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:

• 

  Great Truck - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By RVAS - September 16 - 2:00 am

  The truck has always been good to me and has never given me any problems. Actually you can get used to the brakes and its not totally unsafe. Quesiton if you really need the room. I bought it thinking that I will use it, but it mostly sat in my garage as a second vehicle. So, if you really are going to use its towing and interior size, it would be worth it.

• 

  Underrated - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By OnyxZ28 - September 16 - 2:00 am

  Thats the story of the Camaro for the 4th generation, especially the LS1 (98- up) versions. Editors with little to no experience with the car step in expecting a Lexus ride with Corvette performance. What did they expect for 22K? Its the fastest car hands down in its price range, and contrary to urban legend, its fuel efficiency is amazing (26 MPG A4, 29 M6 highway). Others critique the LS1 with comments like "dinosaur pushrod technology." Hey -- why change what works? Whats even more amazing is that almost nobody outside the auto community has realized that the LS1 F-bodies are underrated from the factory.

• 

  Love it! - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By g-cat - September 14 - 2:00 am

  We love it! It is comfortable and drives well. We have driven it from WA to Mexico several times and it was great. The kids kept busy with the videos and we were happy listening to the radio and cds.

• 

  Good Truck - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Morioka, Japan - September 13 - 10:00 am

  Good Truck. Solid. Minor problem witha side mirror.

• 

  CHEVY S10 - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By JOHN TORRES - September 13 - 2:00 am

  THIS TRUCK IS TO SMALL AND SHOULD ONLY BE FOR SMALL PEOPLE

• 

  fun cur - 1995 Chevrolet Beretta
  By bobski - September 13 - 2:00 am

  I have this car for almost 7 years and I love it. Cant Imagine another car, and I hope Chevrolet will come up with another Beretta in the future, of course I had few problems with the car but what do you expect for 145000 and still running great....very fun to drive driving it to work every day, 70 miles a day.

• 

  No Problems - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By LoveGM - September 13 - 2:00 am

  Had this car from day one. Great riding car. We drive long trips every summer and have had nor problems. We now have 108,000 miles on it, and only have had to replace the water pump. The brakes still seem to be a problem for GM, but change them yourself and its not that bad. Went through two sets of rotors within the 15,000 miles. Once I started changing them myself found out that it would only cost me $100 a year for new pads and rotors. Interior is nice and comfortable, however the rattles and other noises can get on your nerves after a while.

• 

  Best Buy SUV with comfort in its class - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Bobay - September 13 - 2:00 am

  I purchased the top of the line 98 blazer LT model with leather and loved its comfort and room. In fact it was too much room for a single bachelor but I took 2 - 1000 mile trips that seemed easy. I sold it only because I needed better gas mileage for driving to work.

• 

  Fun and Reliable! - 1999 Chevrolet Camaro
  By F-Body Fan - September 12 - 2:00 am

  Ive driven my 99 V-6 coupe almost 50k miles now, and it has operated flawlessly. It has only been in the shop once for a blown catalytic converter, which was covered under warranty. Snow tires make winter driving a lot easier in northern areas. Its amazing what you can fit in this car if youre creative - Ive hauled over a yard of mulch, 32" TVs, gas grills. Gas mileage averages around 20MPG with mixed city/hwy driving. Definitely get the manual trans - my 96 with the auto wasnt nearly as fun. Overall a great car for the price! Dont waste your money on the V-8 unless you live somewhere with a lot of open roads and no cops.

• 

  Sedan - 1994 Chevrolet Lumina
  By good2us - September 11 - 2:00 am

  We put 225000 miles on the car in 5 years time and only had one major problem (the transmission required an overhaul) at 201000 miles. Unfortunately, the rebuild wasnt nerarly as good as the original. If you buy one of these, expect to change an alternator every 75000, a water pump every 100000, and a heater core every 125000 miles. The engine has only had valve cover gaskets. The car almost has 300000 miles on it now, so were planning on replacing it because the body isnt quite as rigid as it used to be.