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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  Awesome - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By sbadattitude - January 1 - 12:33 am

  I love my cobalt ss. This is the most fun car I have ever owned. Its fun to drive. Its just a nice sporty car. I have never had a problem with it. Im the second owner. This car is the best car. I give it a ten plus.

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  great Car - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Thompson - December 31 - 4:34 pm

  Great car. I have owned many lemons. Cant wait to go out and drive it. Glad it is an American made car. I have previously owned a foreign car which has basically nickled and dimed me to death replacing head gaskets twice. Major expense especially when the parts are foreign. This car is the greatest. Best smooth ride. All the neighbors would like to have it. Glad this time I invested in a Chevy. If you purchase one Im sure you will love it..

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  Wheres my FORD? - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Eric - December 31 - 3:30 pm

  Cant pull or haul anything but a pot of soil without hurting a sensor. Sensors go all the time, Tranny slips and leaks, 18k miles and already had to replace tranny, rides like a model- T, and wheres my new F-150?, am I still complaining about this Chevy? oh yeah, FORD wins! Chevy took the buyout. you lose Chevy, and I just bought an 08 F-150 SuperCrew, nothing personal, but Bye Chevy..

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  Great Ride! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By YLOWCOBALT - December 31 - 1:36 pm

  I bought my 2007 Cobalt LS coupe in September of 2006 and I love it. The performance for the money ($12850) is mind blowing. The handling isnt too bad either. I can sling the passengers around and a tire never slips (not so much as a squak). Refined suspension and a fairly powerful (148 hp) stock engine make for one heck of a back road driving experience especially with the easy to operate 5-speed tranny! If stock isnt for you, dont worry, GM makes more than enough goodies for this car and if they wont do, think about it, this car is probably Americas best compact car. Aftermarket companies are drooling right now!

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  I love my Chevy Aveo - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Rae - December 31 - 10:30 am

  I think this is a cute, fun, reliable car. I am glad I bought it. Nice transportation to and from my job, as well as around town. I check out many cars and it was a toss between the Aveo, Scion or the PT Cruiser. In the end I decided on the Aveo 5 hatchback. I got bright blue, which is a pretty color, but not my choice. Others I would have had to wait for, and I needed transportation in a hurry. I would have preferred the new cinnamon, pretty yellow or slate blue. All and all I am satisfied with my new little car and it fits in my driveway behind my husbands larger van. I needed a compact car for that reason. I have one suggestion regarding the side view mirrow.

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  Piece of Crap - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By chevy guy - December 31 - 10:00 am

  I had this pickup of about a month then it broke down. I had to have it towed and repaired. Found out that the engine was messed up. Thats the last time that I buy a chevy!

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  33400 miles later Dependable car so far - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By BJW from Chicago - December 31 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Malibu in May of 2000. It currently has 33,400 miles on it. The first thing that went wong was the selector knob for the blower. The blower was blowing out of of all areas. When we took this apart the black rubber gasket was not in place, rejusted it and now it is fine. My tires are cracked inside the tread. One of my tires is bubbled up on the outside & wobbling. No brake problems yet. There is knocking coming from under the hood until the car warms up.

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  Crappy car - 1999 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Deann - December 30 - 11:45 pm

  We bought this car new and from day one we have had problems with it. Had to replace brake drum a couple of times. They were so bad that we couldnt even get them cut.The drums kept burning up brake pads. Had to replace head gasket that cost me a pretty penny. Radiator leaks. Now there are problems with the transmission, sometimes it seems to be stuck in 1st gear. I dont know. I would never buy a Lumina again.

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  05 Z71 4x4 - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By bob - December 30 - 9:27 pm

  Great looking truck. Good pulling power. Havent had the chance to try out the 4 wheel drive.

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  love that Quadrasteer - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By CharlieT - December 30 - 1:29 pm

  I tow a 6000 lb Airstream and am very happy with the peformance. I have the 6.0 with a 3.73 rearend. I dont plan on getting a bigger trailer so I wanted to maximize mpg at the expense of a little more grunt. After almost three years and 25K miles I think I made the right choice. I get about the same as mileage towing (12 mpg)as I did pulling my 5000 lb Airstream with an Astro van but with much better stability, acceleration, and stopping power.