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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  Short-time review - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By JJR60616 - January 13 - 2:00 pm

  My expectations going in were low. I was just looking for a new car to replace my S10 Pickup my daughter beat up in a couple accidents. Looked for cheap cars, best rebates, something simple. Was pleasantly surprised at the handling, features, fit & finish and performance of the 2009 Cobalt.

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  After 5 years - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By scott - January 12 - 3:36 pm

  Ive own my Tahoe for 5 1/2 years. Lowered it and put 20s on it, so the ride is excellent. Even with the 4.8 it tows my wakeboard boat fine. A couple of minor issues, but overall pretty reliable. Mileage is similar to others avg 16-17 with a max of 20. After 75000 still have original brakes with life to go...weird. Biggest disappointment is the engine has piston slap and GM said that was "normal" and wouldnt do anything. May not buy another GM because of that.

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  FUN CAR -- POOR RELIABILITY - 2009 Chevrolet Corvette
  By SPAGHETTI - January 12 - 8:35 am

  Exceptional performance, terrific design, and fairly good overall comfort. It looks great, drives great and is most certainly a head turner. A superb bang for the buck. Unfortunately, I’ve seen my car more often on the service lift than in my garage. The navigation unit had to be replaced three times, and a very allusive grinding noise coming from the center of the car has kept the vehicle in the shop for multiple diagnoses and attempts at repair for many days. The problem is still not completely resolved. I look for the day when GM can manufacture a car that is just as reliable as Honda and Toyota. I only put up with these inconveniences because it’s a Vette.

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  IT POPS WHEELIES! - 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By SS MAN - January 12 - 4:09 am

  Look the tranny went out but was fixed without a prob. Ive had it for over 2 yrs. Love it! Fast solid, makes u feel safer in traffic knowing u can move when u need I get 16.6 mpg highway after tornado install. Awesome truck, u just need the stereo and tv upgrades. Go buy it u will not b disapointed after stepping on the gas! My wife was a little worried @ first but after she had to drive through the mtns. With my baby boy she quit driving her Lexus ls 400. I think that says something. Anyhoo bad mamajama, love it buy it.

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  excellent crash safety - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By carbanks1 - January 9 - 4:42 pm

  I had my chevy malibu for only 3 days when I was involved in a head on collision at highway speed. I was able to correct the skid almost completely before I realized the cruise was still set at 65mph. I tapped the brake to deactivate it, which caused the car to spin into the other lane of traffic. I was hit head on by another car with no injury at all whatsoever (I didnt even get whiplash). The airbags didnt go off, which was probably a good thing in my case. Although the car was totaled, I was safe.

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  Nice car, depending on your expectations - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By BarkyDog - January 7 - 5:04 pm

  The Aveo seemed far more comfortable and easier to drive than competitors. I bought the Aveo for my wife for her local commuting to work without her having seen it or driven it beforehand. She absolutely LOVES the car! Its cute and its fun to drive. Dont judge the Aveo by what the (usually negative) "experts" reviews alone say. There appears to be more negative bias toward this car than deserved. Test drive one and compare it to the Yaris, Fit, Rio, etc. for yourself. You may not need or want certain features others may offer. This was the right car for us, considering what we expect from it. We got it for less than the dealer invoice price, plus an additional $2000 off.

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  Great SUV/Truck combo - 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By San Jose, CA - January 7 - 12:07 pm

  We bought our 2009 Avalanche to replace a 92 Chevy Blazer & 97 Chevy truck. The AV was a perfect fit for us with 4 full size doors, cargo capacity and towing. The AVs 5.3 liter engine has more power/torque than the 5.7 liter engine in my old 97 truck and gets better overall gas mileage. We tow 5,000(+) lbs of boat/trailer/gear and the AV has no problems handling the steep Sunol and Altamont pass grades in the S.F. Bay Area. The ride is more SUV-like than truck, and while the AV looks top heavy it actually handles the corners pretty well for its size. But if youre not used to driving SUV/trucks the AVs large turning radius can be scary/frustrating in tight parking situations.

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  Totally Impressed!! - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Jessica M. - January 7 - 10:33 am

  I enjoy my trailblazer & I am totally satisfied with my purchase. I think the overall performance is amazing. I was truly impressed when it came time to drive through the snow & it handled the weather just great. I found this truck to be very reliable so far, and I feel safe driving it besides the regular maintenance my car has not been in the shop for anything else. I couldnt be anymore confident that this was a great buy!

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  Sporty - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Robert Souza - January 7 - 1:39 am

  Nice ride not bad car at all fun to drive just replaced tranny got a good deal on one at $300.00 first convertible that I have ever had yeah Gm could have put a better dash on other than that lousy plastic one that cracks over the years.

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  Love the car even thou I had many probs - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By CobaltSSgurl - January 6 - 2:40 pm

  I was like others & waited patiently for the dealership to get one of these cars in. This was the car I wanted to own!! I loved everything about this car until it hit 13k miles, the engine light continued to come on & off until I traded it a couple of weeks ago with 97k miles. It was a sad day because I had finally got all the kinks out of the car, but I was worried about the supercharger going next. No telling how much that was going to set me back. I thought just because this was a 4 cylinder car that it would be cheap to maintain, but I was wrong. Premium gas only & oil changes are anywhere from $75 - $85 a pop, synthetic oil only. The boost gauge also went out around 20k miles.