM H*LL - 1990 Chevrolet Beretta
  By RAVEN - December 18 - 2:00 am

  I currently have a 1990 GTZ and I love it. This is my second Beretta and I have been very satisfied about the Beretta line up. The GTZ is definetly the best of the line...BUT...the quad4 that comes with the GTZ is one of those things GM wishes that they never thought of. I replaced my GTZ with the 2.8L V6 from a 1989 Pontiac Fiero GT. My GTZ handles great in all conditions and is reliable considering the year. If anyone knows where I can buy an aftermarket dash(not a dash cover, but a factory) I would so much appreciate it. Its horrible to have such a great looking car with such a ugly, shrunk, craked dash.willmiracle@hotmail.com

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  97 Astro - 1997 Chevrolet Astro
  By SSH - December 18 - 2:00 am

  The Astro has been a good family van. It is big, boxie, and rides like a truck but that is a trade off that is OK with us. We feel safe, have a good view from all of the seats, and have plenty of room for the kids. Have only replaced the alternator and battery. Make sure the doors are closed, with all the interior lights it does not take long to run the battery down. This is more like a truck than a car, but is holding-up better than the smaller mini-vans. We have 60+k after five years and plan on it lasting another five years well past 100k.

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  Nice Van - Very Frustrated Mechanically - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By patjoja - December 18 - 2:00 am

  Bought this van new and have loved everything about it until I hit 60,000 miles. Simultaneously, the transmission had to be rebuilt, then the intake manifold gaskets were found to be leaking internally and externally. Fortunately the gasket problem was found soon enough so no major problems were caused by coolent in the oil. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE and the fix is not cheap. However the dealer is fixing it at no cost to me. GM knows this is a major problem and should issue a recall in my opinion.

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  My Camaro bliss. - 1994 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Mark Rider - December 18 - 2:00 am

  Bought it new. 113,000 miles with no problems. The only glitch is minor- slight corrosion on an aluminum rim is said to be the cause of a slow tire leak. Cannot bear to part with the car.

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  Fun Car to Drive - 1997 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Zipponator - December 18 - 2:00 am

  I have an RS 6 cylinder model Camaro. The car is very fun to drive and has plenty of power for a V6. I would recomend this car to many people, except for people who might have a tough time gettin into and out of a regular car. Camaros, and its sister car the Firebird, are not real easy to get into or out of. I would say that is its only real draw back. The only other real draw back would be the fuel economy from the V6 model. My Camaro gets around 18 mpg in a combination of street and highway driving. That is any where from 5 to 10 mpg less than I thought I would get. Other than those two liitle items, I really love my convertible camaro.

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  Using Oil - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By pes52 - December 18 - 2:00 am

  Bought the car with 3 miles on it, I ordered it Oct 2000 and took ownership in Jan 2001. I had the dealer to changed the oil and rearend fluid topped off and/or changed. The oil change was free and the rearend cost me about $100. I had 3200 miles on it. I never checked the from that point until I changed it myself at 7000 miles using Havoline syntheic formula 3. I put in the recommended 6.5 quarts. The low oil light came on at 8900 miles. I checked it and it was quart low.

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  Im Finished with GM - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By rrt - December 17 - 2:00 am

  This car was not a good purchase. A chronic oil leak, continual problems with power windows (1 front, 1 rear) and the trunk release have been irritating. Attention to quality in the details just isnt there.