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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  2002 Chevy Trailblazer...WHAT A LEMON !! - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Kenneth - September 22 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this truck NEW from Empire Chevrolet in Fall River, MA I have had nothing but problems with it ever since.... The dashboard has blanked out on me on several occasions, all the needles go dead, The gas guage reads empty when there is 1/4 of a tank in it. The radio fades out when the brakes are applied, The radio was replaced, now the CD player doesnt work. The red airbag dash warning lamp has been illuminated for days now. There has been a recall on the transfer case. Im still waiting for the radio and the gas gauge. What a piece of junk.... and the dealership is garbage also... GM assistance was of no use either. ..

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  caviliers - 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By kristin - September 22 - 2:00 am

  It has a few dents to the passenger hood where a deer ran out in front of me and so its not fixable unless I get another hood and fender. So its really not worth it. The money that I take to fix it, I might as well go and buy another car. other than a couple of dents it is a good car.

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  lots of problems - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By chevywoman77 - September 22 - 2:00 am

  I bought this 1995 blazer... within a month of the purchase, i spent over $2000 dollars on it.........first of all, the brakes where very soft, so i replaced the master cylinder, again same problem....then the water pump, then EGR valve,,,then the oxygene sensor,,,,then upper lower ball joints...god knows what is next, very unreliable vehicule,,,,,,i guess i bought a lemon :-(

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  Surprisingly few problems - 1994 Chevrolet Camaro
  By SantaClaus - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Maybe I got lucky, but this car has been more reliable than just about any other I have owned. Almost 60k miles. The only thing I did outside of reqular maintenance (which is low) was replace the drivers power window switch.

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  Best SUV Ive ever owned - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jerahgd - September 21 - 6:33 pm

  The head room is awesome. The sliding back seat was a feature I never thought would be an issue, but its been handy. I absolutly love the electric steering. The seat is high enough that I dont have to climb up to get out and not so high that my kids cant climb in without assistance. The 5 star crash test rating is an added bonus. It has so much room in the back to pack all my necessities, as well as having the oomph to get going, even with the air conditioning on full blast. Its been an all around joy to own and drive.

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  2010 Cobalt - 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By B. Frushour - September 21 - 4:09 am

  5 Speed manual transmission. Few flaws, some normal wear and tare.

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  This one is my Second 91 S10 pickup - 1991 Chevrolet S-10
  By Proud S10 owner - September 21 - 2:00 am

  This makes my second 91 S10 pickup. My first one I bought new in 90. The only reason I got ride of it was I moved to a big city and was told I did not need it. I could kick myself for not keeping it. First one I had not one problem with it kept her 5 years. This one I have had 5 years she has over 200,000 miles on her and she is still going. Wouldnt trade for anything else but maybe a new one. I have done everything from halling rocks to making long road trips in her. Other then general maintance she has been a wonderful automobile.

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  i love it so far - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By zinger - September 21 - 2:00 am

  sharp looking truck and i love the interior, fast acceleration , great braking, easy to service. had 36000 on it when i bought it , now for the bad part, dealerships service department was a joke because they missed most of the grease zerks when they serviced it prior to delivery....GLAD I DO MY OWN WORK!, passenger side seat rattles on rough roads , ash tray is useless, paint prone to chipping on rocker panels.

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  Gm has better lawyers than cars - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jim Magin - September 21 - 2:00 am

  Transmission went at low milage. Arnold Cheverolet put in salesmans car used transmission and gave me a bill saying they fixed mine. Still NG Remote door locks never worked Compass / temp doesnt work Rattles and squeeks

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  1999 Chevrolet Venture - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By Kurtl042 - September 21 - 2:00 am

  Very versatile. I can take the seats out and haul logs, concrete, plywood, furniture, or major appliances with ease. Good gas mileage.