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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  My Cavilier - 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Mikeh - November 26 - 2:00 am

  I am 46 Years Old and this is by far the best car I have ever owned! It has 200,000 Miles on It and is still going strong. The two biggest drawbacks about the Cavilier are the interior Plastic door panels, dash parts etc. (which break and crack from normal use) and the Air Conditioning system which devolped more leaks than any car I have owned! The repair on the A/C System would cost more than the vehicle value. But it does keep going and going!

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  Camaros Rule - 1993 Chevrolet Camaro
  By KevinNeoKevin - November 26 - 2:00 am

  The 93 Z28 Camaro is amazing. I gave it a nice tune-up, bosch platinum +4 spark plugs, taylor wires, new K&N air filter, and a Hypertech thermostat 160. It is an amazing machine, it came with already done modifications on it, magnaflow exhaust, cool air intake, amazing sound system. The steering is a little tough, but it makes it enjoyable. The LT-1 will do 0-60 in at least 5.5, it’s amazing. Torque is set at a low which makes it an amazing street car that’ll smoke just about any import away. The only recommendations that I would give is to keep check on the hoses and such, we did have to repair a coolant leak from a hose.

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  A Venture Review - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By Mcfrdmn - November 26 - 2:00 am

  Standard Driving for a basic van No more No less

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  Ventured Trany - 1997 Chevrolet Venture
  By GWERBI - November 25 - 2:00 am

  My Transmission is going, going, gone. GM once made one of the best transmissions going. But now thats a thing of the past.

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  Leased vehicles are junk - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By schroeder - November 25 - 2:00 am

  Purchased Tahoe used from Russ Darrow (dont buy from there) had to replace the transmission within a year of purchase. We tried to find out if it was under warranty and got the run around from Chevrolet. Within two weeks it had electrial problems. 8 months of purchase the transmission started slipping and the rear end made a clunking noise. The window adjuster and lock mechanism fell into the door and we can not use those buttons on the passenger side. I do not like the anti- lock brakes that were designed for this vehicle. When I come to an abrupt stop the whole vehicle shakes and feels out of control.

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  Tahoe - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Utstud1 - November 24 - 10:00 am

  The Chevy tahoe is a fairly good car. It has a wonderful drive and a great u- turn. The interior could be more luxuries, but the outside is pretty nice.

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  New TRUCK - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Don Biser - November 23 - 2:00 am

  WANT TO UP GRADE MY TRUCK. I HAVE A CHEV S-10 AND IT IS A 1989 WITH 123000 MILES. IT HAS BEEN A GOOD VEHICIE FOR ME.

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  93 Z - 1993 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Mean Green - November 22 - 2:00 am

  The quickest thing you can buy for under $10K.

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  Reliable Car - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By GM - November 22 - 2:00 am

  Very nice car, Ive bought the car new 5 years ago and it required no repairs, except oil and tires. Id definetly reccommend it if you are looking for a fairly cheap midsize car that has some of the best american engineering.

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  Wonderfully dependable - 1998 Chevrolet Prizm
  By choalb - November 21 - 2:00 am

  For over 4 yrs, this car has been absolutely reliable--good mileage 34mpg with automatic transmission, no leaks, no rattles, relatively quiet on the freeway especially after I switched tires. Do regular maintenance and thats it. For me, Im 58", the car is very comfortable.