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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  3 DOOR 1998 ASTRO AWD - 1998 Chevrolet Astro
  By 123113131313131 - July 7 - 2:00 am

  Very happy with vehicle performance. Good acceleration, mileage, and sits up as high as any passenger truck on the road. I only wish I had ordered the rear heating and a/c. AWD is awesome, never go back.

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  average - 2002 Chevrolet Prizm
  By chevy prizm-ner - July 6 - 2:00 am

  You cannot go wrong if you want a station to station car. It is a vanilla type car compared to a fancy flavor. There is no excitement in this car but it will get you there and back.

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  g - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Chris Clark - July 5 - 10:00 am

  The Trail Blazer has good low end power but, in 0-60 times it is a dog. The Blazer has roomy back seat and also up front.

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  Nice Surprise - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By robinrr - July 4 - 2:00 am

  We were shopping for a family sedan on a very limited budget. The Malibu was the most affordable 5 passenger sedan we could find. With automatic trans. PW, PL, keyless entry, AC, curise, etc it came to about $15,000. After purchasing it we kept finding features we didnt know were there - daylight running lights, automatic head lights, a cup holder on the left for the driver, comfortable rear seating for 6 foot passengers, a trucnk that will hold $400 worth of groceries, etc. After 30,000 miles it has been trouble free (a warranty replacement of a PS hose solved a PS chatter). The 2.4 liter 4 has plenty of power and gets 30 MPG on the highway. Highly recommend this vehicle.

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  Good First Family Car - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Ali Reza Rajabzadeh - July 4 - 2:00 am

  This is a good first family car because you plenty of room for the kids and the stuff i.e. stroller baby seat diaper bag and you can afford it with its nice price tag. They only bad thing is the resale/trade-in value on this car.

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  Jury is still out - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Kareem - July 4 - 2:00 am

  I recently purchased the Chevy TB. I love the design. The quality of leather on the seats looks very cheap. Very smooth engine. Lots of cargo space. Good ride for an SUV. Im still a little leary of the long term reliability.

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  get comfortable seats - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By jon holtzleiter - July 4 - 2:00 am

  seats are to hard and not bucket enough. A arm rest is needed for front and back seats. Onstar is a price pack and should not be required in the upper scale models.

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  Good car if you take care of it. - 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By AIM : Pikachoo1980 - July 3 - 2:00 am

  My 3.1l v6 has >160,000miles on the original engine. The transmission has about 70,000 miles on it(rebuilt). I have never, EVER, been left on teh side of the road because it broke down. It has always started on the first crank. I dont abuse her, but I dont pamper her either. I say it is a great car. I have only had to spend money on teh airconditioner, radiator, and I went ahead and replaced all of the gaskets (not neccessary, but it had minor leaks) on the car when I bought it. Too bad there is no aftermarket support.

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  Its a Pleasure to Drive - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By achilles - July 3 - 2:00 am

  After many scans of automotive reviews the overall look, size, engine and good reports on this car gave me a good feeling and decided I wanted an LTZ with the bucket seats and the console. Surfing the web, I located a 1998 LTZ in Milton, Ontario and after my first test drive I was so pleased that I made an offer immediately. I bought the car in August 2000 with 51,000 kms and have since put another 31,000 troublefree kms on it. Just love the ride of this car and peppy engine...great highway driving car too.

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  About to retire this at 110K miles - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By JoelK - July 3 - 2:00 am

  I am trading selling my 1997 Chevy Blazer after 5 years of ownership and 110 miles. Had about 3 major repairs (heater core, transmission, signal) all covered by an extended warrantee. This CANT handle for nothing in snow!