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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  Chevy Cobalt - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By ron - October 18 - 2:33 am

  I recently purchased this car and so far I am happy with it. The Chevy Cobalt is a peppy four cylinder that cruises nicely down the highway. It is fairly quiet for its size. The new ecotec engine is of German design and should last a long time trouble free. The trunk is spacious for a car this size. It has lots of leg room in the front and can accomodate the over 6ft. tall people easily. Overall I am very satisfied with this car and recomend it highly. Test drive it!

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  96 Chevy S-10 - 1996 Chevrolet S-10
  By theman - October 16 - 5:13 pm

  Very mechanically sound vehicle. Owned for 8 years, with very few repairs other than normal wear and tear. Would recommend this vehicle to anyone who wants a reliable truck that gets good gas mileage.

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  Give me the good old 3.8 - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Mark R. Jacobson - October 16 - 8:56 am

  The LTZ was a nice update from the 2005 model. Tighter in every way, better styling inside and out, but the 3.9 AFM, with only an MPG of,(22-24), has me longing for the 3.8! Or, for a few grand more..."I could of had a V8!" To coin the ad. The outside mirrors could be a touch larger and I would give up a couple of inches of trunk spce for more rear leg room. Also, the drink holder. Need one in the rear and a better one in front. All in all a nice car that I will keep around for the time being. I bought it with six thousand miles from a used car store for only 16,800 plus tax and so on.

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  THE MONTE CARLO - 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By bj khan - October 15 - 10:00 am

  The monte carlo is a nice car it has a decent amount of power but chevy really needs to get rid of the dlat spot on second gear. Another thing is the nose dive when you brake. I have problems with the car shaking while it idles. when i took it to the dealer they said it was normal. no i dont think so. It comes well stocked and for a stock system the 200 watt monsoon amplified system sounds good. Its a good car overall.

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  New top end at 56K ????? - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Bob - October 15 - 4:00 am

  This is my 3rd Silverado. Last one (2001) went 143K with zero dealer visits. Bought used 07 crew this time at 48k miles. Much improved truck. More power for my 6500lb boat. Stays in top gear more. Very smooth ride. Much better handling. 17.8 mpg on my 07, 14.9 on my 01 model. Problem, at 56K, the lifters were replaced today under warranty. Starting to get concerned.

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  Supe Reliable Car! - 1998 Chevrolet Prizm
  By SUPER RELIABLE CAR - October 14 - 9:24 pm

  Bought this car new. This car has given me over 265,000 miles of nearly trouble free service—what more can you ask of a car? The only things Ive replaced other than regular maintenance are the a/c condenser at 175,000 and an exhaust part connected to catalytic converter and radio. As well as 3 out of 4 door handles. This car has a 5-speed manual with the original clutch and still gets 37 mpg on the highway at average speed of 80 mph!

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  I love this truck - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By Zack - October 14 - 12:38 am

  I love this truck. I have a small lawn service and this truck has never had a problem with my trailer, or any thing else, even with a load of mulch at the same time. The only problem I have had with the truck is since I am the second owner of the truck and the first was my grandfather and it was never really used in 4 wheel drive and we had to replace almost the entire system (costly)

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  Buyer beware! - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Carnie - October 13 - 4:56 pm

  Bought this truck brand new off the lot. 3 1/2 years old and the cylinder head is faulty. $2000+ repair that GM has admitted they knew these cylinder heads were faulty, but they wont step up and help defray repair costs. Truck is starting to rust already and weve had the steering column replaced 2 times so far! I thought Chevys were built to last?

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  CAR IS GREAT WITH NOISE FROM AFM - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By scotty franks - October 13 - 6:30 am

  This car is everything I hoped it to be. The ride is perfect and the car steers great on the road. The silver ice color I picked is so appealing to the eyes. I have had so many lookers turning turning their heads to see how great the car stands out.

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  Miss my old one! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By missy - October 11 - 2:41 pm

  The ride is good, but I cant get used to the new seats! I keep sliding out and have to brace myself to keep from being propelled forward when stopping. I find it especially bad in the front passenger seat. The seats are shorter from hip to knee than my 01 Tahoe. I keep adjusting the seat and cant get it to be comfortable. Im 56". I feel somewhat like Im too high up, esp. in the 2nd row, and might wobble off the seat! Needs more storage cubbies. I really have to bend my foot back from accelerator to brake, and I have the adjustable pedals.