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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  Think Twice - 2000 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Eng - February 16 - 6:44 pm

  I have read the many posts on these however they are not as reliable as most think. LOOK VERY CLOSELY IF YOU ARE BUYING ONE FROM UP NORTH! The rust issues for these are pathetic. There is no underbody coating on these and even though the vehicle might look nice on the outside.. the underside of these are eaten up. I mean rusty leaky oil pans, brake lines, inner rocker panels. Also.. be sure to test the auto locking 4WD hubs. Most owners never service these and they will not engage in 4WD even though the light says its on. The 4 cyl is a good engine but fuel economy is not very good. 21 MPG HWY is about as good as it gets.

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  I Love My Car - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Farm Girl - February 16 - 3:09 pm

  Ive had my 2LT Traverse for over a year now and am still LOVING it!! Its way fun to drive and plenty roomy inside. No complaints about quality or reliability at all. My mpg is averaging 18-19 even though I drive like a hellion on twisty-turny country roads. If my hubby drives on longer trips, hell get 22-23 mpg. I had a Ford Edge before this and its EPA estimates were the same, but it got better mileage in real life. I had the jerky tranny problem too for a long time, but at 20,000 miles it seems to have smoothed out nicely. I had trouble with the headrests also, but fixed it by raising them as high as theyll go. Oh, and the storage on the dash is perfect for sunglasses!

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  You Get What You Pay For - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By rtmack - February 15 - 11:45 am

  I bought this car because I wanted a 4- door car with good gas mileage. I didnt expect too much. Im satisfied with the car. There is a rattle around the passenger dash/firewall. It is pretty much constant. There is another rattle around 45mph that seems to come from under the car. Other people have reported these rattles.

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  questionable head lights - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By CLARENCE WHITE - February 15 - 9:50 am

  The top parking light housing are like a piece of candy. the inside clamp that you snap the light in breaks super easy. Also the main driving light has a silver cap on the inside housing that falls off from the inside and eventually blows the inside bulb out. im writing this because something has to be done because this is my third top light housing that broke. This is my first main light housing that broke.

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  Great SUV!!!!! - 1995 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Adam - February 15 - 8:16 am

  Purchased the Suburban to replace my 90 Bronco...the Burban is a superior vehicle in ALL regards. The space, power, tow capacity & comfort rival all contemporary competitors. 16 mpg during highway trips, handling that belies its bulk make the Suburban a valued addition to my fleet, as well as having ROOOM to spare!!!

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  HHR Review - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By HM52425 - February 13 - 9:01 pm

  Even though I have only had the vehicle for a short time, I am very satisfied with the vehicle. I had researched the vehicle for several months, and this proved to be the best vehicle for my needs. I drive 72 miles , one-way to work, on a daily basis. The gas mileage is good (30+ MPG) and comfort is excellent.

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  Very good with minor issues - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By n8joes - February 13 - 9:15 am

  45000 miles and runs great. Excellent road manners for something so large and heavy, fairly comfortable, strong engine, feels solid. Tahoe fully loaded with people / gear and a 4500LB boat attached hardly breaks a sweat on road trips over flat to hilly terrain. Very sure-footed all seasons. Snow and ice no problem even with factory tires close to replacement. GM has closed the gap considerably with foreign automakers with greatly improved interior design and looks, but GM still has work to do as many surface finishes and materials (inside and out) do not do this vehicle justice. 07 Tahoe looks high quality but up close, cost cutting is evident.

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  A Champion car - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Ryan - February 13 - 9:00 am

  I bought this car a while ago and I love it, I have the LT edition and I get 36 on the highway, even though my car is packed full of stuff(Im currently moving). Great acceleration and breaking. The only downside is that it gets uncomfortable on long road trips.

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  Quantity not Quality - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By Caguilar - February 13 - 12:21 am

  I bought this vehicle four years after its make, I started having problems with it by the end of 2007 and havent gotten it to pass emissions since 2008. THe repairs have cost me a little over 3,300 when the engine blew in the end of 2009 and the electrical problems have cost me near a grand, I have put two fuel pumps into it and two sets f new tires. The truck is like the devil on wheels. I might buy GM again but it defiantly will not be an S-10! Plus it is so heavy, buying gas for such a small stocky truck drains the bank account, I will go for a more dependable, loading vehicle next time.

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  Decided on a Cobalt - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Lenny - February 12 - 4:25 pm

  I bought my Cobalt a couple of months ago to replace my gas guzzling alero. however im only getting 450km a tank in my car :( and im only driving it highway to school and back so that was really disappointing. HUGE trunk and the car is really nice both inside and out and is fun to drive and reliable. sporty and fairly peppy for a 2.2