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:

• 

  Below average in fuel - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By JOBY - June 20 - 8:36 pm

  I really like the performance but performance never give happy after buying. Now I am rethinking about Asian cars are best in fuel economy. One full tank ultra gas give me only 200 miles in city and highway driving, I am not too much crazy in diving but some times I accelerates bit. I am very comfortable with this vehicle except mileage.

• 

  Great Little Hauler - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Notcho Trouble - June 19 - 7:21 pm

  Usually drive with the back seats folded down. Use to haul lots of items for work and play. Made a carpet for the folded down area and use plastic if hauling something thats dirty. It fits quickly into the hidden storage. Great in the winter I have oversize tires on alloy wheels. Had a problem with brake wobble but dealership took care of it. It does take me longer to get somewhere cause everyone stops to ask me how I like my HHR Looking to buy another one.

• 

  No Regrets - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By fenrir - June 19 - 6:16 pm

  I needed to replace my 99 Chrysler 300M after 185,000. Thought I would miss the V-6, but the 6 speed 4 cylinder is just as fun to drive and I am now getting much better gas mileage. I can get about 440 miles per fill-up now instead on 350. No problems after 4,500 miles, just got first oil change. Hope it holds up, want it to last 10 years.

• 

  Good Midsized Truck - 2008 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Matt - June 19 - 6:13 pm

  Its a good midsized truck. Its much better than the s-10 it replaced was underpowered and had too little interior room. The 4 cylinder is adequate and gets good mileage. Interior is comfortable and has enough room. I like the interior space dimensions. The exterior is attractive. The only downsides are the occasionally squeaky brakes and door gaskets which once in a while make noise on bad roads. The Colorado is a good truck. Glad I bought it and would recommend to other potential buyers.

• 

  Need more pep? Clean MAF sensor - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By fornido - June 19 - 11:21 am

  This car is a great reliable car, however I noticed some hesitation and loss of hp, so I did some research, and after replacing the air filter and cleaning the Mass Airflow sensor with electronic cleaner, I noticed an increase of pickup. I have 122,000 miles on it, so I guess after all that buildup, it slowed it down.

• 

  Good but wet - 2004 Chevrolet Venture
  By UG - June 18 - 9:51 pm

  Overall, the vehicle is mechanically sound. I have a little over 111,000 miles on it so far. 18-20 mpg? you may want to check how you drive. I can easily get 22 city and 26 highway. Just dont take off like a rocket and use cruise control. Through the mountains driving across the country we got about 24, fully loaded with household goods and such. Typical maintenance, oil, brakes, transmission fluid change. Never had anything major go wrong, thank you God. Good van. It has been spun out on a California interstate at 70 mph, 720 degrees worth of rotation, driven through the Rockies in summertime, through Arizona in the same. Strong vehicle. Maintain it, and it will take care of you.

• 

  A good full size car - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Scotlad - June 18 - 12:15 pm

  A few issues when new, mostly inside trim and brakes. GMs Chinese made rotors are junk. Have been replaced twice in 40k miles. Otherwise the car is great. Average 25 mpg in town and 29+ on the highway. Given what we paid ($22,500) nothing else came close.

• 

  Bittersweet - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By W.C. - June 16 - 5:44 pm

  If I had to pick one word to describe this car, it would be “bittersweet”. The sweet is the European look, from Opel designers in Russelsheim Germany. The 5 star NHTSA Ratings and many standard safety features. The price also compares well with other vehicles in the same class. The bitter comes from the engine’s lack of low end torque coupled to a transmission that is constantly down shifting to maintain traffic speed. On hills, it is not uncommon to have sudden downshifts to second, then third gear, sending the engine to high revolutions, which drops fuel economy to city driving rate or lower. I dont believe the Korean 6 speed would be any better.

• 

  Rust on all 5 doors - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Attica_Dav - June 16 - 11:45 am

  6 months after purchasing my HHR, I found rust on the bottom, inside seam on 3 of 5 doors. 8 months later, the rust returned, worse then what it was before it was repaired, but now on all 5 doors. It was repaired again just 2 months ago and I will be watching. I have looked at two other HHRs they have rust on the doors as well.

• 

  Nice looking, but quality is not there - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Joann - June 15 - 3:37 pm

  Owned since August of 09. In Jan 10, heat stopped working. Took two days with the dealer to fix. June 10, starter and air conditioner condenser broke. Dealer had car for three days, fixed the starter,but had to order condenser unit from GM. Still waiting for delivery. Very unhappy with the quality of the parts. What will break next? Also, gas mileage is not what was advertised. Was this vehicle built on a Monday?