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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  Great Car, had some problems, but its OK - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By GloryHorn - November 20 - 2:00 am

  Well, this would be my first car that I ever bought for myself. It runs great and as long as you do some INTELLIGENT maintainence, you wont have any problems like other people have with this type of car. Right now, the only problems I have popping up is the tension arm on the serpentine belt is making noise and the seals on top of the engine are oozing oil. But theyre easily fixed. People need to have some sense about cars if theyre going to buy one. If you dont know anything about cars, you shouldnt own one.

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  Making Progress - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By atravelor - November 20 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Suburban, which is a Z71. With 28,000 on this one we have experienced fewer problems then we did on our 1995 LT. Milage has improved but nothing like the others have reported. It is pretty much 15 city or highway - uphill or down. Problems to date have been with the front suspension that makes odd noises occasionally accompanied with excessive tire ware on the inside of the tires. The other minor issue has been with the rear AC control that now only works at one speed - high. Other then that, it is much more livable car to drive day to day then the previous generation, and at the price I got it at a much better value then most of the compitition.

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  we got the better one - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jeremy - November 19 - 2:00 am

  we got the better one you people just dont know how to treat a car our car has 49000 miles on it not a thing wrong with it so quit dissing the car you car abusers

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  Shouldve bought a Tundra - 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By dinger82 - November 18 - 7:24 am

  American truck built in Mexico! Drives great; I put a 5" lift on mine goes anywhere.

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  Astro Wagon : Reliable and Strong - 1994 Chevrolet Astro
  By Mark Johnson - November 18 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Astro LT Wagon new, and have accumulated over 133,000 miles to date. No engine or transmission troubles, no air conditioning problems, only a power window motor and wiper relay have failed in service. This is a great work record, for a reliable and strong van. Plenty of 4.3 V-6 Power for any driving condition too!

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  owner - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By O F - November 18 - 2:00 am

  to many blind spots dont like two door

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  Just breaking it in... - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jmdc648 - November 17 - 12:50 pm

  I traded my 2004 Chevrolet Silverado Z- 71 due to poor transmission and rear end issues. I love the way it drives. It is a very smooth and quite ride and extremely comfortable. The interior is nicely designed. The exterior is sharp and no doubt turns heads when it passes by.

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  Nice Crossover - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ltd - November 17 - 11:23 am

  Never considered the previous version, when shopping for new small crossover. Went to the Toyota dealership and saw the Equinox out from the the Chevy dealer across the street. Much nicer in than all competition. Very quiet, seems to have plenty of power with the 4 cyl and gas mileage for vehicle of this size is very good. Interior is much nicer than anything I have seen in this class and price range, even compares well to our 2009 Volvo. Overall if you are looking for a smallish crossover the Equinox is worth checking out

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  Fast but not catching the cops eye - 1995 Chevrolet Beretta
  By KTCat - November 17 - 2:00 am

  This is the 2nd Chev. Beretta that I have owned, and I have put them to the test. Berettas are very dependable cars. They have the fast get up and go without the very fast obvious look. It is so much fun to have a Mustang or another sporty type car to pull up beside you, thinking they can show off, and without any real effort you leave them in the dust.

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  New 2007 Silverado 2500 HD - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By BHBCO - November 15 - 7:56 pm

  This is a great ride. It looks good, runs good,and has the options I wanted. I just would like to get better gas mileage but who wouldn`t? I`m waiting now for more goodies to put on it.