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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  98 lumina - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Terry - January 13 - 11:40 pm

  Great car, most trouble free, great gas mileage(21-24 town,32-34highway), most comfortable car for traveling coast to coast we have ever owned. Jan. 2010 timing chain cover gasket gave out,will fix and drive. This car now has 203,000 miles on it. Other than the gasket we have only had to fix the battery, starter and alternator.

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  awesome - 1996 Chevrolet Suburban
  By kevin - January 13 - 3:47 pm

  i bought this truck with 300000 km it is still in mint shape with 410000ks original motor and tranny i love this truck to tow my toys around and as well as my 5 kids

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  Great car - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Jock - January 12 - 2:30 am

  I love my 6-speed manual 1LT Camaro RS. The yellow paint shows its curves beautifully. The 20 inch rims fill the wheel arches perfectly, and the xenon lights are a cool touch. Performance from the 3.6 has been sensational: Linear power throughout the rev range and excellent fuel economy (27-30mpg). Handling is very good for a car of this weight.

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  Happy in Ohio - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By preacher - January 11 - 6:47 pm

  Wow! What a nice set of wheels. I purchased this 2009 HHR in Dec. and have 1000 miles on it. I have the H.O 2.4 which has a lot of guts. With the LT2 package, it is loaded. The only thing that is missing is a telescoping steering wheel. I absolutely love it. Its like riding on a rail. Love the electronic power steering. Upscale feeling all the way. Bright red and chrome wheels makes this 65 yr. old feel a bit younger. Lots of room for the grandkids and their stuff. GM has a winner in the HHR and so do I.

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  Great Vehicle!!! Go CHEVY!! - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Shawn - January 10 - 11:01 pm

  I love my chevy traverse. It handles great. Smooth ride and fun to drive. It is a drivers SUV. My limited options on the LT1 feels like I got a loaded version. The interior is nice and has the feel of luxury w/o leather. A great buy!!!

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  My honest opinion of this car - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By nomorefords - January 10 - 12:47 am

  Ive owned this car for 4 months now and Im very happy with this car.The power of the LS2 brings tears to my eyes.A definite eye catcher on the roads.Has many options that other performance cars just dont have.I have the fully loaded LT3 pkg w/select ride 6spd paddleshift.With the select ride switched between tour/sport it really doesnt fell any different.The heated seats are never used because the climate controls work so good.The bose system sounds so good and Im very happy with the center control lay out. If I were to purchase another corvette I would get a 6spd manual transmission,opt out of the select ride and heated seats.

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  Great for under 12500! - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By My favorite! - January 9 - 10:25 pm

  Well Ive had it for 5 months now and it has been a little champ! Of course its a little slow (I have the auto) but I get 26 city and about 33 highway. Its a nicely built car, Ive had no rattles or problems like others have said. I have every feature except the leatherette seats. The only fault I really have with it is that I feel it could be either sportier with some engine tuning (maybe even raise mpgs?) but everything is good. I wish they would give the car a little more something with the styling outside ( I dont like the headlights on the aveo5). I would recommend this car to anyone on a budget!

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  Squeaking Brakes - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Donna Miller - January 7 - 6:10 pm

  Since weve bought our HHR, the brakes squeak when applied to slow down, very annoying, the car had 29000 miles on it when purchased. Ive read other complaints of the brake system and it needs to be dealt with. From bad rotors to brake pads, says GM uses less than adequate parts. What is the deal?

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  BEST VETTE YET - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Dave Torres - January 7 - 8:17 am

  I recently purchased an 08,z51 package and I love it.Ive owned 4 vettes one being a 69 with 327 which I loved,but this baby is my favorite.I can complain about anything,its great that. All American Chevy has taking the vettes to the next level,awesome...

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  Love my wifes new car! - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Roger Lampman - January 6 - 2:46 pm

  I love my wifes new car. This is our second sports car, first was the Pontiac Solstice, and we now enjoy the extra space. The car cruises through town and constantly turns heads. We have the Summit White and have yet to decide on what customizing we are going to do to the exterior. So many choices. The car handles well on the interstate. Plenty of horsepower. Really enjoy the paddle shifting on the six speed automatic. Only problem that we have had is having our daughter wanting to borrow the car. Not sure if this kind of beast should be driven by youngsters. You have to get use to not being able to see the front corners of the car in cornering but it is a matter of practice.