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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  My first baby... - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By tes092193 - April 28 - 4:24 pm

  Bought this car as my first car, with 130,000 miles on it. Drove it until 150,000. Didnt put a penny into the car other than: gas- obviously, oil changes, and a new set of tires. For being 16-19, the fact no money needed to spent on car repairs was very nice. The fact I got 30 miles to the gallon easily was nice too. I had friends who had the exact same year as mine with well over 200,000. I would be driving this car still, except a driver pulled out in front of me, and sadly totaled my Cavy. 5000 dollars in damage was too much for the insurance company. This car started up every time, warmed up quickly, and never left me stranded. For a 2200 engine, it had plenty of pep.

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  Love my 1999 LUMINA LTZ - 1999 Chevrolet Lumina
  By kenl56 - April 28 - 9:13 am

  I ordered my 1999 Lumina LTZ from GM built to my personal specs. Fully loaded. I had only four problems: 1. Alternator went out after 3 years 2. Switch for the automatic windows went out after 6 years 3. I was told my gas line needed replacement after 11 years (Maybe yes or maybe no) 4. When I floor the car the AC fan slows down ( No big deal since it rebounds after a few seconds) Other than that I have had no other problems. Every time I consider replacing my Lumina I back off asking myself, "WHY". I never had the engine tuned, I change the Oil every 10000 miles whether it needs it or not. The tires get expected life. The Body is in excellent shape minus a couple of parking lot dings

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  Every vehicle has problems...couldve done much worse. - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By whitemandeluxe - April 27 - 1:29 am

  Bought brand new mainly to tow my bass boat and to tailgate @ Colts games, and in those two regards it has not disappointed. Its never left us stranded. Even had a head on collision with a Ford Explorer 2 years ago, Im still driving, the Ford is in a boneyard somewhere. I have had some minor issues, fan clutch as Im sure everyone that is familiar with Trailblazers know was a very common issue. Had a few fit and finish issues the first year but were taken care of. 9 yrs and 120,000k later and she still rides(w/newer ball joints, connecting links and shocks) pulls and looks like new with no sign of letting up anytime soon.

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  GREAT CAR with Flaws - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By mrvega - April 26 - 1:54 pm

  I had my Camaro SS for a year and a half. The car has a phenomenal smooth, comfortable ride. A bit of body roll. What kills the fun on the 2011s is the steering feel. I feels hard, fighting against you. Makes the car feel even heavier. Acceleration is outstanding, yet it doesnt feel as fast because of how smooth. Once you look at the HUD you realize you are well into 100mph. Visibility is very poor. Gas mileage was the reason I got rid of it. I averaged 13 MPG City. The maximum I reached on the hwy was 20 (it was a miracle). After a year and a half later, I would stay admire it as I walked to or away from it. Beautiful style

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  15 mpg - GM told me thats not bad for this car - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By ddufort13 - April 24 - 9:15 pm

  The Traverse has a good interior design, great handling and power, but I average 15 mpg vs the sticker that indicates an average on 19 mpg. I registered a complaint with GM, my service guy at Chevy indicated he only got 13 mpg. GM told me, and I quote, "The car is performing as per specifications. I see youre getting 15 mpg, and thats not bad for this car!!!" I told them they should advertise that. 15 mpg isnt that bad, even though they advertise 16-23 mpg. If you want performance with poor MPG, this is the SUV for you. If youre looking for performance and fuel economy stay away.

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  Chevy Corsica - 1994 Chevrolet Corsica
  By subaru_sonnie - April 23 - 9:52 am

  Okay so my mom had her 1994 corsica. She had planned on handing it down to me which she did about 5 years ago. I had made a field car out of her. She became known with the name Betsy. Betsy was sitting behind a 3.1 liter v6 with 80,000 miles on it, she had 180,000 on her body (was replaced with bertetta motor at 100,000)still was the beast of my homeade track. With the pedal to the floor i roasted the spare donut tire right off of its rim (E-Brake held high, pedal held low)

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  bad bluetooth on the Chevy Cruze - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By liz49 - April 22 - 10:24 am

  I have a smart phone from Verizon. The bluetooth says paired, but not connected. It might work for a few seconds, but then it drops. I have contacted GM, and they say it is a "known issue." Not just my type of phone. Many brands. The bluetooth was a big selling point for me, and now I cant use it. They did not sound encouraging. When I asked how long they have been working on it, they replied "a long time." I think they should offer to supply us with a phone that is compatible with their very poor bluetooth. Very disappointed. Dont buy it if you are hoping to use hands free cell phone.

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  Incredible little truck - 1992 Chevrolet S-10
  By sc_redneck - April 16 - 3:11 pm

  I bought this truck in 2010 with 126000 miles on it. it was still running like new at the time. It had overheating issues from offroading, but after they were fixed it ran like brand new. made the 1100 mile drive from SC to TX running steady at 70 mph and made it 450 miles on one tank. The only design flaws have been cosmetic (overwieght doors, window track issues). Incredbly easy to fix, customize, and do major repairs on. The truck is 20 years old, still has the factory motor and transmission, has 144000 miles on it and still runs like a champ. Easily the greatest financial descision i have ever made. I will replace the engine before i sell it (if the engine ever dies).

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  The more I drive this 2002 Z28 the more I love it - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By xxxfelix - April 14 - 11:36 pm

  I bought a 2011 Camaro 2LT with variable valve timing, twin cam, 4 valves per cyclinder direct injected V6 (state of the art), the advertised hp is 312. I also bought a used 2002 Z28 with the LS1 engine from the same dealer for a good price. The advertised hp is 310 for the 2002 Z28. But when I drive each car, the 2002 Z28 seems a whole lot more powerful. Elapsed time at a control track also proves the z28 is more powerful. I did some reseach and found that for the 1998 to 2002 LS1 engines, the true hp at the rear wheels on the camaro is more like 350 (same LS1 in the corvettes). The torque ratings were also dumbed down by GM on these camaros

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  Fun and Able - 2000 Chevrolet Camaro
  By still_waiting - April 14 - 1:50 pm

  Theres not many conditions that I havent driven the old girl through. Much like most people have problems with the headlamps and taillights seem to go out more often then usual - but unlike most I havent had any problems with the tires. Breaks tend to whine on light stopping while its raining but that can be considered normal. Had it for quite a while now with a little over 64k on it almost all highway miles aside from some light racing on it. She can redline without worrying whether or not somethings going to blow or not. Great car, extremely fun, no real high maintnence, only complain is the 30mpg highway seems like a lie - around 24 average with cruise on.