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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  Nice Crossover - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ltd - November 17 - 11:23 am

  Never considered the previous version, when shopping for new small crossover. Went to the Toyota dealership and saw the Equinox out from the the Chevy dealer across the street. Much nicer in than all competition. Very quiet, seems to have plenty of power with the 4 cyl and gas mileage for vehicle of this size is very good. Interior is much nicer than anything I have seen in this class and price range, even compares well to our 2009 Volvo. Overall if you are looking for a smallish crossover the Equinox is worth checking out

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  MY first cr - 1996 Chevrolet Impala
  By Scarface Junior - November 17 - 2:00 am

  i got the car fo $17,000 cash. Now i have added about $13,000 on my wheels, system ad power to the engine. i could not ask for a better car thanthe impala ss

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  Fast but not catching the cops eye - 1995 Chevrolet Beretta
  By KTCat - November 17 - 2:00 am

  This is the 2nd Chev. Beretta that I have owned, and I have put them to the test. Berettas are very dependable cars. They have the fast get up and go without the very fast obvious look. It is so much fun to have a Mustang or another sporty type car to pull up beside you, thinking they can show off, and without any real effort you leave them in the dust.

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  I wouldnt buy one. - 1992 Chevrolet Beretta
  By Yeah - November 17 - 2:00 am

  Hi, about one month ago I went and bought my first car went out and bought a 92 Chevy Beretta GT black with the teal pinstripe and teal and crome wheels looks perfect never seen a car look so good with its age. The car has just a little over 76000 miles on it and i bought it on its looks. I have done more work to this car then i knew could be done had to have regular work done yeah ok but i had to replace the head because it was cracked the started struts radiator and who knows what next my recommendation is not to buy one i am already ready to sell it.

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  Excellent Car - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Savage - November 17 - 2:00 am

  As a proud owner of a 96 Chevy Z24 for around 6 years now, I have enjoyed owning this car and never once regreted buying it. Its powerful 2.4 twin cam engine and 155lbs of torque give it a fun sporty feeling of driving and its sleek sporty look is even better. Great reliabilty and perfect for anyone to own

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  very good - 1993 Chevrolet Camaro
  By chelleshark - November 17 - 2:00 am

  the car runs really well fun to drive willserve you good if you like really fast cars

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  LS Venture 99 with 180000 miles - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By Juan Rodriguez - November 17 - 2:00 am

  I bough my Chevrolet Venture on 08/01/1999 with 79 miles. I am driving 300 miles on Florida highway every day. I had to change the engine oil and filter every 5000 miles transmission oil and filter every 60,000 miles tune-up and O2 sensor at 110,000 miles. My Venture has 180,000 miles now and the engine still is very quiet. It is making 26 MPG on Highway and 19 MPG on city. Let see if it can make 300,000 miles with original engine and transmission. This is a true history.

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  I want another Toyota - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By uncleharvey - November 17 - 2:00 am

  I had a Toyota 4x4 for 12 years before this vehicle, and I am looking at Toyota again. We have put to much money into this 6 year old vehicle (AC compressor, Heater core, Battery, alternator, Rear latch) all of which were fine on my Toyota after 10 years. Not impressed with the workmanship and the reliability of American(at least Chevy) trucks.

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  Warner Bros. Chevy Venture - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Manx Cats - November 17 - 2:00 am

  This is the second Venture that we have purchased. The first was in 1996. We purchased the Venture again due to the exceptional performance that we had with our first car. Not problem over all the years that we had the van. The new van is just like the old one as far as reliability so far and the two issues that we had with the first ( lighted mirrors and horn honking when car locked) were corrected on the newer model. We are very pleased with this car.

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  Malibu - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Saguaro4321 - November 17 - 2:00 am

  So far, so good. Its easy to drive, I got a good price with no down payment, so I really cant complain.