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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  Squeaky - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Mike in MN - October 21 - 2:00 am

  good 4x4 squeaky interior

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  BANG FOR YOUR BUCK - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By NYSEGUY - October 21 - 2:00 am

  An Accord its not, but then again, for an extra $400 OTD price that I got this vehicle for over a 2002 Honda Accord Value Edition I got a V6, Power Everything, Keyless Entry, ABS....I could go on....suffice to say, well worth the $. Its not a head turner, but I was looking for a comfortable car my wife can shuttle my daughter around in thats safe too. For that purpose, it couldnt be a better vehicle. The only issue I have is the doors have been making a "grinding" sound, but I saw there is a TSB on that issue.

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  the last best mero - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By yrag kceb - October 21 - 2:00 am

  fun,fast,straightline power like muscle cars of the 60s & 70s.as the owner of 3 corvetts this is a 4 passenger vette.it does not disappoint on a winding 2 lane road or on the freeway. an editorial review in the 5s suggests it was too much car for you or you just dont appreciate what type of car it is designed to be.

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  Perfect for a family of 7 - 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Robert Millsop - October 20 - 2:00 am

  If you need a large SUV, this is the one to get. Plain and simple yet with everything you need. It can carry 7 people comftorably. The gas mileage and fun to drive factors are horrible though.

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  1996 CAMERO - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Edward Kynock - October 20 - 2:00 am

  Camero is a great muscle car.I find it fast,dependable and fun o drive.Sad to see it go!!!!

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  My review - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By matt - October 19 - 4:26 pm

  The HD model rides quite well and has good power. The interior is comfortable and looks good, but does need more useable storage space and more cup holders. The truck has been trouble free for two years now

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  Pleased but need bigger - 1994 Chevrolet Blazer
  By 94 Blazer - October 19 - 2:00 am

  The only large repair that Ive had was a faulty distributer. Its been very reliable.

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  Poor Workmanship!!! - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By $$ALL GONE - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Wont go into the mpg issue, thats already been covered. All Ive got to say is its a terrible shame chevy has no pride in its design or quality of its trucks, I had 97 full size chevy and loved it, good quality etc.. On the new s-10 the interior looks and feels like its made from the plastic from a kids toy! I cant even begin to tell you how cheap it looks and feels. Dont waste your $$$

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  Good Repair History / Fast depreciation - 1999 Chevrolet Astro
  By MrsWnchstr - October 19 - 2:00 am

  We like this vehicle overall. We have had minor things go wrong with it, such as battery, (twice in 2 years, with dealership battery), the motor in the door for the windows went out, and a clip that was attached to the motor that made the back window open broke. All things my husband was able to fix. Finally, the van depreciated REALLY quickly. Im not sure if its because there are so many of them out there now, or what but for the $21,000 we paid for it when it was less than a year old, and very low miles, it depreciated over $10,000 in two years.

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  Good all-around SUV - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By kaiser - October 19 - 2:00 am

  A good looking mid sized SUV. Reasonable offroad performance. Comfortable on long trips, MPG around 20. One of the interior plastic parts came off, but overall the interior is fine. Certainly better than expected considering the "cheesy" label applied to it. Except for the previously mentioned interior part, it has worked flawlessly.