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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  Pretty good...For a while - 1992 Chevrolet S-10
  By Ruby Shaun - July 30 - 2:00 am

  Pretty good truck for a while...Dont take 2wd 4 cyl offroading through anything...Itll completely kill it. Rust is bad, but it gets me from place to place. Trying to get rid of it now, lookin for somethin bigger and roomier. Prolly going towards Ford, I had a ranger for a while and liked that a lil better, not by much..Going full- size ford.

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  Review - 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Roger Nutter - July 30 - 2:00 am

  great car...our second SUBURBAN...this is a diesel and is too loud for me though the ride is good.

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  2007 Silverado Crew Cab Review - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By silverado22 - July 30 - 1:10 am

  This is the first GM vehicle that I have owned where I have not had to bring it back to the dealer to get anything fixed. I have over 12K miles in less than 6 months of driving, averaging 18 mpg. The air conditioning is powerful and cold. My only complaint is there is too much badging of the vehicle. After removing all of the silly 4x4 stickers, huge Chevy Bowtie, Silverado and GM badging, I can now appreciate the quality of the paint on my truck.

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  HHR is fun and economical - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Todd McGonagle - July 29 - 4:33 am

  This is the first new car I have ever had and Im glad I bought one. It has plenty of space inside. It has a fun retro classic look. It gets all the mileage it claims to get, and even more if you drive slower than 65 on level ground. The automatic transmission is responsive and the little 4 banger is plenty of power for this car. If the engine were bigger it obviously wouldnt get that all important 30 MPG! For an inexpensive vehicle, I cant say enough positive things about it. I highly recommend the HHR if you like the utility of wagons, coupled with a car based body style. I hope Chevrolet will offer a 2 door panel delivery version of this car in the future.

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  2000 Impala LS problems - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By Norbert Berninger - July 29 - 2:00 am

  This 2000 Impala LS has been trouble since I brought it. Almost every month in the garage. Front suspension completely replaced, Brakes,rotors, pads at 15,000. I purchased car with 15,000 miles. It is advisable to buy extended warranty.

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  new suv - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By marvywall - July 29 - 2:00 am

  i love the feel and the handling of the Tracker. the room is minimal but the style is nice and the fact that it has a 4 wd option is comforting.

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  Decent car for the money - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By ohiocpa - July 29 - 2:00 am

  This is primarily my wifes car, and she really likes it. Its a decent SUV for the money, but has a few annoying rattles. Also, on the 2WD model, the wheels are closer together giving it a more wobbly feeling around curves or over bumpy road. Great towing power for a midsize SUV. We tow our 24 boat with no problems.

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  hello - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jimmmmmm - July 29 - 2:00 am

  Nice car, some quirks, overall a solid car.

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  Why buy this truck? - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By Kenna - July 28 - 2:00 am

  After reading several sources, and actually driving several trucks, I chose the Chevrolet. Dodge Dakota was even worse on gas, and the Toyota was higher priced when similarly equipped. Being over 6 tall and needing to have some storage room in the cab, for save keeping travel bags, place for dog to ride when weather bad, and sometimes needing room for 4 people, this was the best truck.

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  Very nice ride - 1999 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Dimas - July 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car about a year ago and put another 10k miles on it. After i bought it i had to replace the Intake Manifold, which cost me $300, other than that i did not repair ANYTHING. The car feels very safe. It is heavy, roomy and powerful. Great for long trips. Gas milage could be better. And the V6 is kind of useless since it only puts out 160hp. I dont understand why my friend has a 4 cyl. 2003 Altima and has more hp than i do. Ridiculous. I like my car. I hope to drive it for a long time.