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:

• 

  Gas Mileage is Bad! - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Boo~ - June 16 - 11:53 am

  I really love this car, love the look, enjoy the feel of it while driving, having OnStar has been fun- and my daughter loves usign the OnStar phone. Plenty of room for the family dog in the back seat as well. In sport read this car was my idea of a fun car! I get 27.5 miles per gallon using the interstate between home and work, I am very disappointed in the gas mileage. I use cruise control every day and I never get more than 27.5- some folks say they are getting 400 miles out of 11 gallons Yeah Id like to see that done in person, you have to see it to believe it. Other than the gas issue at 4.12 per gallon I really love this little car.

• 

  Basic transportation - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Michael Kinney - June 14 - 4:06 pm

  Three years we have been driving this car. Its is hard to hold on the freeway with any kind of side wind. I can say that is is basic tranportation. Mileage is nothing to speak of. I wished I still had my Metro. It was a better car.

• 

  Worst car I ever Owned - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Ron - June 13 - 2:44 pm

  Electronic nightmare started with tire monitor system and went downhill from there. Dealers dont know how to fix. Replaced multiple transmissions. Had to sell after 18 months. Spent more time in the shop than on the road. A little more cash will buy a reliable BMW. Dont waste time on the SS.

• 

  Dissapointment - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By lorraine - June 12 - 8:29 am

  Traded in a 2004 Impala for my 2007. Loved my 2004 so I figured how could I go wrong? Well, I was wrong. Very disappointed in my 2007. Seats (leather) are terribly uncomfortable, radio reception stinks, gas mileage not what I expected. My 04 with a 3.8 V6 got better gas mileage than this 3.5 V6 does. Terrible. Down to 22 mpg. If I need to pick up speed quickly it hesitates before it decides to go anywhere. Not enough storage space for CDs, etc. Wish Id kept my 04.

• 

  Let Down - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By Let Down - June 11 - 10:05 pm

  This was a demo vehicle when I purchased it, but I was the first owner. Its styling, spacious interior, and solid feel sold me on it. I loved this minivan. It started every time I turned the key. It was good on fuel and on long trips. It was just a very reliable minivan aside from having to replcd the brake pads annually. However, when the odometer turned to 50K then its radio died & I had to rplace the driver-side window regulator. After the odometer turned 60K the oil pump went, then the main bearing thus, the motor is kaput. I am really disappointed in the piece of junk GM put under the hood. It is dead in the driveway. I currently have a 06 Uplander it will be sold! Never again Chevy

• 

  Just OK - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By TXEng - June 11 - 7:31 pm

  Bought the Venture new, fortunately with extended warranty, which paid for itself. Under warranty the AC compressor failed (defective from factory). I had the same intake gasket problem others have mentioned. The dash climate control failed and had to be replaced. There are indeed too many plastic parts and not solidly attached. Passenger side electric window is not working now. But have about 120,000 miles on it, and it is comfortable and roomy and otherwise served our family well.

• 

  2000 4 door Cavalier - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By sher - June 11 - 12:38 am

  I bought this car brand new. After 3 months the rods blew, the trunk broke, the dash has 6 cracks. Seats are very hard on back. Very noisy ride. Fan motor broke after 55,000 miles. Brakes squal even though they were fixed. CD player broke after 4 years old

• 

  Nothing to brag about - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By stallion78 - June 10 - 5:53 pm

  I have owned this car for over 2 years. The leather interior and amount of drink holders is nice but the cheap looking dash and stereo system is a bad combination with the nice seats. Mostly the SUV has not been giving me trouble but one problem has never been corrected and that is the braking system which has been locking up at the worst times. Glad I havent crashed into anyone yet.

• 

  03 Trailblazer EXT LT 4WD - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By becky - June 10 - 5:15 pm

  We bought this SUV thinking it would get decent gas mileage and be great for the family. Space is nice and it is very comfortable but the gas mileage is horrible! We get about 11mpg in town and 12-13 on the highway! I havent even had it for 1 year and am looking to sell. If you are looking for something that even gets remotely good gas mileage dont by this car! We had everything looked at to see if there was some sort of problem that caused the bad mpg and everthing was good to go, just bad mileage!

• 

  2500HD 6.0 4x4 Reg Cab 64,000 miles - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Rob - June 10 - 12:56 pm

  Wonderful truck in the snow! Gas mileage is what you would expect, lousy. Alternator chewed up rear bearing at 62,000 miles. Seems to rust easy, all front brake lines are very rusty. Had a scare recently, when engine stalls you have no brakes! I guess that would be my only serious complaint about the hydraulic brake system.