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:

• 

  Good Family SUV - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By jvolk - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Rides great on Highway even with 6-7 passengers. ^ adults can travel in comfort. AC trouble 3 times but may be finally fixed with new switch design from GM. Disappointing fuel mileage put I guess the 270 HP engines is the reason. We get about 12 in town and 18 on highway. Excellent large family hauler if you dont want the larger suburban.

• 

  My Cobalt - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Bobby - October 16 - 5:56 am

  We got the Cobalt early May 07, and by late May I have almost 4000 miles on it already and it seems like a pretty decent car. Has some pretty good pep for a 4cyl, fuel economy is great compared to the SUV we traded in for it, however not the 34 mpg that they advertise, still Im getting around 27mpg. The stereo system cranks good for a stock radio and CD player. We can not fit the whole family in it leagally, or safely for that matter, but thats what the wifes mini-van is for. All in all Id have to say Id give it a thumbs up, lets see what breaks on it in the first 50K or 100K miles.

• 

  Hoping for the Best - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By $4,300 for 2009 Aveo - October 15 - 7:18 pm

  I purchased my Aveo as part of the Cash for Clunkers program after all rebates my price $4,300. Did not need car as had purchased 2008 Civic Hybrid prior year. I have enjoyed the car and believe it is good for my teenagers to experience the manual door locks and manual windows. It has a comfortable riding position and I like the interior. I recently changed my oil and was surprised with canister oil filter and torx socket for drain plug.

• 

  1995 Astro AWD LT - 1995 Chevrolet Astro
  By Nate - October 14 - 10:08 pm

  Bought the Luxury Touring addition with all the extras and have been very glad we did. The astro appealed to us because it offered better cargo space, better payload, and had better ground clearance. Most minivans just cant do what an astro can. We have had great luck 185,000 miles and only an alternator and window motor. and brakes and tires of course. The all wheel drive works great in all conditions. The one thing you have to watch for with these is the dutch doors. We have also bought a 97 and they both sucked water under the carpet via the plastic thresh hold. But the only way you know is by reaching under the carpet because theres a rubber backing keeping the water from coming through.

• 

  05 impala - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By idkdude?!?! - October 14 - 2:22 pm

  I bought this impala about 5 months ago, its my first car. So far it has been a pretty good car, I have had minimal problems with it. I love how roomy and comfortable it is, I have had a full car with 6 ppl in it and we are all still comfortable. I have a dark blue impala with a spoiler and moon roof, performance wise I wish I had gotten the ss (I have the base with the 3.4 v6), the acceleration is decent. Handling is pretty good going 70-80 on the highway, I feel very safe in my impala. The only thing that I have noticed is that whenever I floor it, afterwords you can feel the transmission shifting whenever it changes gears, no idea what it is but it stops whenever I turn it off or on,

• 

  electric question - 2009 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jocap - October 13 - 6:37 pm

  my nox is a really good vehicle. I use it like it were a truck, which is what i traded in for it. I had a really bad experience trying to hook a trailer four way plug to it. Now i am trying to hook a 7 prong plug to pull a small pop up camper. I found out that it has some weird electrical system that needs a special something in line. If you dont use it the cars module will blow out, cost around eight hundred dollars to replace. it has something to do with the lights being separate. any help would be happily used.

• 

  Love the XFE - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Jeff - October 13 - 4:53 pm

  Ive had my Yellow XFE coupe for about 4 months and 10,000 miles. I commute about 120 miles per day and average 38.5 and 39.1 MPG...you have to love that! The car is very comfortable and has great pickup when its time to hit the on ramps. I was about to buy a civic, but saved myself 6 grand and get better mileage. I expect it will be a great car for years.

• 

  Still lacking milage and room - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Clint - October 12 - 11:25 am

  I love to support my American Cars but when I got a job traveling the east coast I opted to buy a Honda Accord. Recently our company forced us to use rental cars and we are stuck with this malibu. After driving around 500-680miles on a tank of gas to going to 400-475miles I was less than impressed. Im 64" and this car is less roomy than my Accord.I feel extremely cramped while im sitting here typing this headed to florida from North Carolina (co-worker driving 1st shift). The car looks nice and runs well. Interior not so pretty but its a rental so Ill suffice. The radio is lacking features also. Steering is much sloppier than the accord. It does have a smooth ride too.

• 

  To good to be true - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Herb - October 11 - 9:23 pm

  The first 3 years the car was an absolute joy to drive.Then after 50,000 kilometers the third stop light failed. And now the transmission cable broke. The problem is that the dealer cannot find a replacement in North America. They even checked scrap yards to no avail. They contacted GM and were told the part wont be available till August. This is a 5 year old car with 78,000 kilometers, and parts are already hard to locate. The dealer is trying his best, but it seems GM does not care.

• 

  Down Hill - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By jack - October 11 - 7:48 pm

  I bought my avalanche in june of 2003 at 2 years old the transmission went out and it doesnt jet out like it used to. Then it leaks water inside because it got hailed on and now its messed up so i think it might have shorted my electrical system because my airbag light came on. Then my passenger window recently went out so.