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:

• 

  Corvette - Best car Ive ever owned. - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Cy Stanton - March 1 - 4:57 pm

  My new C5 Corvette is the best car Ive ever owned. The only complaints are that the stock exhaust is too quiet for a any hi-performance sports car. Also, the stock 6-speed is very sloppy, as if it was designed for non=drivers who would not know the difference. GM could do a LOT better in these two areas. The interior also has some cheap bits. But these are minor complaints. Overall, the car is a gas and I smile really big every time I drive it! Cy Stanton Edgewood, NM

• 

  Liked It! - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By JGERM30 - March 1 - 4:09 pm

  We liked it enough that we traded it in for a 2002 model.

• 

  Great Bang For The Buck - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By dakota - March 1 - 3:05 pm

  2001 Black Conv. 6 speed with Z51, 1SC, QF5, and U1S options. Pros: Great handling, acceleration and basic fun. Cons: Car burns oil at the rate of 1qt per every 2000 miles (dealer monitoring in place). Some cheap interior bits. Overall: Eye-turning, fun-to-drive excitment for a bargin basment price when compared to the competition.

• 

  Only one Suburban, no competition! - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Torod - March 1 - 1:22 pm

  The General just keeps making them better. And listen up folks..besides being fast with loads of horse power....They get GOOD mileage! I stay above 16 in town and often go over 20 on trips. I know Edmonds likes to knock GM but I can attest they are full of "you know what"!!! Their bias shows when they say the Burbs are gas guzzlers and the Ford Expeditions arent... The Burbs get far better mileage but youd never now it from Edmunds anti GM minions!

• 

  98 Camaro - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By CT - March 1 - 4:23 am

  Fun car to drive...have had a few minor problems that were fairly simple to fix. Handling could be better, but only noticable when pushing the car to its limits.

• 

  Best car at an affordable price - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By familycarman - March 1 - 3:20 am

  We were looking for a good family car. The Malibu is the best car for the price and provides some neat features not normally found on cars in the price range. This car seems to be low maintenance (time will tell) due to many features like the 50,000 mile coolant and such. The anti-lock breaks being standard is very nice, this car handled very well in the snow over the 2001-2002 Utah winter where we drove several times for hours on slick highway and secondary roads.

• 

  Small , Fast, Fun, and American made. - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By BodasZ24 - March 1 - 12:21 am

  Bought this car new as a dealer leftover. Had 3500 miles was driven by service manager. Car is a blast to drive have had minor problems waterpump, cooling fan, basic stuff any home mechanic can fix. Overall has been a very dependable car.

• 

  The Best Car I Have Ever Owned - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By AWar - February 28 - 9:03 pm

  I have had three different cars so far in my life, and I can say that this car is worth a lot more than I paid for it. My monthly payments are only $200 a month, and I get 30 MPG. I have never felt so grateful to have a car, and I have never ever felt this safe, and comfortable in a car. Not to mention, I have never had a car so luxurious (and I dont even have the model thats been supped-up). The basic model is already equipped as a luxury car. OnStar is amazing and comes standard, and I have a car phone which makes me feel safe. It has a 5 star frontal, and side crash test rating. I will probably own another one of these in the future.

• 

  Good work truck - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By das - February 28 - 7:53 pm

  No problems great work truck, hauls 2 yards of wet top soil with ease. Pulls 7,000lbs trailer with ease in fast lane.

• 

  2000 Chevrolet Malibu LS - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By gp1986 - February 28 - 6:34 pm

  Love the leather interior. Love the torque. Love the steering overall drives like aforeign car ie Volkeswagon Passat