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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  Very Strong Running Car - 1996 Chevrolet Beretta
  By 1996Berettaguy90 - August 27 - 1:16 am

  I have had this car for 3+ years now, and it is running strong. Has the typical engine knock that all 3100 SFI V6s make, most of them come like that from the factory. This car has made it through 3 minnesota winters, and has come with minor repairs done, mainly to the cooling system. Have gone through an alternator, that is a typical repair in 3100s. This car is constantly put under torture due to my lead-foot driving, and it still runs great. Bought this with 167,000 miles about 4 years ago, and $850 for a car that lasts for 20,000 miles and still runs great is definitely worth it. Perfect first car. Low maintenance costs. I plan to drive this car until it gives up, then rebuild it.

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  So happy - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By kayla - August 26 - 11:09 am

  I bought my Cobalt for 2 reasons. Its mileage was 10x better then my Jeep, and secondly my boyfriend who happens to be 65 could actually drive it. Its great for long trips and does wonderful in Indianas winter season.

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  Good job on this one Chevy! - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Big Pine Man - August 26 - 1:29 am

  I have been very satisfied with my 1998 Cavalier. I have about 180000 miles and have had no major troubles. My only big repair has been a water pump. Otherwise just basic maintenance. The car does seem to go through brake pads sooner than other cars Ive owned. This car leaves no fliud stains on my garage floor. Overall this car has been a great cheap car to own and drive. My only real complaint about this car is driving it in the winter. Even with good tires it seems to spin alot and the low trax light always comes on. Also the anti lock brakes appear to engage very easily on packed snow roads. This car has not costed me much money though and that is huge. Im happy with the reliability

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  What were you thinking Chevy? - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Big Pine Man - August 26 - 1:14 am

  I love Chevys but not this one. This has been a terrible car for me. I have so far invested about 3000 dollars in repairs. Fuel pump went, heater core, complete ignition and ignition harness needed to be replaced because car would not start, antifreeze leak, rotors, and several other smaller repairs. All these repairs were done when the car had less than 90000 miles. I love my 1998 Cavalier and my 2008 Silverado, but I would never recommend this car.

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  Awesome truck! - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By 2001ChevyZ71 - August 25 - 9:33 pm

  First off, it is a 2001 silverado 1500 LT extended cab 4 door Z71 with Onstar.We bought this truck used at 176K miles and have since put it 10,000 miles on it. It is real comfortable and fun to drive and it has plenty of power. I put some 33 inch maxxis bigohrn tires on it and it went to 10-12 mpg which really sucks down the gas. However, the 4wd system is great for offroading. Only had some minor stuff to replace like the universal and the brakes. The truck can be easily modded to make it look and perform better, which is a plus. I plan on keeping this truck for as long as possible, and i am confident that it will keep performing

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  Wow! Better than expected! - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Jean - August 25 - 7:46 pm

  This car was much better than I even expected! It has great power for only a 4 cylinder engine. That is saying a lot. Has chrome areas, built much better than the Chevys I have had in the past which include a Cavalier and a Lumina. I have a sunroof, spoiler, makes it sporty yet still a family car.

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  Nice while it lasted - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By cre92468 - August 25 - 4:45 pm

  Was fun to take the t-tops off and drive around, and got pretty good fuel mileage. Had to keep replacing the passenger side turn bulb because the bulbs kept melting. Had to hand wash it because if I went through the automatic car wash, water would always come in.

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  Great Investment! - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By tarjac - August 25 - 4:18 pm

  Purchased new and have never regretted it! We wanted the bench seat and the only way to get it was to buy a stripped version - ours has no options at all, but its got everything we really need, and then some. Power locks & windows, A/C, cruise, CD. The bed & midgate get used regularly for everything from furniture to lumber to yard projects. We have had "0" mechanical problems. Now that gas is so high, better mileage would be great, but still there is no better all around family vehicle.

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  Cant get rid of it. - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Mi Yow - August 25 - 3:05 pm

  Mine is a 2 door black 4.3L V6 step side bed with the ZQ8 five-star wheels and it sits a little low. Every time I decide its about time to sell it, I get it washed and someone compliments how nice it looks and theyre right. The ride is so bumpy and hard that it is embarrassing for passengers, there appears to be interior room until you put someone in there, the brakes take a little while to get the million pound thing to stop, and its not easy to keep the rear end still when trying to start off too fast, but all of those things are good too if you think about it. I just cant seem to make myself buy another truck. Spending +$25K to get something new isnt worth more than my 18MPG.

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  Love the little car - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Great Rig - August 25 - 2:44 pm

  I bought the car to get me from point A to point B safely and it does just that. Ive kept my foot off the gas and manage about 33-34 to the gallon for an average. The car handles well, I have power when I need it. It is fairly comfortable considering that I am six one and I drive a couple hours solid every day to get to work. I dont even hit my head on the roof. Only problem I have had is the bolts that hold on the front bumper started to go loose after 6500 miles with half the miles spent on dirt roads.