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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  Too Many Problems! - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By Nora - March 20 - 11:47 pm

  I was happy at first, being that I waited and looked so long for a van. Despite my husband advising me not to buy a van, I did it anyway. First 2 months in, I had to replace the front brakes and something else with the brakes that was expensive. 4 months later, I had to replace the thermostat. The following summer,I had to replace the whole compartment where my rear lights plug in, it burnt out. Over the months I replaced all the bulbs and the thermostat again. Same year, had to replace the radiator and water pump. 2007 had to replace thermostat again, water pump again, gas gauge went out, cruise control went out. 2008 hose leaking antifreeze which led to a rod blowing, back lights acting weird.

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  Good long Hauler - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Living in NY - March 20 - 3:10 pm

  We just got our Aveo in December. I used it for a business conferance to Lake Geroge - 350 miles across southern NY. I set the cruise at 70 for most of the trip. Im a big fellow - 270 - and I felt the car was pretty peppy. Lots of head room and body room. And considering I averaged 34 mpg, I think the cars a good deal. The dealer sold the car to us for just under 12000, including rebates. All we added was cruise control. We only have three thousand miles on it, but so far it runs like a champ. By the by. I had good winter tires installed at purchased - along with extra rims. The car handles very well in heavy snow and on ice with those tires.

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  13 Years and counting - 1992 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Jerry - March 19 - 9:50 am

  Bought in 02, it now has over 190k miles on it. Very roomy and comfortable. AC has not worked since I got it. Interior is coming apart. Had to replace fuel pump, breaks, ball bearing in suspension. Several fuel injection problems. Easy to maintain though: Door handle broke once, my dad fixed with a zip tie, headlight came off, fixed with superglue. Its still a great first vehicle.

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  Impressed! - 1997 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Karma - March 18 - 2:32 pm

  Not the most comfortable car. Definitely not for long road trips. Overall its great car. We bought it from a college student who didnt know what he had. We took her in and have begun restoration. With an all new cooling system in place this car drives like an all american muscle car should. It has a growl all its own. Clutch is a little far for someone in short stature (Im 58") but it is worth the thrill.

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  Great buy - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By darko789 - March 18 - 7:15 am

  I have put 120000 miles on since I bought it. Has yet to let me down. 4.3 has all the power I will ever need. Gets decent mpgs. It has been a great truck for me.

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  My Chevy Cavalier - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By azgurl - March 17 - 8:19 pm

  My car got great gas mileage. It did ok in snow and mud. When I got 69,000 miles my car was making noises when I started it. It was my lower motor knocking, to mechanics it made no sense it was a flexplate and overhaul on my motor. So my conclusion is they do good until 69,000 miles.

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  Outstanding car, but not perfect. - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Snowman - March 17 - 5:47 pm

  This is my second Corvette. The first was a Yellow C5 Coupe. It was an awesome car and I loved every day I drove it. This White C6 is also a great car. I was so enamored with the extra 50hp that I didnt even notice how bad the "paddle shifters" were until Id had it for a couple months. The six-speed auto is head and shoulders above the four-speed auto that was in my C5. But forget using the paddles. By the time it actually changes gears, the moment has passed and you forget you wanted to do something. I also preferred the C5s interior. I do love lots of the features of the C6 and in full-auto mode its really quick. But I think I should have gotten the manual.

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  Love my Blazer - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Jason - March 17 - 3:56 pm

  Bought used, now have 78,000 miles on it and still love it. Had one major problem with it, the heater core went out in the dead of winter. I live in the Pacific Northwest so, it wasnt very fun. Core was replaced under warranty. Love the engine! Has great power and love the exhaust note! Heated leather seats are awesome and the memory feature is great. Driven it on quite a few road trips and its very comfortable. Rides and handles nicely, I always feel safe. On the few times Ive had to engage the 4X4, it worked just like it should. Felt really surefooted in the snow this winter. Gas mileage is fine, Im not expecting high numbers, its a 4X4. I didnt buy it for the gas mileage.

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  Poor Initial Quality - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By MTitus - March 17 - 2:54 pm

  When we received our Cobalt, we found both front power windows were off track. After the first rain, we found an inch or two or rain in the front drivers floor board. The dealer was able to align the front windows but was unable to fix the water leak. A second dealer was able to reduce the water leak. I believe that they had to bend the door. The arm rest blocks the emergency brake. There is no ash tray for collecting small items that you want to dispose of.

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  My New LTZ - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By chris - March 17 - 1:20 pm

  I dont know about you but when I spent 35K for my new truck I thought it would be built better. I have had Chevys before but never a truck. Drove them a lot from work but the clasic and what a difference between that and the new body style for 07/08. The roof interior is cheap and so are the visors. and what happened to the overhead console? Nowhere to put your glasses and such. Also a lot of wind noise comes into the cab and last but not least I thought they would put the speakers in better I all ready have one of the front speakers real loose and Ive only had it for 2 weeks. Other than that its a killer truck and the Leather 10 way power seats are real nice. Overall happy.