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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  Great Vehicle - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By MikeO - October 7 - 11:20 pm

  Fun to drive. Great handling! Packs a little bit of punch for a 2.4. Great on turns. Gas mileage is very good.

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  Fun, Fun, Fun - 1996 Chevrolet Corvette
  By simbadb - October 7 - 2:05 pm

  The last and the best of the C4. The 1996 LT4 engine is a real sleeper and conservatively rated at 330hp. If you can find a fine condition LT4, Buy It!, as this engine option particularly in Collector Edition badging should maintain its value over the coming years.

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  Surburban to 300k - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By AC - October 7 - 1:53 pm

  Bought at 80k 4 yrs old. Now 10 yrs at 180k...still running strong. One year with $2500 in repairs, but standard maintenance every other year. Replaced serpentine as much as tires, but not sure why. Other than that perfect vehicle. 42 gallon tank...goes the distance. Garage 4 years, in the elements for 6...paint in great condition after 10 years and seldom waxing.

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  Great Commuter - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Mainer - October 7 - 5:07 am

  If you are looking for a low cost alternative to a used vehicle, the Aveo is a great choice. Gas mileage has ranged from 32.4 to 36.6 mpg. I had been shopping for a new commuter for about 9 months and had seen the special value Aveo advertised by two local dealers for less than $8,000 a couple of times. Finally decided that the next time I saw them offered in this price range, I would buy. I ended up paying $7,660. The Aveo should serve very well as an economical run about. Its not the Prius that I really wanted, but was 1/4 the cost and still gets very respectable mpg.

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  Love my Malibu - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By afs1234 - October 7 - 1:46 am

  I switched to Japanese imports because of the poor experiences Ive had with US car models. After reading the JD Power review on the new Malibu, and test driving every import model in this class, (Accord, Camry, Altima, Mazda6), I decided to take a chance again on a Chevy. The car is great! I love the quiet, smooth ride. The interior is well designed and very comfortable. And I was able to buy the features I wanted without having to upgrade to expensive features I didnt want. I also spoke to someone who use to work with GM and found out GM put a lot of work into making the Malibu a top quality car, which sold me on the concept that this car would last as long as the Asian imports.

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  Not fancy but good value - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Dan - October 6 - 10:50 pm

  Not a fancy car but great value. 65k miles and only replaced starter (03), alternator (07), 2 tires (06), brakes (06), and AC (06) so far. For the price I paid its great.

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  Love it, Hate it! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Love it, Hate it! - October 6 - 3:36 pm

  Wow, what to say. We love our new Tahoe 3LT. It has treated us right and we have never abused it and keep it clean and perfect. Its so comfy and great to drive. I love the new styling. However, we do have problems and its all stupid little things! Okay, here we go! 3rd row needs to fold flat, come on Chevy, everyone else is doing it. We have had problems with the remote start. It starts and then shuts off after 30 sec. The rubber gasket around the sunroof has started to fold and come off for some stupid reason and now rain and snow can come in. The gasket around the rear hatch has folded as well. The trim/molding is starting to come off. Noises from the AC, and blows fast, then slow. Its jacked up these problems keep happening. Our Tahoe has been nothing but cared for. No abuse and barely driven. Shoot, we have only used the sunroof a few times.

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  07 Tahoe, fair and balanced - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By pickydriver - October 5 - 7:46 pm

  I did about 2 months worth of research to find the right car and I ended up picking the 07 Tahoe before I even test drove anything else. The thing I love the most that I didnt see in any review before I bought it was the super tight turning circle that this behemoth has. I was blown away. This thing turns like a sports coupe. Not sure how they did it but I am super impressed. Also, riding in this thing is like riding on my recliner at home, its super-comfortable!! I love all the neat techno gadgets in this car and I love being so high up on the road. This car was not cheap, I got a great deal because of all the research I did and the fact that I had a "walk away" attitude. Cheers!!

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  Good Ol Girl - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By chevy4ever - October 5 - 5:40 pm

  I bought this Blazer from someone who wanted absolutely nothing to do with it anymore for stupid reasons. I got it cheap, and stuck about 2000 dollars more into it with new fluids of every sort, water pump, floor mats, 4WD vaccuum, and some other things. Mostly things went wrong because it litterally sat a whole year without moving. Since I have had no problems. She was a little sluggish at first, understandable, but has since really picked up. Its been a pleasure to own and drive! I also got 24 miles per gallon highway, but it was twisty, hilly roads that I took to visit family, so I thought that was pretty good.

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  So far great! - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By jonathan p - October 5 - 10:03 am

  Great gas milage, very comfortable. I love the way it looks. The only bad thing is how short the windsheild is. Its tough to see stop lights without bending down. Other than that a great car!