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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  A nice van - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By lcabrera - April 11 - 2:00 am

  The power doors, backup alarm and audio components make me very happy that I chose the LT edition. The Venture rides very smooth and gives reasonablly good gas mileage (~20 MPH average over the last 7000 miles) considering.

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  My Rating - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Stripes - April 11 - 2:00 am

  This car has excellent control and speed. It is fun to drive because it has balls.

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  First Truck, First Chevy Owned - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By CEH1960 - April 11 - 2:00 am

  All in All good experience. A crack in the Windshield at 5000 miles. I think a combination of Oklahoma roads and angle of the windshield. Seems like an awful lot of chevy trucks in Oklahoma with a cracked windshield.

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  LAST OF THE GOOD LOOKIN SMALL TRUCKS! - 1993 Chevrolet S-10
  By ddonn315 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  I bought this truck new in 93, replacing my 82 S-10 long bed. It has the 2.8L v-6, which consistently gets 26mpg back and forth to work. It has the manual 5-speed, which makes you feel like youre driving a much larger truck. This is the last year they made the S-10 with the traditional truck styling, all the chrome, and accent strips, etc. Everytime I have the truck out someone will inevitably say to me, what a nice lookin truck! I wish I had a nickel for every time someone has complimented me on my little red truck! It has a great ride, and handles well in the snow.

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  Good Car, but there are downfalls - 1996 Chevrolet Beretta
  By Mikedonalds - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Great car mechanically, I have 121,000 miles and the engine is still strong and peppy. Transmission has been a dream. I have gunned the engine far more than a few times and can outrun (w/ my V6) any Saturn, any neon, or 90s mustang (base model). Downfalls: The paint/primer are of poor quality - very poor. The daytime running lights are a major annoyance, prior to dusk my headlights turn on and off simply by entering and exiting a shady area. Driver side left foot space is crampy and there is no comfortable place for it. Floor carpeting in front and back sucks, ex. staining and fraying. Doors are heavy, actually too heavy. They will start to drag slightly and squeak

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  great little car - 2000 Chevrolet Prizm
  By qualia8 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  this car is a steal... super-reliable, economical, and zippy with the stick... too bad it has a big Chevy bowtie on the front

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  I work for GM so I didnt have a choice. - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Dokken - April 9 - 2:00 am

  The more I drive it the more flaws I find in the interior. Interior plastic looks cheap. Intrument panel pieces have a different shade and grain. Door trim pieces DO NOT MATCH either. I hope I can sell this thing in a couple years and not lose too much money. Buy the extended warranty! V6 is powerful, but a gas hog. Even for a truck!

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  Extreme Fun - 1990 Chevrolet Camaro
  By ItalianStallion - April 8 - 2:00 am

  The 1989-1992 Camaros are the best 3rd Generation Camaro. They have unbelivable power in the L98 IROC-Z. They are also the best car to have a great time with. Either restoring or racing. I say buy it if you want to have a great time for a great price.

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  MPG - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By sutibunu - April 7 - 4:52 am

  I average 16-18 combines, 16 city and 18-20 highway. Towing the Coquihalla highway with our travel trailer (22ft komfort) ~4000KG I got about 8mpg. coming back down the Coq, I averages 13-15mpg.

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  1991 Chevy Lumina - 1991 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Sarah - April 6 - 2:00 am

  My mother bought the vehicle almost new in 1992 and sold it to me when I moved out of state. It has been an excellent car. We never had any major problems until the car hit 100K, and at that point the shocks, struts, spark plug wires all had to be replaced. The gas gage stopped working. The hood also started to rust a little, and the paint started to peel in the back. However, weve never had any mechanical problems. The engine has never had to be repaired and Ive never been leary about it breaking down on long trips. It has been a great car.