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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  Still Happy after 8 years - 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Sally - September 20 - 7:06 pm

  I love my Tahoe! Its the first vehicle Ive owned that was my choice alone. Outside of normal maintenance, only the pump in the reservoir for the windshield cleaner has needed to be replaced. This thing handles like a car, slipping effortlessly into parking places and turning easily. After all this time, it still draws compliments.

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  Chevy Prizm at 10 Years - 2000 Chevrolet Prizm
  By 2runner - September 20 - 2:00 pm

  Very good basic transportation. So far there is no mechanical problems at 120000 miles. In general, solid drive train, but questionable quality on other components. Here is a list of problems: (1) Front bumper was not latched right leaving a bulges at p- side (did not try to fix) (2) Trunk leaking water (did not try to fix) (3) Front end linkage squeaks over sp bumps (did not try to fix) (4) Front door lock 1 screw missing the other loos at 50K miles (5) Seat belt reminder reminds when seat belt on at 50K, and now stopped working (6) Plastic on door trim separated at 100K (7) Belt tensioner becomes noisy at 100K. Other than that Engine Tranny still like new.

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  Great Looks, Good overall car - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By JPSKI - September 20 - 9:51 am

  I have my 09 HHR now for three months and have to say I really enjoy driving the car. Is it powerful- of course not, it is a 2.2 four cylinder engine. Is it adequate- yes. However there is a mystique about the car that I cannot fully explain except that I love to look at it and really enjoy driving it. It is fun, not luxury, and luxury is overrated! If you want to break away from status symbol land and just drive a fun car, you will be glad you picked this one.

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  My first american car - reminded why - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Carlos - September 20 - 4:18 am

  After owning only Honda/Toyota/Nissan in the past, I finally bought it because the 3rd row has easiest access of all SUVs with 3rd row we saw. It just seems American cars dont put the effort into designing things like foreign. Ran out of space for dislikes below: - Hood release lines up vertically with parking break (Ive unlatched it couple times) -suv sways (hard to describe) on roads that are banked -2nd row seating tracks are exposed, food, debris can fall in the track -clothe hangers line up with back of 2nd row, clothe cant hang right -suv refuses to downshift. you have to give it a lot of gas before it gets it. -only 1 lever for wipers/turn/beams/etc (continued below)

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  Cylinder heads - 1995 Chevrolet Lumina
  By GERRY - September 19 - 9:42 pm

  In 7 years i had to change everything in the engine, including failure of the cylinder heads at 85,000 miles and at 156,000 miles. That second time (last Thursday), I scraped the car.

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  retrorod - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By biff - September 19 - 4:26 am

  A fun car to drive at city and highway speeds. Corners much better than I imagined. Doesnt have all the bells and whistles of a Cadillac, but you cant get a caddy for 22,000 dollars. The upgraded wheels make it a real head Turner. The red paint job is the reddist red I have ever seen on a car. I know I will enjoy this car for years to come. This is a retro done right.

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  First Car - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Vicious - September 17 - 1:54 pm

  Definitely has the fun-to-drive factor! For my first car, Id say it was a tasty pick. Test drove it before I even got to a Scion TC and immediately fell in love. Easy to drive, looks sharp after being washed- especially with tinted windows. Only problem I ever had was running the stereo too long without the car being turned on so the battery died, easy jump though. Plastic grille on the front popped out once, but I stuck it back in. Turning signal sticks. Parking brake cable sticks out on the bottom as well. No big deal. Overall I still love it!

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  The Good and the Bad - 2005 Chevrolet Classic
  By Paul - September 17 - 10:16 am

  The 2.2 L Ecotec is a great little engine, gas mileage is great, and it has plenty of power. However, they didnt do as well designing the rest of the vehicle. Ive replaced both front wheel bearings, the right side is going out again. GM cars are notorious for wheel bearing failure. Goes through front brakes and rotors quickly also. The interior quality has problems, air vents are cheap and break easy, along with the plastic on the seat belt latches. Doors and trunk dont close easily either, usually takes 2 or 3 trys to close the trunk.

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  Love the 4.3 - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Karcinagin - September 16 - 10:03 pm

  Not to small, amazing in snow (even with standard diff) Easy to maintain, if you know what will go wrong. Its a 3/4 v8 350, so many power mods. Being 9 years old it has it problems, but I still get from point a to b. Would buy more just because the 4.3 will last over 250,000 miles

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  FIRST C-5 - 2003 Chevrolet Corvette
  By THE WIZARD - September 16 - 8:47 pm

  My 5th VETTE. This C-5 is truly the best one so far. Could use some interior redesign moving forward. Was able to squeeze 26.9 MPG at 75 MPH while on cruise. Very tight car so far. Like everyone else has noted, tire/road noise must be reduced in future years. Not very much to complain about yet, and I feel it will remain that way in the years to come. I sure hope GM stays in the game and continues to manufacture CORVETTES forever.