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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  Great for the price! - 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Heywood - April 22 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car when I was in college. I paid $13,000 for it. I am very happy with the car. It is still running fine after 7 years and 65,000. Over the 7 years I have spent about $500 in repairs (normal wear and tear). I have taken the car from NJ to Philly to Chicago to South Dakota back to Chicago and back to NJ. It has survived everything from 100+ degree heat to -50 degree cold. Chevy company has been very good with any recalls (very minor). I would recommend this car to someone. It is a low end car, but great the the college or high schooler.

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  1997 c5 corvette - 1997 Chevrolet Corvette
  By woodyelect - April 22 - 2:00 am

  One of the best cars I have ever driven for fun and performance. This car looks fast even when it is parked in the garage. The electronics are very complex in this car and I have had a problem with the heating and cooling controls.

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  My Camaro v. Dads Cobra - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By mkw3000 - April 22 - 2:00 am

  my dad has a Mustang Cobra of the same year and its horrible...2 recalls and the door handle fell off. seats are also very uncomfortable. Mine works great and could beat his anyday :)

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  You would think for free I would like it - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Anonymous - April 22 - 2:00 am

  I got my 98 Blazer for FREE so you would think I would be thrilled, right? Wrong. It is designed and built poorly. 3 mechanic visits in 6 months for various problems at $400 each. One to replace the serpentine belt, the others were for an oil leak and a transmission fluid leak. It is good in snow, does poorly on dirt trails and is only so-so on the sand. There is very little ground clearance for a 4WD. Tremendous amount of body roll and gobbles gas. Not fun to drive at all. Good for long trips. I am planning on trading it in for a foreign car/truck. My last American car was a 72 GMC Jimmy, which was more fun by far. I am going to wait another few decades before giving GM another chance.

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  Im a Believer - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By KM - April 21 - 10:23 pm

  I bought my Volt used with 50,000 miles on it. (Look at the Lifetime mileage-- that will tell you how often the engine has been used by MPG.) My car only had 40mpg in its lifetime so the engine has lots of hours on it. I didnt really care though as I have a 120 mile commute every day. The resale value sucks on them but that means I bought a great used car for cheap! The first thing that struck me test driving it was how solid it feels. It really feels like a tank but it handles super tight. Interior materials feel to be of good quality (leather is thick, covers the whole seat unlike some other companies *coughdodgecough*, and dash panels are solid and fit together tightly). It is also of course silent when in Normal mode and the generator is relatively quiet when it runs (I only use it on the highway which drowns out engine noise with road noise anyway); its still quieter and smoother than a 4-cylinder. I get about 55mpg in my daily commute and use electric only on weekends when I dont drive far. The increase in my electric bill has been about $10/month. The back seat is cramped but I dont have passengers much. The car also came with the Bose sound system and it sounds fantastic (unlike the POS stock speakers GM insists on using). Ill never know why they opt for a $2 speaker when they could easily eat the cost of a $20 one. Anyway, my biggest gripe is the user interface on the center stack and dash. Its an absolute mess, the biggest clusterf of UX/UI design I have ever seen. Its super dated looking and just vomits information at the driver. The graphics look straight out of 2002. I love access to tons of info on how my car is running, but sheesh. Otherwise, the Volt has been great, super reliable, and a blast to drive especially in Sport mode. My mother in law drove mine and bought one for herself. Be like my mother in law. Drive a Volt.

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  Suburban - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By ground sub - April 21 - 2:00 am

  I drive 12-15K mi per year with about 5K miles/yr towing a 30 ft travel trailer. I have had good reliablility except for some rear axle noises (clunk and whine). Vehicle is tough on tires and brakes but this may be due to towing.

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  Basic transport, not bad for the $$$. - 1993 Chevrolet Corsica
  By SmOkEy - April 21 - 2:00 am

  If you need a car to get you from point A to point B, this is the car. The handling is acceptible around town, just dont push it. the 3.1L V6 was the best, and only "good" part of the car. Plenty of power for a lil joint like this. the 2.2L 4 is weak. Just watch out for bad altinators, and Brake pads wear out fast..

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  My New S-10 Crew Cab - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By TSimpson - April 21 - 2:00 am

  This S-10 has been very reliable, good handling capabilities, great "go anywhere" capability, suspension is very good for its class, very good fuel economy (23-27hwy & 17-19city), plenty of power for its class. Cons on this vehicle are: cheap finishes...trim, paint, and fitting of interior parts. Vehicle has very poor turning radius.

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  If you like small.... - 1994 Chevrolet S-10
  By nappy - April 20 - 2:00 am

  If you like small this is the truck for you. It has mre interior room than a ranger but when your used to a Blazer, there is no fun in a two seater pick- up. Reliable to a point, but keep an eye on alternator, A/c, and belts. Very strong little engine likes to get moving, after a little persuasion. If you are a mini truckin fan these are the standard of the crowd, very easy on gas if your on the highway often. But remember, not livable if you get easily bored by just one friend coming along for the ride.

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  Durable - 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By sbbarnes - April 19 - 3:56 pm

  I purchased my Monte Carlo from my uncle who bought it new. It had a few minor oil leaks and some transmission leaks. It was easily fixed and now it currently has over 225,000 miles. Not one spot of rust, though some stone pecks. The doors havent dropped at all. It is just as quiet as ever. This one has the 3100 engine. No problems yet. Though the gas mileage isnt as good. I average 24-27 mostly highway.