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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  Very pleased - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By archcommus - February 27 - 7:03 pm

  Bought an 07 LS coupe in May, this is my first new car and also my first GM car. Have to say Im very pleased so far. Love the exterior looks, love the dash and interior layout, plenty of space for me and comfortable seats, excellent gas mileage (currently getting about 29.7 city), fun to drive, smooth ride, great features (automatic headlights, auxiliary audio jack, MP3 player), affordable, all in all a great car to own and drive.

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  Great Garage Queen - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By prsncat - February 27 - 6:30 pm

  Parked it when gas reached $4/gal. due to poor gas mileage. Love the way it drives now that it has an ARE shell (weight on the tail helps). Great for towing. Always reliable - no problems whatsoever. Cloth seat material is a PITA -- I put Wet Okole seat covers in the first month. It didnt hold its value -- I tried selling for $12.5K and didnt get a single call. I will resume driving it daily when the Honda Civic lease ends.

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  Couldnt part with it if I tried...again - 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By missaretha - February 27 - 3:20 pm

  I bought this car brand spanking new. Ive babied it on every oil change, tire rotation, mileage service, etc. The gas mileage is great, between 35 to 40 mpg on the highway. Riding with the top down is not as windy as I thought it would be and the stereo has never needed improvements. If you like it loud, this car gives it to you. I also like the fact that I have a Teal colored car. Ive never seen another car in the same color.

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  Good Overall - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Lexi - February 27 - 3:10 pm

  My husband and I really enjoy the suv. The only complaint that we had was the headrest and the inside seats seemed to be made cheaply.

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  Nice ride. - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By karch03 - February 27 - 9:58 am

  I like the Chevy Equinox. We looked for a croosover for a few months. We came close to purchasing a Jeep Compass but a friend who had purchased a 2006 Equinox turned me on to the idea of purchasing one. I am glad we got the Equinox since it sits 4 inches higher than a Compass. If you are looking for an American made crossover then this is one to get. It has a smooth ride with lots of power. I recommend the LT over the LS as GM put a lot of plastic into the interior. But plastic is easy to clean and cheap to replace.

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  Sedan SS, what a bargain - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By ben - February 27 - 7:53 am

  The 2.4SS is such a great bargain. I mean come on, a 4cyl sedan nearly breaking into the 6 second 0-60 mark and running down the 1/4 mile in low 15s for only $17 grand? You cant beat it, with the nicely laid out interior and great sound system, and the best handling in its class. I love it!

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  07 TrailBlazer is great! - 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By joshedcom - February 26 - 7:30 pm

  Purchased the TrailBlazer a few days ago and I love it. I tested many other SUVs and this SUV beat it. The sales person gave me the impression the car came with more features and mislead me in our conversations. Thankfully, I knew more about the car coming into the dealership and was prepared.

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  Good Basic Transportation - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Matt - February 26 - 1:26 pm

  Relable and smooth running subcompact. Only complaint is the dashboard warps and cracks too easily. Other than that, a very low maintenance car.

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  Room to Improve - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Gail - February 26 - 1:20 pm

  Agree, need to pull interior door handles closer so as not a far reach. My biggest trouble is the seat, dash and steering. With long legs you move the seat back, but since the steering wheel doesnt scope, youre reaching. The steering wheel for tall people cuts out part of the speedometer located on the left and no matter how I adjust the seat and steering, its just not comfortable. I wish it had more head room also and a little more pickup like my previous small car. Im really just not happy at all with it and I really regret buying it. The trunk could use a larger opening.

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  Got to love it - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By animal70X7 - February 26 - 11:20 am

  I have had my Aveo for 8 months now and I am thrilled with it. I have been averaging 35 MPG in city driving and about 42 on the highway. My car has been an absolute thrill to drive around the hills of West Virginia. I cannot think of anything that I would change about this car.