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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  #1 Ragtop Beater - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By rainman5355 - September 14 - 2:00 am

  1997 Convertible LS.Bought it new in 05/1998. Rarely in shop. Have spent maybe $1000 in non-warranteed work. A blast to drive. Every day driver. Holds five passengers. (name another american convertible that does that) Huge trunk for a car its size. Have vacationed in it with the wife and 3 kids comfortably.

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  My 2001 Astro Van - 2001 Chevrolet Astro
  By sharona61bio - September 13 - 2:00 am

  I bought my van used in January 2003. It had 38,000 miles when I bought it. So far, it has been a really good vehicle. The only problems that I have experienced is a bad window motor, a bit of vibration at idle and an intermittent squeak from the rear on acceleration. These appear to be more annoying than detrimental. I drive it to work everyday and have made a few 100+ mile trips to visit relatives. Its comfortable, roomy and it handles real well. The dash controls are very user-friendly. The front/rear AC does a nice cooling job even with 6 adults aboard in July heat.

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  nice car - 1990 Chevrolet Corsica
  By yankee2223 - September 12 - 2:00 am

  I picked this car up from an older women she is the only owner. Car was well taken care of. The car seems good on gas and is reliable. Great first car for a teen!

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  Impala needs - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By Imp02mar - September 11 - 10:00 am

  The car sets to high in the back and visibility is limited due to window slope and size. There is a lot of road noise from the tires on most road surfaces but side noise seems to be low. Gas mileage is a little lower then I expected (by 2 or 3 MPG). The suspension is also to stiff for a full size seden.

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  Brakes, front end, A/C just plain poor - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By JAH - September 11 - 2:00 am

  Bought new. Price was right and seemed nice at the time, reviews were good. However, have replaced brakes too many times to count-calipers, rotors, pads- the works. A/C switch turns on-off at random fan doesnt work on 1 and 2. Control arms clunk on every bump. Bad power lock switch design. Paint scratches easily. Fit of glove box poor. Original tires were terrible.

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  Love myAvalanche - 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Denis Croteau - September 11 - 2:00 am

  I have had my avalanche for 2 years now and I realy love just about every thing about it the ride is very nice and you can have 4 to 5 adults sitting comfortabley and if you need a pickup truck you have it in about 5 min.

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  2003 Tahoe LT - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Creekman - September 11 - 2:00 am

  I owned an Explorer since 98 and was never pleased with it. I was not even planing on buying this Tahoe until I saw it in a dealers lot. I thought about it a few days and went and bought it. I will tell you this, I will never buy another Ford. I love this vehicle. It looks good sitting beside my 1991 Chevy truck. I feel like I have come home.

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  Still Kicking - 1991 Chevrolet S-10
  By cbod - September 10 - 2:00 am

  Bought this truck brand new. A/C has gone out twice. Freeze plugs went bad before 70,000 miles. Transmission is finally about to go. But overall, one of the best vehicles I have every bought.

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  a pretty good little suv - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By gary barber - September 10 - 2:00 am

  I find this to be a dependable, fun to drive, inexpensive suv. Its not world class, but within its price and size range its a good buy

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  good family car - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By denise5374 - September 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car brand new. It now has 87000 miles on it and it has been a good car. Other than routine maintnance not much ellse has had to be done. Recently, the spark plugs wires and one fuel injector needed to be replaced. I agree with the poor design of the armrest cup holder, mine broke off after 5 years. The onlly other complaint is the CD player stereo system my CD broke after 3 years and it would have cost $200 to repair.