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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  Value and torque - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Bruce Rappoport - June 11 - 2:00 am

  Great Power and Handling.

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  Nice to drive, hard on gas - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Peter - June 11 - 1:36 am

  Wheel bearing went in the first month. Gas mileage is pretty bad even when driven gently (approx 22 MPG HWY) Nice to drive, very comfortable, poor visibility when backing up, needs adjustable delay wipers, -window controls are not lit (hard to find at night) -handbrake is awkward to reach -gearshift is clumsy to use -great stereo (with upgrade) -excellent in snow

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  A reliable hauler. - 1994 Chevrolet Caprice
  By lschultz - June 10 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car used in 2000 with 68,000 miles. My wife hauls the kids around and we all pull a travel trailer with our Caprice. I have the 5.7 liter engine that is great. I perform regular maint. and have had no major problems. For the flexability and the capability the wagon is hard to beat. Its too bad they are no longer produced. Leave it to GM to Kill a winner.

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  Great Truck - 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By charley - June 10 - 2:00 am

  I love this truck! It has almost 160,000 mile and has had very few problems. I can always count, great towing power, great sound and comfort! I never want to get rid of it!

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  2001 chevy blazer - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Jamie Putchio - June 10 - 2:00 am

  Overall this is a good verhicle but the body style has been the same for to long! They need to change it!

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  Money pit - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By SteveNY - June 9 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned this car for almost 3 years. Ive replaced the struts, front and back, the strut mounts front and back (twice within 14 months for the back), the front wheel bearings, and Ive had times that the car wont start because the spark plugs got a little dirty. (I wind up having to replace the plugs every six months or so). Along with the other little stupid things Ive had happen, if I didnt do all the work myself, I cant imagine how much it would have cost me. Im so ready to get rid of this piece of junk.

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  2004 MALIBU VIEW - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By DE-ICER - June 8 - 10:00 am

  COMFORTABLE CAR FOR ME TO DRIVE TO WORK, 35 MILES ONE WAY. PLENTY OF POWER TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. QUIET CABIN FOR A CAR PRICED UNDER $20,000, MANY STANDARD FEATURES FOR THE PRICE TOO. MY FUEL USE HAS BEEN GOOD, 34 MPG WITH AC ON. THE DEALER HAD TO TURN THE FRONT ROTORS AT 3000 MILES DUE TO A VIBRATION IN THE BRAKES.

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  serves its purpose - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By cologal - June 8 - 2:00 am

  After driving this mini-van for 4 years, my main complaints are the brakes end up squeaking after only a few months, and the rear window washer is a joke.The sprayer should be mounted on the wiper.The gas mileage on this van is fantastic. It is great on long trips with the kids, and our model seats 8 which has come in handy. It is beginning to show its age, with squeaks and rattles and other noises, but that is typical of a well-used vehicle. Resale value is horrible, and I will have trouble when trading it in since dealers dont want to give much for it. For the busy family that prefers to drive instead of fly, this is the mini-van to do it in.

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  pimped vehicle - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Travis7 - June 8 - 2:00 am

  I have had a good time driving this vehicle and it has been very fun and reliable

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  LT COUPE 5 SPEED 2.2L ECOTEC inline 4 - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Eric Struebel - June 7 - 2:03 pm

  I purchased this vehical cause chevy seems to always have the most reliable vehical. The power the 2.2 puts out, but a little more wouldnt hurt! The shifter is to close to the driver, but has a nice short shift package. The emergancy brake is ok if you dont have the armrest console in the middle of the car, you cant use the ebrake when parking without dumping everything inside the console. The seats are Not to comfortable for long drives more than a hour, but for short trips and to work its ok. I was impressed with the stereo, sounds wonderful, also liked the controls for it on the stearing wheel. Trunk is big,opening to small. I had to put a clutch in already at 12800miles, wasnt happy!!!