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 truck - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By brandon - November 20 - 9:16 pm

  Simply put you cant beat an S-10. They will take anything you can throw at them. Everything I have asked this truck to do it has. During week drove it back and forth to college and then to work all week and on weekend I do everything from service coal truck I haul big tireds, usally more that one 50 gallon drum and drove back on strip jobs where most people would never dream of taking a 2-drive. Not saying I didnt get stuck sometimes, and at same as time would take home from doing that wash it up and take out to bar. Even in winter went most people park their 2 wheeldrive I didnt. I would just throw 200 250 pounds in the back. Old 4.3 would just idle its way around. Sometime I had spend my way out

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  Joes Toy - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Joe Scarllett - November 20 - 2:53 pm

  This is the most enjoyable ,fun, exciting rides that I have had in the 52 years that I have been driving cars and trucks. The only other ride that I can rate it with would be my 76 Harley !

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  Awesome Truck - 1995 Chevrolet S-10
  By John U - November 20 - 9:27 am

  Year 2008:Still running strong. Tired of hearing negativity after 100000 mi. Take care of it and it will take care of you. My S10 will be coming up to the 200000 mi club before the end of the year. I am getting 30mpg. I primarily use it to drive for work, approx. 80mi round trip due to new job(2yrs). Only major thing was the water pump. The normal maintenance of oil changes and tune ups has it still running strong. I am just now starting to get rust on both sides of the lower cab. This is great considering I live in NE Ohio and what the salt does to your vehicle.

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  Malibu: Reliable Car Packed w/ Features - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By kevrupp - November 20 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is very comfortable on long trips. You can pay several thousand more for less features and what some think is better quality (Camry or Accord), but I dont think they are worth it. The Malibu has proven to be reliable as far as ratings are concerned and for transportation for me over the 7 months that I have owned it. Another thing to consider when buying a car in this class is the price to repair it. The parts needed to repair a Camry or Accord can be very expensive compared to the Malibu, when something does go wrong.

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  Very Happy With Malibu LS - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By anotherhappycamper - November 20 - 2:00 am

  Have Maliby LS for 2 years. No problems at all, very reliable, comfortable. Great value.

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  Sweet Van - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By drivetilldie - November 19 - 11:37 pm

  Not the coolest car for a guy in his early 20s but, I would buy another one. First off, the extended version is huge, able to fit a piece of plywood flat with the seats out. Second, I have put no money into this thing except a new tranny at 170K. I drive around with all the rear seats out and it get 20/26 almost as good as my Saturn. Ive got 200K on her now and looking forward to rolling over 300. Because of this vehicle, I would buy another Chevy despite many problems friends have had.

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  Newly Purchase Chevy Silverado 2500HD - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By dvkiel - November 19 - 8:19 pm

  I have recently purchased a good used 2007 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Crew Cab, long bed truck with 33,000 original miles on it. I have only had it for about a month now but so far it appears to be everything that I am going to need in a truck. It has the 6.0L Vortec engine in it so it should handle the 23 5th wheel that we are purchasing as well, pretty easily. The truck runs fine, rides pretty smooth (for a truck) and handles fine. Im getting about what I would expect a truck of this size to get on mpg, averaging 12.6 on the first 4 tanks of gas. I expect lower once we start pulling the 5th wheel.

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  Poor Quality - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Gerald - November 19 - 7:56 pm

  I purchased this vehicle for the style & fuel mileage. This vehicle has very cheap interior & mechanical components. Interior finish rubs off with use. Radio finish comes off. Gas cap broke. Windshield washer pump quit. If you open the windows there is a terrible thumping from air presure.

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  Crash Survivor - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Bill - November 19 - 3:47 pm

  I was t-boned on the drivers side by an Olds 88 7-7-08 at an intersection. My wife and two sons 8 & 6 were passengers. The force of the crash bent the floorboard causing the rear passenger wheel to buckle causing our SUV to roll. When it finally came to a stop we were laying on the drivers side facing the direction we came from. Surprisingly none of the air bags deployed. We all climbed out of the broken passenger windows with little more than minor scratches. I would give the Equinox a 10 for safety other than the extra chance of a roll-over crash that all SUVs have.

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  Rating my HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Pat - November 19 - 6:30 am

  The 2006 was my first HHR My husband bought the 2007 and I traded mine in & bought a 2008. We love these cars they are comfortable fuel effecient and reliable. One thing we would like to see [as we live in the Poconos of PA] is all wheel drive, even though they are good in the snow.