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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  Dont believe the window sticker - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Jeff - April 30 - 7:48 pm

  There is plenty of room in the front, although the seats could be more comfortable for longer legged people. The styling is similar to many others on the road now, and can be made to look pretty sporty. The worst drawback is the mileage. I drive 40 mises a day,35 of it no the freeway, and it averages 31 MPG. Not too good for a 1.6 liter four cylinder with almost no horsepower. I bought it thinking it would be alot like the Geo Metro only bigger. The Metro was quicker,and got half again more mileage, Boy do I miss it!

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  My Chevy Passenger Van - 2007 Chevrolet Express
  By Eric - April 30 - 8:58 am

  I bought the van slightly used instead of 2008 Dodge Sprinter. The price difference(I saved over $25000) can pay for years of fuel, plus I will support an American-made product. Myself and the family are very happy with the van! The fuel economy is better then I expected (approx. 16.5 MPG on higway). The only minus would be the quality and the fit of plastic trim inside the vehicle.

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  Bad Apple - 2008 Chevrolet Colorado
  By linusanderson - April 29 - 10:15 am

  I bought my 2008 truck new Dec 27, 2007 (it only have 2400 miles on it now ) and it has spent more time in the shop than on the road. If it setup for a few days it will not start and the dealer feels that the problem is resovled but I do not. I am afraid to use this vehicle for out of town trips because I will never know if it will leave me stranded in another state. This is truly a let down since I have been a Chevy man for thirty five years. I feel that a 2008 vehicle should be more reliable than its predecessors.

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  Never again - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Layn Hayes - April 29 - 7:09 am

  I purchased my TrailBlazer used, it drives and looks great, lots of wind noise until I put on wind deflectors from wal-mart to keep the rain off the door electronics. I had serious noise in 4wd and was told it was from dry pavement.now the front def. has to be replaced and GM has offered 25% of a $5,000 bill that can be done elsewhere for $2,000 a 12 labour charge because of a very poor design. I have had to replace the rotors and pads, tie-rod ends at 60,000K. The seat skirts have to be repaired. Kept loosing antifreeze, GM replaced the Head gasket to stop the leak. No wonder GM is a sinking ship. Tires need to be replaced now at 70,000K.

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  Poor - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By jake - April 28 - 8:49 pm

  This is about the 16th new chevy I have purchased and it is a piece of junk. The seat has been replaced 3 times. The hose came off the power steering. The floor mats have been replaced. The rear glass the rear defroster dont work. The glass has to be replaced. This will be my last GM car.

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  Poor Transmission. They have problems - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Paul - April 27 - 7:07 am

  As much as I love a lot of stuff about this car. Check out all the problems they have had with the transmission. Mine went after 65,000 miles. I have the tow package but I never towed anything. The warranty is crap. GM refused to give financial assistance because I didnt change the transmission fluid every 30-35,000 miles. How many of you do? I have always owned GM cars but this is my last. Quality has dropped like a rock. Funny they now have 100,000 mile warranty but I still will not by GM and I find more and more people saying the same thing.

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  What do you think? - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Danielle - April 24 - 1:33 pm

  I just bought the TrailBlazer and I think I like it. I am not sure about the gas mileage. I think it could do a lot better, but it rides like a Caddy and I like that. But so far so good!

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  High upkeep costs - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By diane - April 22 - 7:28 pm

  This is my 3rd Chev. minivan & 5th new Gm vehicle purchased--and last. The mileage is good--21-27mpg--but the seats are uncomfortable & the center folding console is useless. DVD is nice. Brakes & rotor need replacing ever 6 months. Ive had to replace both wheelbearings & front stabilizer arms & 4 new tires, & I never drive on gravel or inner city. I want my Lumina van back, they have gone downhill in quality ever since & the company doesnt care.

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  Still breaking in - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Greg - April 22 - 12:13 pm

  My Cobalt LS sedan has 4 speed automatic. Pickup is smooth. The whole car is so quiet inside its scary. Some change from my 86 Aries. The bucket seats are very firm, but supportive - great for my back. The ride is much stiffer than that of the Aries, but the Cobalt takes curves much better. I dont like not being able to tell where the front end of the car is, so theres some tension getting into tight places. Because of the rear headrests, visibility when backing up is a bit of a chore. The power steering is nice, with enough feel to it, but because the steering wheel is small, it takes more cranking when parking. Heavy city driving gives 18mpg, same as the Aries. I hope this improves.

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  to many probelms - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By fgsmith - April 21 - 4:55 pm

  Has had 4 sets of headlights in 2 yrs. 2 full sets of tires. Needs serpentine belt @ 40,000 these problems are not resolved ignition coil replaced @ 20,000 miles. New sunroof @less than 5000 mp3 player didnt last six months. Struts @ 20,000 miles. Gear shift assembly @ 15,000. Car dies in traffic @times other times wont start a lot of problems seem to be electrical in origin. Other mechanics say the car has been wrecked. I bought it new. The car only has 40,000 on it now. Gas mileage not as good as advertised also had crank sensor replaced @ 15,000.