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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  Sorry Bro - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By super slick - September 12 - 2:00 am

  dont get me wrong, i think the car is pretty fast. the exterior is ok but the interior is horrible. not too many mechanical flaws but it shakes a bit during cold weather start ups.

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  Fun and Reliable! - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By F-Body Fan - September 12 - 2:00 am

  Ive driven my 99 V-6 coupe almost 50k miles now, and it has operated flawlessly. It has only been in the shop once for a blown catalytic converter, which was covered under warranty. Snow tires make winter driving a lot easier in northern areas. Its amazing what you can fit in this car if youre creative - Ive hauled over a yard of mulch, 32" TVs, gas grills. Gas mileage averages around 20MPG with mixed city/hwy driving. Definitely get the manual trans - my 96 with the auto wasnt nearly as fun. Overall a great car for the price! Dont waste your money on the V-8 unless you live somewhere with a lot of open roads and no cops.

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  Matt - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Matt - September 11 - 4:20 pm

  This is an excellent vehicle. It gets pretty good mileage in town and is ver comfortable. I have to rent vehicles for work often. I have driven CRVs, Escapes and Jeeps. I always love to get back into my Equinox. It is much better than all of the rest.

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  Silverado Rules - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Sharpie - September 11 - 4:13 pm

  Great puller with the DuraMax and Allison trans. Traveled about 10,000 miles this last year (first year of ownership) with a 28 travel trailer got 10 MPG usually driving 65 or faster.

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  Love The "Nox" - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Dave D - September 11 - 1:33 pm

  Fun vehicle to drive, great in the snow. We got one with all of the goodies. Havent had any problems at all with it. Its not a powerhouse but its power is more than sufficient (I wouldnt tow my 7000# camper with it, but thats not why I bought it, I have a Tahoe for that). The seats in the back are a little stiff but comfortable. I highly recommend this vehicle (so far....well see what happens in a few years...).

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  good used care - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By okanne - September 11 - 2:00 am

  good used car, purchased new and still driving 100,000 miles and 7 yrs later.

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  Sedan - 1994 Chevrolet Lumina
  By good2us - September 11 - 2:00 am

  We put 225000 miles on the car in 5 years time and only had one major problem (the transmission required an overhaul) at 201000 miles. Unfortunately, the rebuild wasnt nerarly as good as the original. If you buy one of these, expect to change an alternator every 75000, a water pump every 100000, and a heater core every 125000 miles. The engine has only had valve cover gaskets. The car almost has 300000 miles on it now, so were planning on replacing it because the body isnt quite as rigid as it used to be.

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  1991 Z28 CONVERTABLE - 1991 Chevrolet Camaro
  By AWALTDAVIS - September 11 - 2:00 am

  FUN CAR, EYE CATCHER, NEVER WILL SELL THIS CAR. ALL OPTIONS, REPLACED FRONT SUSPENTION- AS IT NEARED 100k BLACK AND SEXY.

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  Great car/great value - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Lars - September 11 - 2:00 am

  Reliable car - bought it used with 28,000 miles and it now has 95,000. Other than normal maintenance, weve only had to replace the A/C compressor this summer (we live in a hot climate). Great car for the $$$

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  not worth it - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By alb - September 11 - 2:00 am

  Bought the truck new. Loved the way it felt and road at first.Then things started to break. Had 5-7 recalls. Rear end went out at 60,000. Fuel injectors at 80,000. Cat. converter at 8500. Egr valve went out. I would get rid of it, but everytime I start to, something else breaks(water pump, alternator) and I fix it and keep it awhile longer.