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:

• 

  Fun for a big family - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By northcoast - March 12 - 12:18 am

  Great Truck for a family that is active.

• 

  corsica - 1994 Chevrolet Corsica
  By moolon - March 11 - 10:11 pm

  its not worth what they made me pay for it

• 

  Chevy in Russia - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By MK - March 11 - 7:39 pm

  Good SUV

• 

  96 Lumina Review - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By AaronB - March 11 - 4:48 pm

  The design of the car is nice, and it has clean lines. There is plenty of room on the inside.(Im 62") Controls are pretty well placed. One problem would be the cup holder in the arm rest. This broke off after about four years of use. The car runs well. It averages about 20mpg city, and about 25 on the highway. Ive had a couple of problems though. Ive had to replace the alternator and battery cables on the car. Outside of that, the car is reliable and comfy to drive.

• 

  2000 Impala Sedan-Faulty Components - 2000 Chevrolet Impala
  By Rentuck - March 11 - 3:21 pm

  At 29000 miles the engine cradle failed, the brake rotors warped, all six pistons were defective (piston slap), and at 32000 miles the steering rack failed. All were repaired under warranty at the dealer. I was in a rental car for almost two weeks while the engine craddle, piston replacement and brake rotors were being fixed. I do not feel confident about the reliability of this car, but is performing OK as I write this review.

• 

  S10, LS Reg Cab SB, V-6, Auto - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By BL - March 10 - 10:15 am

  The only negative is the rough ride with empty bed.

• 

  Malibu for me and you - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Phranq - March 10 - 9:25 am

  Overall the Malibu is an excellent car. The combination of roomy interior, accessories and V-6 make it a good value for the $. I now own 2 (2000 LS and a 2002 base with the 1SB package)

• 

  2002 coupe mn6 - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By maninblack - March 9 - 8:13 pm

  i had this car as an 02 since 0ct 2001,since than it had close to 4000km on it ,everything seems okay (I had a 97 before),much had improve frm 1997 especially on the active handling options.However,Chevy should look at the big picture here,interior design is okay compare to what chevys been doning,but far far apart frm its competetors,maybe use less plastic looking material or even carbon fibre. Other than that,heated seats or steering wheel radio control would help.

• 

  Bang for UR Buck - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By SSJason - March 9 - 2:40 am

  The performance is great stock, with minor mods, you can be in the mid 12s with a stock engined car, and get 25 mpg to boot on the highway! Reliability has been excellent, with ZERO repairs required. Although I have a manual, adding a cam/head/headers turned this car into a real beast, with a best of 12.2 on street tires at the 1/4 mile. Phenomenal handling is also available on this car to 1G with tires and upgraded suspension components from the factory.

• 

  Great value! - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By kbf - March 8 - 10:04 pm

  No problems yet. Transmission is slow to kick down in comparison to my past 96 Lumina but the speedo says that Im moving with good acceleration. I read 8.6 sec. to 60 mph which is fairly good for this type of car. As with my past Lumina, great mileage or as we say in Canada kilometerage. (Just kidding!)