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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  Great Improvement - 2000 Chevrolet Express
  By DaveScans - March 14 - 2:00 am

  This design is a huge improvement over previous Chevrolet Vans. I find the interior to be much quieter, ride to be better, and handling to be much easier. I do have this van in a conversion form, but it outclasses my older GS van by far.

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  buy again - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By BDdavis - March 14 - 2:00 am

  ONE OF THE BEST VECHICLES I HAVE EVER OWNED. WIFE AND KIDS LOVE IT. PLENTY OF ROOM.

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  2003 Z06 - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Charles Boone - March 14 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for over 1 year and 10,000 miles. This is my 2nd Corvette and 8th Sports Car. There is very little on the road that can keep up with the Z06.. stock vs. stock. The newer vipers and porsche turbos are it... under $100K. Mine is a daily driver, and is very comfortable even during rush hour. Absolutely no problems with the car... and I have not babied it. This is simply one very awesome, affordable, easy to drive rocket.

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  Great Car - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By guff - March 12 - 2:00 am

  Good safety record.

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  White LT 4x4 - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Mhardison - March 11 - 2:00 am

  We bought our Sub after a minivan and station wagon. Nothing compares to it. It has great room to fit the family very comfortably. I love this truck. We bought it with 12k miles on it and have had no major problems. Fuel economy is decent considering the mass you are driving. We get 16-17 mpg on open road, and 11-12 around town. It is very capable in wintry weather, very stable and confidence inspiring. Auto 4x4 works great.

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  Need a Truck and an SUV? Here it is! - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Mike - March 10 - 4:13 pm

  Good space inside. Great ride quality, very quiet. I dont know why most "professional" reviewers dont like the seats. The upgraded leather package seat are fantastic! Some inside features could use redesign, but mostly they are the "little things" The cupholders are horrible, useless! Cruise control arm is confusing. No footrest/deadpedal on drivers side gets annoying on longer drives. Too much gray plastic in general. The door panels are rough, and the armrest is uncomfortable. Great stereo. Go for the XM. Awesome looks, and very solid fuel economy. Great backseat utility in the crew cab model. Ive had four buddies in the truck 6ft+ in the backseat 3 wide and its fine for local drives.

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  I take it back - 1993 Chevrolet Beretta
  By DTblueSS6moslater - March 9 - 2:00 am

  When I first got my beretta gtz with the quad 4 4 cylinder moter I was absolutely in love with it, It was great, fast and good on gas what more could I want. Man was I wrong not even 6 months after I bought it the engine went bad, real bad. I have talked to dozens of other people that have had the same experience. If you find a car with the quad four engine run far and fast. stay away it will only lead to heartache. long story short I paid 2500 for my gtz in less than 6 months put 3000 into and ended up selling it to the junkyard for 50 bucks. STAY AWAY FROM THE QUAD FOUR ENGINE OR I PROMISE IT WILL COME BACK TO HAUNT YOU .

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  2001 Astro AWD, what an inprovement - 2001 Chevrolet Astro
  By fourwindgsd - March 9 - 2:00 am

  This is the second Astro I have owned, the other being a 1995 AWD that was a maintenance nightmare. But the Astro is so ideal for my needs that I traded for the 2001 AWD. What a difference! So much more thoughfully laid out, seats are MUCH lighter (still no picnic) to remove. The driver controls are thoughfully laid out easy to reach and control. The response to driver imput is much improved and better power when its needed. The rocker arm mouldings are a nice addition and make the van more attractive than the 1995. I am very happy with my purchase and expect to continue with the Astro/Safari for yet another one.

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  Great Vehicle, But........... - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By dadrab - March 9 - 2:00 am

  My Chevy Tahoe has been a good experience with a few exceptions: 1)Reline brakes & turn rotors every 22,000 mile 2)Rebuild Transmission @ 97,000 3)2 alternators 4)replace mainifold gasket 5)Multiple leaks around windows & doors

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  Been great for me! - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By GhostTX - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car new in 1996, V6-3.8L. Have logged 156K miles on it so far. Its been a great car. Typcial wear and tear on it (water pump, power steering pump, a/c compressor so far). Rear axle had to be replaced at 70K as it had some bad bearings. Something other buyers may want to look at. Solid car though, and Ive been happy to own it.