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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  1998 SS - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By BBS III - November 20 - 2:00 am

  I have had nothing but fun in my SS for the past four years. It has been reliable with only the turning signal lamps needing to be replaced. Maintenance on consumables has been easily performed and the car still looks and handles great. Great job by SLP and GM.

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  2000 Camaro - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Jasons Camaro - November 20 - 2:00 am

  my camaro runs just fin and I have had no problems with it at all. I love it and it is the best thing that I have ever bought.

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  Racing machine - 1997 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Hector - November 20 - 2:00 am

  This car has it all. Looks and HPs Fun to drive with a few modifications to the engine and it runs like a devil not to mention that it turns heads.

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  Great Car, had some problems, but its OK - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By GloryHorn - November 20 - 2:00 am

  Well, this would be my first car that I ever bought for myself. It runs great and as long as you do some INTELLIGENT maintainence, you wont have any problems like other people have with this type of car. Right now, the only problems I have popping up is the tension arm on the serpentine belt is making noise and the seals on top of the engine are oozing oil. But theyre easily fixed. People need to have some sense about cars if theyre going to buy one. If you dont know anything about cars, you shouldnt own one.

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  Making Progress - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By atravelor - November 20 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Suburban, which is a Z71. With 28,000 on this one we have experienced fewer problems then we did on our 1995 LT. Milage has improved but nothing like the others have reported. It is pretty much 15 city or highway - uphill or down. Problems to date have been with the front suspension that makes odd noises occasionally accompanied with excessive tire ware on the inside of the tires. The other minor issue has been with the rear AC control that now only works at one speed - high. Other then that, it is much more livable car to drive day to day then the previous generation, and at the price I got it at a much better value then most of the compitition.

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  best small car - 2002 Chevrolet Prizm
  By vernon moore - November 19 - 2:00 am

  I am 78 and for all around car, this is probrably best car I have ever had. I like to drive it. It is peppy and gets great gas milage. what a savings on gas if everyone owned one. It is the quietest car I have ever had.

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  Totally satisfied - No complaints - 2000 Chevrolet Suburban
  By hatipa - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Safe, comfortable driving for 2 years with absolutely no mechanical problems. Still runs like new at 25,000 miles. Great for hauling the kids, their friends, and their stuff. My wife originally was lukewarm about the purchase (she hates station wagons) but she quickly became a fan.

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  we got the better one - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jeremy - November 19 - 2:00 am

  we got the better one you people just dont know how to treat a car our car has 49000 miles on it not a thing wrong with it so quit dissing the car you car abusers

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  2009 Malibu LTZ V6 - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By surfgermany - November 18 - 11:30 am

  Well have had this car for 3 weeks now and it is impressing me more and more. We looked at all the sedans and chose the Chevy. Exterior is great interior is very good fit and finish (wish it had a rear arm rest) The two tone color grows on us its ebony and brick. QUITE ver Quite much more so than the 04 accord i just sold. engine is strong and gas mileage seems to be in line with the accord v6 25 or so in my commute 70/30 hwy city. would recommend to anyone looking at the accord camry esp with the pricing now. Drive them all and see trust me we were surprised that we ended up at the chevy.

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  Great car!! - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Chefbornag - November 18 - 10:00 am

  I love this thing!!!!!!! its so much fun to drive aroundin with my family.