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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  My Black Beauty - 2004 Chevrolet Blazer
  By cel2854 - June 12 - 2:00 am

  I own a solid black 2004 Blazer,I traded in a 1987 blazer. You just cant kill them!! i have owned it since Jan. and have had absolutly no problems with it,not even in the breaking in period. The ride is very good,it has great pick- up...It wants to go,,your doing 70 and dont even know it!!

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  Nice Car - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Joe Zip - June 12 - 2:00 am

  Car rides very good. Interior is very good. Abnormal wind noise when driveing with window down. Console rubs my leg a little. Other than that, I like it very much.

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  My Malibu Baby - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By WMcDO2002 - June 12 - 2:00 am

  This is my first Chevorlet vehicle. I have owned nothing but Saturns since 1995. I was impressed by the look of the 2004 Malibu, compared to the other models of the car. But the test drive is what truely sold me on the car. It is roomy, with having three kids, I need alot of room in a vehicle. It handles like a dream, takes corners easy. And parking in tight spaces is easy too. The 2004 Malibu is truely a pleasure to drive and ride in.

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  Chevrolet has a winner - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By parky - June 11 - 8:56 pm

  I have driven oer a thousand miles so far and find the car to be well built with fit and finish to be excellent. I couldnt be more pleased with the car, it gives excellent gas mileage and has excellent carrying capacity.

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  Equinox - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By kewlcat - June 11 - 8:53 pm

  Liked the Lexus RX300, this was the next best thing! Roomy, good pick up, adjustable rear seat for long legs, and great storage. Especially love the sunroof!!

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  From an F150 to this - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By waduncan - June 11 - 10:50 am

  I am 63" and love this car. It appears small from the outside, however the leg room is amazing. The seats are comfortable, though a little too stiff if you are making trips of 60+ miles. The gas mileage is great, 28 MPG so far. The five speed gives you a lot of control and the engine builds power all the way to the red line of 6500. GM offers performance exhaust and a stage 2 kit that will put this engine at 250+ hp. Add an after market intake and you are looking at 260+ hp in a very light car. Awesome handling, I live near the "dragon" in Tennessee and I can tear through it much quicker than I could in my old Camaro (though in fairness the Camaro did not have low profile tires).

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  OneQuickLumina - 1992 Chevrolet Lumina
  By LuLu lover - June 11 - 2:00 am

  My mom bought the Lumina(nicknamed Hotmama by friends) new in 1992. Its been an excellent car since then. It has broken a few times(4 alternators) and a few sets of brakes but only left me stranded one time in all 12 years. I would definitely suggest a Lumina to anyone. Theyre great cars!

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  Unbelievable - 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By gmman - June 11 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for 6 years. Of the 15 cars Ive owned over 20 years, this has been the most reliable, best investment I ever made. I was skeptical at first, but it has proven itself. I bought it with 113K miles and it now has 186K miles. Ive had very few, minor problems with it and until this week, the A/C froze me out on the hottest Florida days. Believe the compressor is still good hopefully just a leak.

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  A bad Venture indeed - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By penwasser - June 11 - 2:00 am

  Bought this vehicle new in 98, and like many others had no real problems until about 40,000 miles, just past warranty. I had to replace the transmission at a very hefty cost. GM would not even think about defering some of the cost, great customer support, not. I have also had problems with electrical items (ie...windows, door locks), and the same manifold gasket leak that just about everyone complains about. I gave the US market a shot, and they failed miserably. Hello Toyota.

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  98 Cavalier Sedan - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Tim Seekins - June 11 - 2:00 am

  The first thing I noticed after doing a machine test on this car was how incredibly noisy the engine is(since its closer to the driver than usual). For a 2.2, its horsepower isnt very good but the torque isnt bad. It was difficult to get the car up to 100 mph. The acceleration is decent and the mobility and turning is excellent. The transmission shifts rather quickly and rougher than usual. If your looking for a reliable-modest sedan... This is a car for you.