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:

• 

  1993 Cavalier RS - 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By dwellersskateshop - April 30 - 2:00 am

  I bought my car in september of 2000 i have only had one problem a leaky fuel injector. thats a pretty good record for a 9 year old vehicale with 140,153 miles. The injector only cost 168 dollars(u.s.) to replace. other than that the car handles very well and the 2.2 litre 4 cylinder engine packs some punch. if you buy this car you wont be dissapointed. the major downfall of the car is the goofy place to put the oil filter. i like to change my own oil and it was a bear to get at.

• 

  the review of your life - 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By blaine - April 30 - 2:00 am

  Drives well well mantained good car exellant for beginers this car has a lot of trunk space

• 

  the review of your life - 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Blaine - April 30 - 2:00 am

  Drives well well mantained good car exellant for beginers this car has a lot of trunk space

• 

  Bunch of Crap from Coggins Chevrolet - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By WilliamRFranklin - April 30 - 2:00 am

  The truck is not a very reliable truck I"ve had nothing but trouble from it and the quality of work from the the Dealer (Coggins Chevrolet in kissimmee Fl.) has been a real piece of work My seat lumbar busted t 27000. miles and they used bailing wire and wire ties to put it back together. I put in for brakes and a oil change and they tore into my dash a week latter I had to put a new battery and altnator in go figure right

• 

  Satisfied - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Mark E Mark - April 30 - 2:00 am

  I recently got a 2002 Cavalier base coupe, and i had doubts about the performance aspect of the 2.2 L engine. My car was equipted with a 5 speed manual transmission which proved to deliver good pick-up and acceleration. It will really fool you. Although it is not as refined as its imported competitors, it has all that one would need, all in pretty good locations. I recomend the chevy cavalier.

• 

  Many problems - 1999 Chevrolet Astro
  By Victor - April 30 - 2:00 am

  I bought this van because of its size. This van has had many problems. Window switches replaced, door locks replaced, door opener replaced, calipers replaced, all these problems under 36,000 miles. Latest problem the differential had to be replaced at 38,000. Unheard of by many mechanics. GM would not pick up total cost to replace it. Only half. The executive office said since I didnt use the dealer to service it all the time, they would not help me. Why should I pay the deal 2 times the amount for a simple oil change.

• 

  Love It - 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Studmuffin - April 30 - 2:00 am

  Great car with no problems

• 

  VERY GOOD CAR - 1994 Chevrolet Camaro
  By FASTAssCAMARO - April 30 - 2:00 am

  BEST CAR EVER, Kills mustangs easily. Mine has around 400 HP, it is a fast machine.

• 

  GMC 3500 8.1 Liter Ext. Wheelbase - 2002 Chevrolet Express
  By rsmmac - April 30 - 2:00 am

  I have already driven 30,000 trouble- free miles with this van. I had a fiberglass top added after I bought it (with installed TV and VCR) and we have enjoyed road trips with our three kids (and often another family and their kids). I average 11 MPG at about any speed/incline/load. Love the 8.1 Liter V8 power and torque.

• 

  Fuel be gone - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By croast - April 30 - 2:00 am

  Fun truck to drive, but I was unprepared for the amount of gas this vehicle drinks. Now that gas is $1.68 per gallon for regular unleaded I am wishing for better MPG. I am averaging about 12 mpg in city driving. A little less than advertised. In addition, the car has developed several rattles that the dealer cannot seem to fix. I guess that is to be expected from a GM product. I sure hope gas prices come down!