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:

• 

  Too Much Gas! - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Too much gas! - June 28 - 2:07 pm

  I love everything about this car EXCEPT the horrible gas mileage. I only get about 13 mpg! I have taken it in and they say that nothing is wrong and that Trailblazers are gas hogs. It costs $65 to fill up my tank and if I am lucky I get 300 miles. We have tried high performance oil, but that didnt seem to help much. I enjoy the smooth ride and the power of the engine but it sucks both the oil and your wallet dry! We bought it with 17 mpg in town advertised BUT I have never gotten anywhere close, so we feel like we were ripped off. I have only put 10,000 miles on it and drive average. It handles well in rain and snow when the 4 x 4 kicks in.

• 

  EPS Should be recalled! - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Kate - June 28 - 9:07 am

  There are many things I love about the Malibu, but the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) is not high on my list. I have heard that the component was purchased from Toyota (which should automatically raise suspicion). After many embarrassing noise episodes, the EPS finally went on my Malibu while on the Highway doing 65 mph. The fact that I have strong arms and the traffic was light is the only thing that saved me from a major accident. When is this hazard going to get enough attention to warrant a recall? Who do we complain to, (other than Chevy, they are useless).

• 

  Buy American - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Mark - June 28 - 1:12 am

  This American sedan is great for anything I need a car to do. It has great room, good MPG, safe, nice style and design. The best thing about my American made Chevrolet is that it did not put an American out of work when I bought it! I had a 2003 BMW 540i until the car market went south. That is when I bought American and will again. If you live in Michigan you should think about buying a great American made Chevrolet Impala LTZ or SS.

• 

  Headrests overshadow all of the good - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By Patrick - June 27 - 7:51 pm

  Everything I like abut this car is constantly overshadowed by the fact that the headrests protrude too far forward. It is not possible to sit back in the seat and up straight - even with the headrests extended to the max. - (and I am only 58"). I have called Chevrolet and have talked to two Chevy dealers. The Chevy help line would only say, "Thats the way we engineered the car." The dealers said that they have had other complaints but they didnt have an answer for the problem. Both did not know that the headrests could not be adjusted forward and back.

• 

  Awesome mini SUV - 2002 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Pj - June 26 - 6:20 pm

  Me and my mother actually shared this vehicle, and it was everyones favorite. It was the perfect size, Decent fuel economy with the 4 cylinder, the 4x4 was unbeatable, for a little 4 cylinder we would take it mudding and it would just sail around all those big "Mud" trucks that kept getting stuck. A real gold class SUV

• 

  Great car - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Pj - June 26 - 5:09 pm

  Great little car, good on gas, peppy 4 cylinder engine, and very reliable, i took this car on road trips all over the place and now that shes gone i miss it, never should have traded.

• 

  I guess Im not the only one - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By LTAKBAR - June 26 - 2:50 am

  I am in the U.S. Navy and traveled a lot my first 2 years I owned the car. At 37,000 miles, the transmission went out and had to be replaced. At 45,000 miles the steering went out and had to be replaced. The air sensors have not worked after the first year. Now I have the car overseas and it is impossible to find replacement parts or get the recall items fixed. My water pump went out in Bahrain and I had to have my original dealer in NJ find a spare and have it FedEx to me. I am waiting on my car to be shipped to Korea and I already know that there is no one here that can fix it. The car looks good and drives good, but the maintenance is a nightmare and expensive.

• 

  Its been good - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By chevy40 - June 25 - 10:30 pm

  Its been good to me and my family, I have had a few problems but nothing the dealership didnt fix right away, but after 250,000 km the transmission is making a horrible clunking sound, hate to get rid of it but I think its time to put her to rest. : ( any suggestions for a new vehicle?

• 

  Lumina-tor - 1993 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Chevyman - June 24 - 4:40 pm

  This car has been with my fire chief since it was brand new, Im a volunteer firefighter. Once i turned 14, Im 18 now, he sold it to me for $750 with 145k miles. It has 230k now i love it, i take care of it i expect it to last another maybe 100k. Its very reliable, dont like the gas mileage that much and the interior but thats about it. Handles great, looks great, drives great, everything! Also one of a kind white with tinted windows, and flames on it! Not the best flames but hey, $300 job!

• 

  Can be better - 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Shirley - June 24 - 12:25 pm

  I bought a lt sedan winter Olympic team Canada edition 2 months ago. Love all the options it comes with. The exterior has chrome package and spoiler which makes it look nice. I expected better gas mileage but it doesnt seem to differ from my old 1999 z24. Power wise, I find my cobalt lacking it when I accelerate. Perhaps its because I was used to z24. However, I do love the quieter and smoother ride. I did notice some defects in the interior and exterior. The craftsmanship could be better. With the money I spent on it, I expect to see no flaws.