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 Z71 Suburban - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Z71 - July 23 - 2:00 am

  There is no better looking Suburban then the Z71. The ride is not that much stiffer the the LS & LT.

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  Family Sedan in Style - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By Munther Salim - July 23 - 2:00 am

  Nice car to drive with a feel of luxury The interior is well done this time at a reasonable cost. Fast and powerfull,yet, very good fuel economy and fuel tank size that allows me to travel from Detroit to Chicago and drive for a whole day on one fuel tank

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  NO MORE CHEVYs - 1992 Chevrolet Lumina
  By highly upset - July 22 - 2:00 am

  I will never, ever buy chevy/gmc in life!! Its a pretty car, but the bonus stop after that. I bought the car used in early july and by late july I needed a new engine. the blinkers never worked correctly for me and the steering column tends to smoke when you attempt to use them. Just got a new altenator, which cost entirely too much for the car. ANY repair for this car will be two time as much compared to any other domestic vehicle because of the way the engine was designed for the car. Even autobody shops hate to see this car coming! Oh and it doesnt even have cup holders.

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  Corsica - 1996 Chevrolet Corsica
  By Lesh4537 - July 22 - 2:00 am

  A 96 Chevy Corsica is the first and only car Ive every owned. Ive never had a problem although it seems to be developing a few minor ones. Mostly the radiator system. The cruse hasnt worked since I bought it.

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  Smart Buy! - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By chevman - July 22 - 2:00 am

  I have had this truck for 3 years now and have loved every minute of it. I bought the truck from a friend with 13,xxx miles on it and I am yet to experience any problems. Everything inside and out of the truck is placed well and I cant complain about any of the mechanical fetures either. Overall, I give it a 10.

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  What a car! - 2002 Chevrolet Prizm
  By tcooper - July 22 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my Prizm in 1996, it was a 1995. granted it is not the car to pick up the ladies, but as a dad, it is it the best commuter vehicle I have ever owned! NO LIE! I have 106,000 miles on this car and I can list the items I have repaired, brakes Front and rear, 1 head light, 1 taillight. that is it! I am not the best at performing maintenance, but it does not seem to matter with this car. I drive 25miles to work each way and get 40MPG pretty regularly. after 6 years, I would like to buy another car, but why??? That will be the biggest problem you ever have with the car, it trying to justify getting rid of it.

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  OK Car - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By Goose1000 - July 22 - 2:00 am

  Car Makes Dull Thump somewhere in the rear of the car. Car rolls backwards on a slight inclines. Had to replace Head Gaskets bad antifreeze leak. Had to replace Blower moter (twice) first to settings did not work.

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  Give me back my BMW! - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Weesie - July 21 - 3:46 pm

  After extensive research, I traded my 330ix for this behemoth. With less than 5000 miles on it, the transmission is sluggish, making me feel quite insecure and no longer able to drive so defensivly. Ive been remanded to the right lane for ever. Forget the passing lanes. Acceleration on this monster is non existent unless you are accelerating 1mph per minute! Ive been to the dealer and complained and all he does is check diagnostics, says the car is fine and Im done. I shoulda got the Honda. Or the Toyota. Or the Mini Cooper. This car cant get out of its own way and Im stuck for 36 more months.

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  Always does its job - 1993 Chevrolet S-10
  By mahog - July 21 - 2:00 am

  I bought my truck in 96 to travel back and forth to college. Its always been reliable, does well on the highway and can be used to do so many different things. I cant count the number of times people have asked to borrow my truck. Ill keep it until the wheels fall off.

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  Its OK - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By peaeye1 - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Transmission noisy since day 1. For the most part a reliable vehicle. Typical small SUV instability in wind and corners. Servicing the transmission is a pain!