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 perfect, but still pretty good - 1996 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Submech - March 1 - 2:00 am

  This is my 2nd Suburban and Im pleased with it. Its comfortable for my 63" frame, roomy for my family and their friends, and a great all-around vehicle. The Vortec 5.7 is a reliable engine developing sufficient power for towing a mid-size pop-up camper with fully loaded cabin. Fuel economy varies with speed and throttle finesse, but ranges from 12.5 around town to 21 on the hwy. See "Suggested Imrovements" for my complaints.

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  Reliable car - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Donald stavish - March 1 - 2:00 am

  I have had no costly repairs to talk about

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  Love this Z-71 - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Content - March 1 - 2:00 am

  This is my third Chevy/GMC truck since 1997, but my first 4WD. I have had great luck with this one. NO problems at all. These trucks continue to impress me. The only ting that I think could have been improved is the grill design and they took care of that starting with the 2003 models. Great truck.

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  broken - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By rip taylor - March 1 - 2:00 am

  rearend went out at 4775 miles! need I say more?

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  Good Solid Truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By marketmaker - March 1 - 2:00 am

  Good ride, good looks, good truck. I added a bed rug, bed rails, and cover.

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  hopefully it gets better - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By tomw - March 1 - 1:26 am

  So far its been my wifes car, and has seen virtually no long highway drives, but the average mileage being displayed is 16.8mpg. I feel sick. I fully expected 20+ in town, and 25+ for the type of driving she does. Seemed like a great car, and is very nice, but I bought it for fuel economy and I feel cheated.

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  2006 Chevy Sliverado 1500 crew cab Z71 - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Chris Balian - February 29 - 7:56 pm

  If youre looking for a tough good looking truck, then the Chevy Silverado is for you. Although the interior is not as refined as the competition, it will hold up in any circumstance. Under the hood you can acutally see the engine, and a majority of the parts are aluminum or steel, where in the competiton there is more plastic than a little girls play house. The competition pushes luxury, but the Silverado pushes reliability and durability.

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  Good for a larger family - 1996 Chevrolet Astro
  By Familyof6 - February 29 - 2:00 am

  Although we had read pretty bad reviews about the Astro in Consumer Reports, we have had great luck with ours. We didnt have many options in choosing a minivan since we needed something that could tow our boat, and the Astro is the only one other than GMC Safari that can handle it. We have a number of repairs, two of them pricey, but the extended warranty we bought at Carmax covered everything. Overall, this has been a great van for our family of 4 kids with room to spare for friends to come along. We found ours to be worth the price. If anything, the low CR rating makes a used Astro very affordable.

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  2002 S-10 3dr ZR2 - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By chazz0044 - February 29 - 2:00 am

  Great all-around truck! Best suspension pkg on compact truck market. Takes eveything that I give & asks for more. Great for beach fishing and ski trips plus occasional abuse. No minor mechanical issues. Nice inter. style & accessories.

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  Bang for your buck and then some! - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By TrompetenGott - February 29 - 2:00 am

  This car is a blast to drive, and it looks great. Insurence likes the V6, and its got more than enough oomph to get arround. Cruise controll keeps me out of trouble with the cops because 65 MPH and 85 feel and sound the same in this car. Handles well in corners - you can terrify unsuspecting passengers... The monsoon stereo is a big plus.