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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  Not Bad - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Not bad - July 18 - 5:34 pm

  I got my 1999 cavalier April first 2002 and Ive had the car 4 years now. I got it with 12000 miles and now it has 80000 and I havent had one problem out of this car except for the ABS system failed, but its run smooth since I got it. Be careful how you drive it because it can be easy to mess it up. If you want a fast car or a sports car, buy somthing else because this wont last. Take care of it regular maintainace and it can last you a long while. With a few simple parts such as a supercharger and a backcat exhaust system you could get 218hp out of it

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  Better in the long run - 2001 Chevrolet Express
  By Yak - July 18 - 3:46 pm

  We have now owned this vehicle for more than 4 years. We are having the same experiences with the seat levers breaking but other than that it is a real workhorse. We are now towing a 4400 lb camper with it and it is doing marvelously. Sure the gas mileage stinks but its solid mechanically. The driver side sun visor has been replaced 4 times and its still falling apart. The kids love the van and for long trips, thats really important. We even use it to transport half of my sons basketball team to games.

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  Excellence with exception - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Debi - July 18 - 1:54 am

  Smooth, comfortable ride with many ammenities. Gas mileage 12 city, <18 hwy. Some recalls on wipers and seatbelt safety (but did not occur in my vehicle after inspection by dealership). Seems to be problem with rear lights - have replaced bulbs several times. I would buy another but this was the "first year" for the model. Just had to work out the bugs.

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  Love the truck, hate the reliabilty - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By waterville new york - July 17 - 6:43 am

  I really do like the truck, its the reliabilty have the problem with. I have had many, many brake issues. The driver front wheel kept locking up and over heating to the point that you could smell it and if you spit on the wheel it would sizzle. Back and forth and out of the shop and until they finally figured out it was a caliper puck heating up and not releasing. I also had the rear differential go, both universal joints, the 4WD always clunked when going in and out and now the electric 4WD shift has issues, the front tie rods. To summarize everything. When it was new it was great but as the miles started adding up it the truck just began to feel loose. Would not buy another Chevy.

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  Love it, love it, love it - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By eddie moreno - July 17 - 12:36 am

  A very smooth ride, great acceleration, awesome fuel economy (28-31 mpg) A very comfortable & reliable vehicle. I am very impressed with Chevy. Great job guys. Great price also!

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  Great work car - 1994 Chevrolet Lumina
  By kitecat1 - July 16 - 3:50 pm

  I have had this car for 2 years it had 63,000 miles on it when I bought it for my mail route. It runs great. The only thing I have had to replace was tires, brakes and alternator. I have done routine maintenance on it [shocks plugs and wires] but that is about it. It now has 105,000 miles on it and still runs great. If this car can make it on a mail route with all the stopping and running when it is really hot with no problems I recomend this car to anyone.

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  A great vacation van - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By mm - July 16 - 8:44 am

  I like the dash layout, son loves the DVD player. It keeps him entertained for hours. Love the power doors. Real handy if hands are full. Great safety features like abs/traction control, antiskid control, side airbags. OnStar is great.

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  Xtreme fun - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Randy - July 15 - 9:42 pm

  I bought this truck because I got a good deal on it. I have owned two other S10 trucks before this one. I drive a lot, so each of the previous trucks had over 180,000 on them when I sold them. I really didnt want another S10 but when I drove the Xtreme I went ahead and bought it. I have had more people make comments about this truck that any other vehicle I have owned. Everyone likes the appearance and I like the performance. Its not a super car but it combines the truck I need with the fun to drive as a bonus. I plan to drive this one till at least 190,000 and dont expect any major problems.

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  He finally gave in to my nagging :) - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Sharon Ann - July 15 - 2:00 am

  Our 4th Vette, am totally in love with it. Have only had it for a month and would not give it up for the world.

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  Ok when not in shop - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By singingsg - July 15 - 2:00 am

  Overall Ive had a pretty decent experience with my trailblazer other than when it has been in the shop to fix recall problems. Other than the recall things, I havent had any trouble with it. It has a very nice and comfortable design for travel or family. It has a lot of room in it. I use it to pack up our groups sound equipment which there is a lot of and I can tote all of that in the back plus the 5 of us in the front comfortably.