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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  Disappointed, and Problems - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Marty - September 2 - 1:52 am

  Sometimes the starter sticks, you may have to turn it off and restart it- sticks in the starting position. Tierods on both sides wear often-within 3000 miles. Bought car at 20000 miles and by 34000 miles had replace both tierods and steering rack. And at 37,000 miles tierods were popping again. Noise in the steering column was caused by a bad steering rack. Performance and milage excellent. Good stereo system. Bad design in frontend construction.

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  113,000 Miles and Going - 1998 Chevrolet Prizm
  By DMR - September 1 - 9:19 pm

  Prizm was a Corrola made at the GM/Toyota NUMMI j/v in Long Beach, CA. It depreciates faster because it doesnt have the Toyota nameplate. Still quality: thats why I got it - and the decision paid off. I bought my 1998 Prizm LSI from Hertz for $9k in May 2001 with 28,000 miles on it. Biggest repair was A/C for ~$1500. The inside driver door handle breaks reliably every two years - thats the GM contribution. Passenger window motor needed replacing. Replaced the hose for power steering today. But, really, these repairs are not out of line for 90k of driving. With all that, it runs fine, is in good shape, gives me 28 mpg. 200k? Ill write a another review if we get there.

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  Tahoe - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By dina - September 1 - 7:44 pm

  This is the perfect vehicle for a soccer mom and her 3 soccer stars. We had a bad snow storm last winter close to 5 ft. all the other fancy suvs (a volvo, land cruser and mercedes) were stuck in the banks in the side of the rode as I plowed through 1+ ft. drifts coming back from a birthday party.

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  Great For The Price You Pay - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Biggie B - September 1 - 1:50 am

  This vehicle is by no means one for someone who loves to race on the street, but is an excellent choice for the money that you spend on. I got mine for invoice, and $10,000 dollars for a 6 year waranty is well worth the money. Say goodbye to car repair with this sweet deal. I love this car

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  Trailblazer SS Love - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Elliott Goodman - August 31 - 5:41 pm

  Love the way it drives and handles, very sporty yet classy at the same time. Turns a lot of heads. No one expects it to turn and burn. Total sleeper, you just cant beat the LS2 Motor in a mid size SUV.

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  Ok despite a few flaws - 1997 Chevrolet Venture
  By the captain - August 31 - 4:21 am

  The 97 Venture is OK except for a few flaws. The major one is the transmission. Ive had to replace mine shortly after the purchase. Now it seems to be functioning great. I dislike the location of the cupholders next to the seat...easy to spill stuff. I also dislike the fact that the wiper system breaks. I do wish the driver side door was standard but that doesnt come until 2000. However, I do love the look of the minivan interior and exterior. I just wish it didnt rust and chip easy. It has great acceleration and has great gas mileage (better than my friends Caravan Sport). It handles pretty great. Need to haul stuff...take out the seats and you have yourself a cargo van.

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  Tows our 6,200 Lb Trailer Like a Champ - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Camper Man - August 30 - 10:54 pm

  We ordered our 2007 Avalanche specifically to tow our Outback travel trailer. We equipped it with the optional 6.0L engine, 4.10 rear end, transmission oil cooler, heavy-duty 4L70E transmision and rear-view camera -- in other words, set up to tow. The Avalanche takes to the hills with confidence! 95% of the time, we use it as a comfortable family hauler. The redesigned interior matches our previous Sequoia in comfort and thoughtfulness of design. The drivetrain is not as smooth or refined as the Toyotas, but GM is getting closer. I can feel the 6.0L "burble" at idle, while the Toyota 4.7L was virtually silent. This is my first-ever GM vehicle -- and so far I have been pleased.

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  Hmmm - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By D Phillips - August 29 - 1:58 pm

  Rented this one as a replacement for my truck. Ride is comfortable, handles nice, with sufficient acceleration to get onto busy California freeways! I didnt like the parking brake location (hard to reach when engaged), and the fact that the rear seat does not fold down even with the back floor (made it hard to put large objects inside) Overall, not a vehicle I could live with long term.

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  Not happy - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jeff R - August 27 - 2:22 pm

  I purchased the Impala because of its reputation and comfort. Im disappointed. The first 1.5 years were okay except for an annoying jerking when cold and first accelerate. Service could not determine cause after 3 visits. Last two times in for an oil change I was told the front wheel bearings are going bad and intake gasket has a leak - over $2000 in repairs. I lease to avioid maintenance problems. I will take my loss and opt for early out to get rid of this lemon. No more Impalas for me.

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  Much better than Cavalier - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Mark - August 27 - 8:30 am

  Its a great little car that is fun to drive. Before passing it by I would give it a test drive. I think most will surprised that it is a GM product.