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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  Very Pleased - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By TrendEOne - August 21 - 2:00 am

  Much better handling than Cavs of the past. Very stylish lines, and the factory body kit is just enough. Surprisingly peppy for a four banger.

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  Lucky Cav Owner - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By decentcavalier - August 20 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for a year and 32,000 miles and absolutely no problems. You cant expect much from this car other than taking you from point A to B and it does it quite well. Dont expect great 0-60 times or cornering or anything to do with performance this is strictly a commuter car and those who complain about it should be looking at other models. Great as a your first car, then move on to bigger and better things. Keep the car for as long as you have it financed because the resale value is crap, you will be loosing a lot of money if you want to get rid of it before time.

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  Who would have believed it? - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By kmay - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Bought my 1996 LS with 26k miles on it in September 1997. What a pleasant surprise this car has turned out to be! Still rolling at 126,800 miles. I get 35 mpg on long highway trips, 24 in the city. No special work - except a new alternator and starter last year. The oil light has been on for 2.5 years, but 6 different mechanics have said there is no leak - its just the sensor. Paint has held up - no chips, no dents.

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  My dog van - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By caninetrainer - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Traded in my 99 Venture LS for the 03 LT. The cab space seems smaller and I miss the lumbar support. I do not like the universal front seat adjustments. I also do not like the digital odometer. It is hard for me to read. I also do not like the audio controls on the steering wheel. I do like the way it drives and handles the road. However, I wish the rear seat would fold like the Honda Odyssey. Also I think the automatic sliding door is on the wrong side. And why could they not put splash guards on this expensive vehicle? Also I have a hard time with closing the hood. It takes several tries.

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  Bad Trans - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jrmchevy - August 18 - 10:00 am

  With 2000 miles on the truck, the transmission fluid line detached and dumped all fluid. After re-building the trans, the truck bumps in and out of gear roughly. Been in the shop 5 times now for same problem - only 4000 miles!

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  k1500sub - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By brun0tc - August 18 - 2:00 am

  This is a great vehicle overall.Perfect for towing except for the 5.7 is a little lite,go for the big block opt.

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  Bigger is Better - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By dyckvk - August 18 - 2:00 am

  We just moved up from a 98 JGC because of newly planned camping trips across the US with our coleman camper. The mid-sized SUVs wed been considering nolonger fit our family and towing capacity needs. Weve only had the Suburban for 2 months, but already wonder if we could ever own anything else. Recent trip from Lansing, MI to Savannah, GA was a breeze. Worst thing about the vehicle is that everyone now wants me to drive.

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  Beward of 4WD problems - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By tractorboy - August 18 - 2:00 am

  "Service 4WD" warning constantly comes on. 4WD now doesnt work at all. The truck has already spent 10 days in service departments (Ive only owned it for 3 months). The power windows failed, the radio stopped working, and the A/C went out. Theyve been able to fix everything but the 4WD/Transfer case problems. First it was a "software update". Then it was a "control module". Then it was an "encoder motor". They finally admitted they cant fix it. To make things worse, GM isnt backing it up. This is absolutely the worst truck Ive ever owned and it only has 4,000 miles on it.

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  Nice truck! - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Ptown1 - August 18 - 2:00 am

  I started to buy a Ford, but once I drove the Silverado I was sold. It has more than enough power from the 5.3 vortec. The Ford didnt even compare, I couldnt believe the difference. Silverado has the best ride, and is the most plush of the big 3 trucks. Love the looks I get while driving it! Its a very nice looking and well built truck!!!

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  Real Nice Lemon! - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By pacificnw - August 17 - 2:00 am

  We bought car at dealer with 56K miles. Soon after we bought, "check engine" light comes on. We were told tranny was bad. Had tranny rebuilt for $1100, but light still came on. After a year, car in shop total of 4 mo., 3 trannys, total of $2500, we got light to stop and quickly traded car in. After some research, found that is very common problem with mid 90s camaros. Tranny is a 4L60-E, and it throws the 1870 code which causes the check engine light to come on. Comfortable, fast, great sound system. Get the manual tranny instead. BTW, called original owner, he said light started coming on at 36K miles, he had also spent $3000 trying to fix!