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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  Needed room - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By bowtie guy - October 6 - 2:00 am

  Traded in 05 malibu maxx for awd traverse ls. Best move ever with growing family and needed a tow vehicle for our pop up camper. Lots of room, especially 3rd. row to cart kids to and from school. Have not found anything I do not like so far. Awd great in rain, have not had snow yet but looking forward to it. Great vehicle so far.

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  Reliable SS/SC - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Jason - October 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought car 1 year old with 20,000 kms on it. Then upgraded with GM Stage 2 & Catback exhaust, dual pass intercooler, short shifter, etc. I only drive this car 6 months a year as snow and salt in Eastern Ontario is a little excessive. However in the past three summers this car has driven to all but 2 of the 13 provinces in Canada and racked up 75,000 km (47,000 miles),of driving without any major issues. All in all great performance, good fuel economy (7.0 L/100 km or 33 mpg) on the highway if you use the cruise, and good stereo.

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  Boyhood dream - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Jack - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Ive salivated over Vettes ever since the 1958 model came out, and still think the 58 - 61 models are the most beautiful cars ever made. Wasnt born with a silver spoon in my mouth, so my first vehicles werent much to talk about, then along came wife and children. Children all grown now with their own children, so I love my machine silver 2008 LT3 convertible with titanium interior and gray top. My wife never liked Vettes, but now shes a fan too! Nearing 16,000 miles and only one small issue - the cheap plastic glove box latch broke and was replaced under warranty. NPP option is nice. I added a "mild to wild" module (easy to do) so I can run in either mode at touch of a button.

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  Great Car - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By JFO5 - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Love this car. Purchased car w/ 30K on it. 276,000 miles and It is still serving me very well. I use Mobile 1 Ext ser oil & a Wix filter & Mobile 1 trans fluid. Chg the coolant apx every 50- 70K & it just keeps running. Avg hwy mpg dropped to 28.5 so I changed the plugs (iridium) & wires ( Borg Warner Select) & Im back to 34 + Chg the oil & rotate tires every 10K. Use quality parts & regular service intervals.

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  Best SUV Ever Owned - 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Best Ever Owned - October 3 - 2:00 am

  Purchased with 42k miles and now at 178k miles and still going. I perform maintenance at local mechanic when needed and never replaced the transmission in 178k miles. Brakes should be larger as others have suggested. Great SUV for families and very safe for highway and local traveling. Awesome camping vehicle for tent camping and now towing large Pop up camper. Recommend to anyone looking for late model large SUV.

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  Love this new car - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Roger - October 3 - 2:00 am

  This is a perfect car. The back window is a little hard to see out of while backing but the rear view mirror camera helps with this. I feel safe and sound with the On-Star. XM radio is a blast. and the kids love the DVD. Best thing about the car is the room of a mini van without the look of one. Plenty of power also and have not towed yet nice to have the package. and for its size the MPG is not bad.

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  2009 Cobalt LS #2 Automatic coupe - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Jim - October 2 - 2:00 am

  Loved the first 2009 Cobalt I bought in January, bought a second one. Different color same equipment. Same ride, same great mileage, this one has a spare tire and spoiler- luxury. 36 mpg hwy with the automatic- measured on fill-ups, not the trip computer in the car (which shows 33.8 avg.)

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  Works for me - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By wolfmanjoe77 - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Bought this equinox used it had 26,000 0n it now has 53,000 an running like a dream. Just had to do the 50,000 mile maintenance, transmission flush, new tires, an brake job. 800 bucks an thats all Ive spent on this thing since iv owned it. Do oil changes every 4000 miles its been to the mountains an to the ocean with nary a problem. Guess Im one of the lucky ones from reading the reviews. Ive been getting pretty steady 22 in town an 27 on hwy mpg. Mines an lt model.

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  One of the best - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By BE - September 30 - 2:00 am

  I just put 4000 miles on the Traverse, driving 10-12 hours at time. It is a great vehicle and handles well. GM could not have done better. Glad I did not buy anything else. I have had people stop me and ask me about the Traverse, I tell them I love it and would buy another.

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  286,000 miles and still going - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By ramarado - September 29 - 2:00 am

  Most inexpensive car Ive ever owned. Absolutely no unexpected issues. Normal brake and tire wear about 80k miles each, 1 set of spark plugs, 1 belt, 2 tie rod ends and 1 battery. Ive used Mobile 1 and change oil at 9k, and had the trans. serviced twice. As youve guessed I drive for my job a lot, and I dont baby it. V-6 Fuel mileage averages about 34 highway, 28 overall. Would consider a trade but afraid I cant find a more dependable car.