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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  Good economy car - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Gary - December 6 - 9:57 pm

  Ive owned my Aveo for about 2 years. On the highway it gets excellent MPG (avg. 33-36 w/A/C). Decent MPG in the city. In my opinion, the engine is underpowered and highway acceleration can be scary. The car feels very light, which is very evident when driving over 65mph. Exterior feels cheap and dents very easily. It did, however, get very good crash test ratings. Overall, this is a good inexpensive car. Its unbelievably reliable, even in subzero temps. Do not try driving this thing on snowy roads.

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  Dont like it at all - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By leslie - December 6 - 3:13 am

  This car is too noisy, uncomfortable, interior is very cheap. Not to mention the fact that I had it in 2 times the first month I purchased it, now I just had a u-joint and part of the rear differential.

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  Poor Quality Impala - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jerrys Impala - December 6 - 2:51 am

  This is our first new car and it has been a horrible car. The motor burned oil for the 1st 10,000 miles when the dealer finally agreed to fix it. The service writers just laugh when the car comes in. GM has even given it an extended warranty because of all the problems. The car is great to drive with all the options when it is holding together. The car was getting 31mpg hwy when they reflashed the computer and now it gets 24mpg and the dealer says that is OK. I am now selling the car. Impalas are great cars. But I wont buy GM for a while until GM and their dealers get it together.

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  CRUNCH - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Bob - December 5 - 9:39 pm

  I bought a brand new 2004 Aveo in 7/2005 off the dealer lot. Several months later I started hearing popping and creaking in the front suspension area, and it got worse in the months to come. Finally took it in after a year of driving. Here is what happened. Dealer decided it must be the bushings and they replaced them, bad move bushings dont wear out in only months. Anyways, the fix didnt do very much. Turned it back in and they checked their TSB list that indicated to replace control arms. This was on their work order and receipt they gave me. For some reason they Instead decided to only torque control arms. Bad move. Still didnt fix it. Fix number 3 is in process, stay tuned

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  TrailBlazer OK - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Dennis Greene - December 5 - 6:00 am

  The vehicle now seems to be OK. It took a long time to work all the bugs in the electrical system out almost every other week it was in the shop. Now I enjoy the ride and the comfort.

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  New Convert - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By bss123 - December 5 - 1:14 am

  I have been driving luxury cars for years. Wife has a Land Rover, after having a 2001 Denali. This is a great vehicle, I have gone from a Mercedes and Ford Powerstroke to one vehicle, and it fits the bill.

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  Over all its an excellent car - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By bibhuti - December 4 - 9:54 pm

  We bought this car 3 years back. We have yet to get any kind of mechanical problem. Mileage is great. I get more than 30mpg on highways and 24 in mixed daily driving. It is spacious, comfortable, and beautiful. Only thing I dont like about this car is wind noise that I am having after 2 years. In case GM can take care of that a customer like me will always go for an Impala.

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  Oi-Vey-Oh - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Garibaldi - December 4 - 8:04 pm

  Rolling my 1998 Contour SVT put a new car in my life last January. Not a Sentra Spec V, which didnt charm, instead I went for the Aveo SVM 5 door. This car is so stripped, I expected to find a pull cord wrapped around the crank pulley. It took two days and one 45 mph offramp to realize the cheesy Kumho tires wouldnt do. Serious interneting got me 17" wheels and tires that transformed the handling. Gas mileage isnt stupendous at 27 mpg overall, but its decent. Build quality is all that can be expected for a sub $10k car: its tight, quiet, fast, and quick. Oddly, the Aveo is a great over the road stormer. With a 6yr/100k bumper to bumper GM warranty, Im worry free until 2012. Not bad.

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  Wonderful vehicle - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By R. Wilson - December 4 - 7:50 pm

  it is, so far, the best vehicle for the money Ive ever bought. The handling, ride and interior space is second to none, it looks great, like something costing twice the money. GM did it right with this one.

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  Not a bad vehicle for the price. - 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Mark - December 4 - 5:20 pm

  Not a bad vehicle. My wife and I purchased this vehicle with only about 9K miles on it about 3 years ago! What a steal! Now it only has about 57K miles on it. Not bad on performance and the handling is great.