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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  Extremely Comfortable And Reliable - 1990 Chevrolet Corsica
  By MikeDirntRulez - May 16 - 2:00 am

  This is my very first car and it holds its name for a 15 year old car. This car is roomy, spacious, finely designed for a car of its time, and has proved quite reliable and strong after running 10 miles with no coolant, Redlining on the highway for about a minute (Long Story), and about 5 minutes of driving with it overheating. Even through all of this, it still runs in perfect condition and with regular maintenance, i am expecting another 50,000-100,000 more miles out of it. This is definitely a car that shouldnt have been taken out of production

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  great little car - 2000 Chevrolet Metro
  By dwcummin - May 16 - 2:00 am

  2nd Metro Ive owned and reliability was reason for purchasing again. I had 187000 on first Metro and was on original engine, clutch, and transmission. This one does not get the mileage the first one got and not as peppy either. It is more comfortable and has a/c.

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  I love this car - 1999 Chevrolet Tracker
  By gregdeb - May 15 - 2:00 am

  If I buy a new car tommorrow it will be another tracker. I love this vehicle. I do a lot of traveling and need a car that can keep up with me. I have put 110K miles on this thing and have had to pay for very few repairs. I find the style very fun however, there is not much room for back seat passengers. This is definitely not a family vehicle. It is also a gas eating machine.

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  reliable little car - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By cmpokey - May 15 - 2:00 am

  Car was real good around town until I went on 1300 mile trip. It is too small for trips and wind was trying to toss it into the ditch. It had little pickup on mountain roads. Good for around town. Needs armrest and better cupholder position. I have had alignment issues too.

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  Love it so far - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By Cowboybill - May 13 - 2:00 am

  Weve had the van for about a year and weve loved it so far. Its smooth, roomy and powerful. We had a 4wd Mazda MPV previously. We bought a service warranty with it because we knew it had a repuation of failing intake manifold gasket at around 60k- 80k. About 8-9mos after we had it the auto-sliding door wouldnt close properly. We finally took it to the dealership to fix it. While there I had them check the intake manifold gasket. They said it was leaking so I had them replace it under the warranty. The plastics parts in the inerior are not the strongest.

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  Love my Cavy - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By PDizzle - May 12 - 2:00 am

  This car has been cheap and reliable for me since I bought it with 12,000 miles. I had to put wider tires on it and tweak the engine for more power, but other than that it has been quick, comfortable and fun to drive.

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  2002 LTZ reliability unknown - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By E Maz - May 12 - 2:00 am

  There is very little storage space for the driver and front seat passanger. Electrical outlets conflict with the cupholder locations and the cupholders are very small. Front center console is mounted too far rearward and is not easily accessable to the driver.

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  Love Da Monte! - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By G. Ruckdeschel - May 10 - 10:53 pm

  If you like power, style and turning heads on the road, this is your car. I have the laser blue metalic with the silvertone and on a clear sunny day I get countless compliments on my car. 303 horses gives you the power when needed, but the ride is smooth.

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  Few problems with proper matenance - 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By pacofish - May 10 - 2:00 am

  I am a Mechanic. I have had this car since it was new I have to do almost notinig to keep this car running. This car gets a fast pass from the emissions test.

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  1999 Z28 by adult driver - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By kjbuster - May 10 - 2:00 am

  Fast, fun to drive, great trip mileage -28 mpg, lots of tire noise inside cab, poor overall quality( two broken sun visors, original battery installation faulty,failed window motor,failed clutch master cylinder, two trips to shop for A/C problems. Too many repairs for a low mileage and carefully driven car.