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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  2002 Cavalier LT Sedan - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By C,Diddy - August 13 - 12:53 am

  This car is unspectacular. The ride quality and performance is below average. But,I love it for being extremely reliable and cheap to operate. Good on gas and oil. A.C. only works 100% when vehicle is moving. ABS and traction control light goes off and on, and I have a strut in the front that needs to be changed. But, like I said, RELIABLE and CHEAP! I have 103,000 km on mine, and I have no doubt it will last for as long as I need it to.

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  Awesome Truck - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By msagewilson - August 12 - 8:12 pm

  I inherited my Suburban when I turned 16, it was my dads when his 85 GMC Blazer went out. It wasnt the prettiest ride when I got it, but thats changing now. I plan on finishing it with bigger, meaner wheels, a dual magnaflow, new trim, and new sound system. Its a very aggressive truck, and can go anywhere it can fit. I did have trouble with the coolant system, a series of problems arose after I waited too long to replace a bad radiator, my mistake, but other than that, NO problems. I turned down 2 newer cars to keep this truck, and Ive never regretted it once. Long live the Suburban

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  Overall Splendid Car - 2 design flaws - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
  By vinita - August 12 - 10:39 am

  The 2010 Impala LTZ is overall a wonderfully designed vehicle, inside and out. Operation of the car is very intuitive and sensible. The LTZ has good lower lumbar support (unlike the LT) however, the head-rest is TOO FAR FORWARD creating neck pain, especially on long drives (it is a mystery as to why the headrests on cars are being pushed forward to unnatural and difficult positions). The car is responsive and powerful however seems to have less responsiveness and pickup than the LT (another mystery), despite a theoretically more powerful engine, dual exhaust, etc. Onstar is SPLENDID indeed! Sunroof inside shade does not open up the full way (to enable full exposure of the sky-window).

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  Still the One - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Cowtown, PA - August 10 - 12:56 pm

  Continues to impress even as the miles pile up---over 80k at the time of this review---normal maintenance only. Wouldnt consider any other brand of large SUV. Plan to keep it for the long haul.

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  Good Car - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Kevin - August 10 - 11:02 am

  I bought with 34K miles and now have 156K. I have replaced wheel bearings at 90K and brakes a few times. Issues I am having now is traction control light on, ABS, Check engine. The security light comes on when I try to start it and it wont let me start for 10-15 minutes. It has never left me stranded and gets 30 mpg. Driver seat has no lumbar support. Heating element in driver seat went out at 55K.

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  Stop whining, reviewers: its a NICE car - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jes2 - August 9 - 10:35 pm

  Heres a story for you: I rented a 2010 Malibu LTZ w/2064 miles on it, and continued to rent it, a month at a time (my job required it) continuously for the next 7 months. At the end of my assignment, the car had 20,600 miles on the odometer, Id become quite fond of it, and it didnt have even ONE DANGED THING WRONG WITH IT. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. No rattles, dings, scratches, scuffs, etc, so, after several phone calls and some help from my buds at the rental car location, I started the process to pull the car out of the fleet & buy it. Bottom line: I made a truly good deal on it, it was delivered at the Chevy dealer w/full factory warranty, and I now own it. Still flawless. Go figure!

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  06 Chevy Colorado LT 4WD 3.5L Inline 5 - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Corey - August 8 - 3:07 pm

  I have had my Colorado for almost a year now. And so far I havent had any problems besides the fuel economy.

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  Trailblazer - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By PK - August 7 - 9:35 am

  A good looking, comfortable vehicle. Nearly 100,000 miles and only one major ($600) repair outside of typical maintenance. Great in foul weather.

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  2004 Chevy Avalanche 4x4 - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Gus - August 7 - 9:32 am

  My first impression was how dumb it was to merge an suv and truck. I test drove it and I fell in love. Like me, I dont work construction or in a farm and I dont tow heavy but have a good size family. This vehicle is intended for those city dwellers that like to camp, drive on vacation or have to take a trip to the dump. It has been so wonderful to be able to provide such a diversity when needed and GM had given me the tool. I replaced items that I feel I wanted to change to have peace of mind and not because the manual says so. It has not leaked, stopped cause any issues let alone a check engine light.

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  Good car for the money. - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Roy "Rocky" Cathcart - August 7 - 6:46 am

  I purchased this car for my daughter, who was on her way to college. This vehicle has served us well, and looks like it will take us to graduation day. After graduation it will probably go to another member of the family who needs a good - serviceable - and economic automobile. We keep up with the maintenance schedule, and have it detailed (inside and out) every spring. I would recommend this car to anyone who is looking for a good quality car in that price range.