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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  Desperate salesman sells a car - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Justin - April 14 - 12:55 pm

  So far driving in this car I have seen that getting to 50 is quite an effort. I also feel a lag while trying to get to 70 on the interstate. The ride is smooth and the radio is nice. I like the hepa filter the AC/Heater has is a nice feature for an allergy sufferer I am. The seats are not as comfortable as my Escape. The car does at some points keep its energy enough to allow me to move up the interstate with the flow which is good.

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  just junk - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By eric - April 14 - 11:38 am

  This truck is a piece of junk. At 44,000 miles I had to replace the water pump. At 46,000 I had to replace the trans. The handle for the seat to recline broke soon after I bought it. I also had to replace the breaks at 25,000 miles. My wife has a 01 f150 that pulls a fifth wheel and it had 60,000 before the breaks went out. Also with 100,000 miles the trany is still going strong. My son has a 87 f150 and has less problems than I am having with this piece of junk. He has 250,000 and his trany is still going strong. This is my last Chevy, going back to Ford. Like a rock my foot.

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  Best truck ever - 1995 Chevrolet S-10
  By allen - April 14 - 7:59 am

  Keep up on maintencs with lucas oil aditive. Change oil every 5,000 with good oil. This truck will run forever! My Bahama blue over black is a cool paint job from factory. T vortex v-6 is a power house. I have just shy of 300,000 miles and this truck runs like it did when i bought it new. I have replaced the u joints 8 times but just replaced the shocks at 275,000

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  nice car - 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Alexander Gogoberidz - April 14 - 2:00 am

  nice car. had no problems with it so far.

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  Like a Rock - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Mr.Bill - April 14 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 2001 shortbed stepside and have not had one bit of trouble. It rides great and is the most comfortable truck I have ever owned. It has the v-6 engine. It runs great but could be a little faster on acceleration. My only complaint is the factory sound system is junk. Overall a great truck!

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  excellent car so far - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By step c - April 14 - 2:00 am

  we went into the dealer intending to buy a malibu, however when test driving both vehicles and comparing features, impala came out on top. Malibu LS is about same $ as base Impala, however, we chose extra options on the Impala. this week was snowy and icy and Impala handles great (no trac control or ABS). All controls ie defrosting/heating etc worked flawlessly. Extremely smooth and responsive car.

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  Very nice car that depreciates slow - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By sculldog - April 14 - 12:31 am

  Great car, particularly if used and not abused. No muss ..no fuss. Smooth, powerful, fun, supportive seats, excellent heating and A/C. Decent cupholders and nice stereo altough X/M radio doesnt play nearly loud enough at freeway speeds with top down.

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  Smooth ride - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By bill - April 13 - 7:47 am

  Bought the truck used with 16K miles. Love the way it rides. Power is okay (has 4 banger). Brakes are noisy when cold and pulsate when hot. Fuel mileage is 23.9 hwy and 19 city. Punched it the other day, accelerator stuck wide open. Hope its not a sign of things to come.

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  Good truck - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By ART - April 13 - 2:20 am

  I now have 185,000 miles on it I pull a small trailer for work and have no problems. Yes there are parts that need to be replaced like starters, plugs, wires, tires and brakes. great truck.

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  Nice Expensive Truck - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Nik - April 12 - 11:06 pm

  This is a nice truck. I like the bed size. I seem to have a three door, extended cab, long bed truck with a 4.3L 6 cylinder engine. I am told that this was never manufactured. The gas milage is not great. I average about 20 miles highway, but only about 17 city. In the winter I put sand bags over the wheels (rear wheel drive) and that hurts the milage even more. Have had a lot of repairs. Two air pumps, air pump check valves (only once though), starter (I think its going again), front shocks, alternator, handle to third door three times (broken right now), and battery. Ive had to truck 2 1/2 years, bought it 12/2005 with 6,000 miles, it has 36,000 on it now. Its had a full brake job too.