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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  Purchased New - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By cashe32 - December 7 - 9:30 pm

  This van has taken the kids to school and made many trips to the grocery store as well as the yearly vacation. It serves its purpose. It has never had anything major go wrong, HOWEVER it has been filled with small annoying little problems since it was a year old. The brakes squeal, the power door locks has failed, the headlight lens have fallen out, the battery has leaked, the rear power windows failed, the weatherstriping on the sliding door fell off, it has been recalled at least 5 times and the power slide door failed after 6 years (it was $2000 to repair, we opted to pull it shut). Ill go with Honda or Toyota next time, better build quality.

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  Nice Reliable Car - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Tyler - December 7 - 5:51 pm

  I just bought my Malibu August of 05. I have been driving it ever day since I bought it and I am loving it. I am suprised by the amount of powe the 4cyl has. I am a college student and the with the MPG is awsome. I have take several trips with the car and have never had a problem. Passing cars is no problem with the 4cyl.

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  Awesome Van! - 1993 Chevrolet Astro
  By Mel - December 7 - 3:43 pm

  This is my 2nd Astro both have been great! This one now has 200,000 miles and going strong. Typical minor repairs have been done over the years. Nothing out of the ordinary. Hubbys NEW car has had more repairs in 1yr than mine has had in 5! I get great mileage too on this van. about 24 on the highway 19 in town.

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  Picmes Experience - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By picme2 - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Excellent performance. ABS system has saved me more than once in highway traffic. Rides smoothly. Excellent vision of the road. Comfortable interior. Towing is effortless. Turning ratio is pleasing considering the length of the vehicle. Needs room for maneuvering (ie. small driveways, close parking lot conditions, etc.).

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  Comfortable ride - 2005 Chevrolet Classic
  By Brandon - December 5 - 7:27 pm

  Ive had a hard time with small sedans finding a comfortable car, being 6 with long legs. The Malibu Classic is just right for me with a power seat and peppy 4 cylinder engine, its the perfect blend of price, comfort, and performance for my taste. Did I mention the price? Hard to beat at $11k with less than 16k miles.

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  I Love My Aveo - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By zensmile - December 5 - 2:13 pm

  It is a fun car to drive, kinda like a super go-cart for big kids. I really like the way this car drives and it is peppy for being only 1.6L--a great city car and good for short trips (200-350 miles).

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  Tough car for the money - 1991 Chevrolet Camaro
  By toughcamaro91 - December 4 - 11:50 pm

  I got it with 104, 000, it hadn’t been taken care of. It had sat for 2 years straight one time. it ran great, shifted strong, it was reliable, only had few repairs done to it, one was the valve stem seals which are notorious for going bad on these cars, all that does is cause it to blow a puff of smoke out when first started, it quits after that...only $170 to fix. Despite how hard I drove it, was extremely strong...later it developed major oil leak....sold it at 115,000 miles but it still ran great

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  TLC - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By tlccribbs - December 4 - 12:43 pm

  I had a Tahoe before and I needed a truck for work but, I wanted the same amount of comfort and luxury that I had before. I was able to get the best of both worlds with this vehicle. The Avalanche is an outstanding vehicle for play and work.

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  40,000mi and counting - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By JLenga - December 4 - 4:28 am

  Ive had my 04 Cavalier for a little over 40K miles and has proven to be a great car, anywhere and in any season. I bought the car in March 05 w/28K on it, traded in a 99 Malibu. The thing I like most about the "Cavy" is the gas mileage both city and highway. Ive got it up to 39mpg once, and now that I live 3 miles from work, I only have to fill the tank once every two weeks, which is good considering gas prices. Other things I like are the handling and V6 like acceleration that comes from the low maintenance, high efficiency 2.2L Ecotec engine.

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  Not too sure - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By JayDub92480 - December 3 - 10:00 am

  I think I got a lemon. I have had it for only seven months and already had to replace the 4wd switch and e-brake sensor. I also have a rattle in the dash I cant get rid of. I am trading it in on a Toyota.