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:

• 

  Great performance and comfort - 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By RW - October 29 - 9:36 pm

  I bought my SS a year ago and couldnt be happier with it. It is fun to drive, comfortable and gets great fuel economy to boot! I average over 30mpg on the highway and usually get around 26mpg overall.

• 

  Its Worth It - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By big "T" - October 29 - 2:00 am

  I bought my "certified used venture" in March of 2001 with 56,000 miles on it. I love the car, but must insist that the cheap plastic parts cause me some problems from time to time. Both of my headlight lenses fell off - each was $300 or so to replace. Also had problems twice with the passenger side sliding door - thankfully under warranty. The car now has 97,000 miles on it, and we put on about 20- 25,000 every year travelling and camping. Couldnt ask for a better camping companion.

• 

  Not bad for the price - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Skiidaho - October 29 - 2:00 am

  Got this car for a song 8999 after all the rebates and GM cash. Nice CD, tilt, etc. I have a Ford F150 Super Crew that is to nice to put so many miles on and the mpg is not so great. So I get the Cavalier and get 34 hwy 29 city. Delighted with the mpg. The car is kinda nice looking for the price. I added 16" wheels and 205 55 tires which made a huge dif. in the way it looks. Shifting is easy, ride is good, engine is above average. The interior is a bit cheap but so ways the price. These cars dont hold their value but if you plan on driving it for 3yrs or more so what. I look at it as a disposable car, kinda like a term life policy.

• 

  Overall a very nice van - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By Laban Cabrera - October 28 - 2:00 am

  Overall the 2001 Venture has been a pleasure to drive and has been very reliable. The car handles well in all conditions including rain and heavy snow. The interior of the car is a bit flimsy.

• 

  Idiotic Placement of Water Pump/Controls - 1993 Chevrolet Corvette
  By mpristas - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I would like to meet the moron who designed the engine layout for this car. They placed the water pump over the solid state controls for the engine. If the $700 water pump goes, so goes the $1000 engine electrical controls. I have had this car for 4 weeks an have sunk $2k in the car. What a piece of crap. I am going back to German cars.

• 

  pretty good car - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By jrc485 - October 28 - 2:00 am

  Other than the fact that I had to replace the motor in the window after the first month of owning it and a couple other minor things early on, Id say the Cavalier is a pretty good buy. Its been running great for a year and a half and doesnt look like a cheap car.

• 

  Onyx Black - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By R T CALHOUN - October 27 - 2:08 am

  This truck loves oil and oil consumption. Add Lucas to every oil change and over oil consumption stops. No major Problems . My only complaints are -The cheap plastic dash board-Poor Quality in Control buttons-Electronic Throttle body Control-Transmission changes gears a little rough under hard acceleration- and when i come to slightly hard stops thing clunk and pop around the body of the truck, not sure what it is- AND #1 is the GM Paint does not hold up well at ALL (even when you wax and wash regularly By hand not automatic car washes). Gas mileage is good for what it is a ( AMERICAN FULL SIZE) SUV with a decent and reliable 5.3L V8. Use with a light foot and i can average 19.2 MPG Combined on Premium Fuel. Purchased Vehicle used and Honda of Rock hill SC for 23K ( HAD 79,389 ) MILES ON ODOMETER .

• 

  very impressed - 1991 Chevrolet Corsica
  By used car driver - October 27 - 2:00 am

  my corsica just hit 204,000 miles, I have beet this car hard over ther years but kept the fluids changed and filters were replaced 2 or 3 times. this car still runs like new but as others have said the paint has peeled off hood and roof, But no rust. if I could get my hands on another one with 150,000 or less I would jump at the chance

• 

  Great van - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By copo - October 26 - 1:00 am

  This van drives like a car. Out of the other vans I drove this van gives more bang for the buck. It has good power,yet good gas mileage. I got the Warner Brother package for only $22,400.

• 

  Love our Suburban - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Derrell Gatlin - October 26 - 1:00 am

  Plenty of room and comfort for all 6 of us and all of our "stuff". Great for loading up for ballgames, outings and vacation.