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:

• 

  Bye Bye Z34 - 1994 Chevrolet Lumina
  By RobertGA - May 21 - 2:00 am

  Bought w/ 30K miles 7 years ago. 100K miles now. A blast to drive. From 3K on the tach, feels like a V8. Curvy roads are fun. Rearward visibility is poor. No electrical problems. The tranny just blew. Repair costs are $2700. "Bye Bye Z34" An oil seal cost $1K to fix. The intake leaked and a computer chip went bad - about $1K. Hidden rust cost several hundred dollars. Timing BELTS must be replaced every 50K miles. Alternator went out. No leaks, but needs half a quart of oil a month. Turning radius is poor. Possibly the most fun Ive had in a car. Would not buy another one and Im a bit leery of Chevy now after 20 years of loyalty.

• 

  Good Performance For The Money - 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Crawl731 - May 21 - 2:00 am

  Overall this car has been very reliable and fun to drive. The Z24 has performance that the other cavaliers in 1993 didnt have. It comes with a 3.1 V6 that has some good power and acceleration. The look of the exterior is very nice and sporty. The interior is basic and comfortable in the front seats. The back seat can be tight for taller people. I have only had minor problems so far. I have 109000 miles on it now. It still has the original transmission and it is working fine.

• 

  Excellent Truck - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By bauerman - May 21 - 2:00 am

  I have the 4 cylinder engine coupled with a 5 speed transmission and could not be happier with the truck to date. Smooth shifting - good power - and great gas milegage so far. If you are thinking of the 4 cylinder engine - go for the 5 speed manual as well, its the best pairing of engine and transmission. Fit and finsh seem to be excellent - especially for a used truck with 65000 miles. No rattles to this point - takes bumps well and seem to be "screwed together" very tightly. Im getting about 28 MPG right now and am very happy with that. Hauls a load pretty well and sits low enough to the ground to make loading the bed easy.

• 

  97 Corvette - 1997 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Ramjet319 - May 21 - 2:00 am

  I love the car, but disappointed that I have had to have it towed on three occasions: (1) locked steering column, (2) Broken serpintine belt bracket, (3) Broken serpintine belt.

• 

  LIke this vehicle alot - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By live4ever2002 - May 21 - 2:00 am

  bought this vehicle used,36000miles,the dealer went right through it.It has 92000 miles on it now with minimal maintence. Realy like this truck very much.very dependable for me.

• 

  2001 Chevy 2500 LT 4x4 - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By MaroonJeff - May 21 - 2:00 am

  Great SUV for a family with kids. Feels like you own the road when driving. Roomy inside is fantastic, although gas mileage is poor. I have the K2500 LT 4x4, and could have really gone with a K1500... ego made that purchase decision. Bench seats are nice with little kids. I did have a minor problem with my transmission while it was still under warranty, but the dealership handled it. Downside? Parking. Hard to squeeze into parking spots, but I knew that going into the purchase. Would definitely own another one.

• 

  Chevy stuff - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By nmn.strabel - May 20 - 9:26 pm

  After accepting delivery of my expensive 2002 3500 duramax equipped Chevy truck I was very disappointed to discover that my 1 ton dually truck came with the cheapest steel wheels that are made. After only a few thousand kilometers there were rust spots appearing on them. After going as far as I could with GM Canada and getting nowhere, I ended up sanding and repainting myself. Ford & Dodge do not have this problem. A $50,000 truck with 10 cent wheels. The rest of the truck is pretty good.

• 

  2001 LS 4.8 V8 SB - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By sandj4jc - May 20 - 10:16 am

  Pros: Nice paint (I love the Metallic Blue), Engine!! (4.8L has the power)...Im sure 5.?L would burn up tires. Decently designed interior. Stereo is adequate. Cons: Poor build quality with noises in dash and electrical problem right off of the lot! Reliability ratings are poor at best from my readings but my experience has been okay so far. I would recommend the truck for the love of driving a powerful Chevy truck that looks nice...dont buy it for a long-term owner... SF

• 

  2003 Trailblazer LTZ (bought Oct 2002) - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By bbissell_1999 - May 20 - 10:00 am

  Beautiful car! Very happy with the utility of it, and much better economy than others (3.42 axle ratio, only 2 MPG less than my 94 LHS.) Trunk dividers reccomended for runs to Home Depot/Cosco/BJs.

• 

  Sporty and Quick - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Red99bmwm3 - May 20 - 2:00 am

  I have had my Z24 for over a year now with no problems what so ever. Ive added a GM supercharger to the car and couldnt be happier. An extra 50 horsepower in these cars make them a lot more fun to drive.