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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  Comfortable, durable, safe and fun - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By jmr - July 21 - 1:49 pm

  Bought it new with huge discounts and rebates. after 7 years and 160,000 miles, and one major accident, it still runs and looks great. Good power, good on fuel. My wife fell asleep at the wheel at 70 mph, careened off guard rails and into ditch, woke up without a scratch and drove it 80 miles home! Had the common problems - passlock security preventing start randomly but seldom (Ive never fixed it), replaced catalytic converter (~$300), replaced front bearings myself (~$225). Very happy, still enjoy the car, will keep for 200K+ miles.

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  New Malibu - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bowtie - July 21 - 1:31 pm

  Have had the car over a year now, rides & handles great. Other than some tiny paint chips (from driving) on the alum wheels the car looks brand new. I am over 6 ft and the headroom is tight for me. I was sorry to see Chevy stopped offering the V6 for 2010 & 2011

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  Sensor/gauge issues in general - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Allie - July 21 - 8:43 am

  My TB has been great except for the fuel economy (13 mpg hwy) and sensor issues. "Service stabili-trak" warning comes on often but resets when the car is turned off so the dealer saw nothing wrong. They never fixed it and told me it was probably just a sensor issue. Around 45k miles, the gas level gauge stopped working which is a pain since it constantly beeps that Im out of gas. The "check engine" light comes on as a result and it failed emissions but the dealer wont fix it under emissions warranty. My cousin works for a parts dealer and says GM cars have TONS of sensor issues. Firestone told me the same thing. A new battery caused no electrical issues as others have had. AC is great

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  An old friend - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By jgclark - July 21 - 1:26 am

  This is a testament to the fact that Chevy CAN put together a great vehicle. Ive owned my Blazer for over ten years and dropped nearly 200k on the engine, and other than a squeaky suspension from driving through flood waters more than once and replacing a couple of alternators and a water and fuel pump over a decade, my Chevy kept me safe, comfortable and free from car payments after I paid it off in 2004. It stayed good looking long after the model was replaced by the TrailBlazer, which says a lot about decent design. The engine was always strong and helped me out of traffic scrapes with its workhorse V6. I drove that truck to its limits, finally trading it in this year for a sedan.

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  Solid Car - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By Bill - July 20 - 8:16 pm

  Given that this was a Chevy, I didnt expect much in the way of reliability. However, I have been very surprised! This is a good and very reliable car. I currently have 133,000 miles on it and it is still going strong. The only real disappointment was that the transmission was replaced at about 105,000 miles. The front brake rotors also warp easily, but those are easy to replace when replacing the pads. The engine still does not burn or leak a drop of oil.

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  Ok but a few problems - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By OUIMET - July 20 - 11:56 am

  Great gas mileage and interior space in the back, but a few problems. Seats are kind of narrow, no front storage, not the best in snow/ice being it is so light. Dash compartment broke, interior mirror falls off, and my radio comes on all by itself, you can hear the springs clunk in the winter dealer says nothing they can do about either the radio or clunking. Other than that, great space in the back, great gas mileage, full body galvanized steel so wont rust, and have had no problems passing when I need to. Both my big dogs fit in this small car where they would not in others. You get what you pay for.

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  Great Value - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By derbs24 - July 20 - 7:46 am

  Have the 2lt 2.4 auto great car, traded in my 4 door ram hemi and have no regrets. Great mileage, 22avg on e85,30 mpg avg on regular. Have gotten 32 mpg avg at 75 mph with the a/c on. Lots of room for 4 people and luggage, pulls a small trailer for a dirt bike/lawn mower. Fun to drive, oil changes are breeze. Cheaper quality, lots of plastic. I paid $18,000 on a $24,000 sticker though so cant complain. Good looking little gas save with lots of room. Chose this over the Kia soul due to room/mileage.

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  I love the Traverse - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Mrs. Smitty - July 18 - 9:19 am

  I had to chime in and defend my Traverse. We have had the car for one year now and we love it. Its a very comfortable and quiet ride. We have not experienced any of the rear end noises others seems to be having. We have two kids and a dog and love the flexibility of the seating - we can haul 5 kids and a dog, or a bunch of lumber. The sun roof is a nice feature although we dont use as much as I thought we would because of the noise and wind (we do a lot of highway driving). My husband and to talk me into an SUV - but Im glad that he did. We test drove the Flex and some other vehicles similar to the Traverse and found the Traverse to offer to most style and value for our money.

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  Great American Built Car - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By Krehfeld2 - July 17 - 11:41 pm

  Buying a Chevy is warranted again. With the best warranty in the industry is the main reason I bought this car. The ride quality is amazing, Leather seats and Bose sound systems is great. Highway trips couldnt be better. 30+ MPG on a car that actually accelerates when you punch the gas is simply refreshing. Exterior styling is much better than in the past. Engine sounds fine tuned, and transmission shifts fluidly. I highly recommend this car for large people, leg room is high in quantity. I can fit my old cavalier in the trunk its so big. Dependable car, GM goodwrench stands by there product!

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  Farm and Family Friendly - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Farm Tough - July 16 - 4:40 pm

  Purchased used with 19000 miles. Live on horse ranch and need a reliable 4x4 vehicle to haul family of 5 and 3 dogs. Suburban has been great until 2010 and now it is in the shop more than on the road with expensive repairs, will purchase a newer Suburban in the near future, great overall vehicle for our needs, just need to trade every 5 years instead of 8. MPG for us is 18 hwy and 14 city.