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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  So far, so good - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Guardfamily - July 7 - 10:53 am

  We bought it because our family was growing and we needed a little extra room for the family car. Weve been really pleased with how well its done so far. We recently took a roadtrip to the mountains and I averaged 28 MPG with the AC on. Usually I get 21-22 in the city. Just a few downsides. So far, we are pleased with the purchase.

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  The Kid-Mobile - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By Dale - July 7 - 10:25 am

  I purchased this van because I had 3 kids under age 10! We have used it for all the family stuff including vacations to the Grand Canyon & Mt Rushmore. It has carried band members and deer. I plan to keep it for another 47,000 miles!

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  I will miss this car - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By The Dude - July 5 - 10:42 pm

  I bought this car in 2004 for a steal of a price at 90,000 some miles. Mostly had regular maintenance done to it, The only thing I wish is I had known more about cars when I got it. I drove this thing though a flood, it performed a fancy winter move that saved my life and it has never broke down on me. Given the model type, plastic bumpers hit a lot by other cars and such yet no problem and engine size. Its at 161,000 right now but will probably only hit around 200,000. All and all I liked this car, but I am thinking I will good ford next due to GMs Bankruptcy.

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  6.6L diesel aint what it should be. - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD
  By Norm W. - July 4 - 11:40 am

  Great truck for the ride & comfort. The 6.6 Diesel has exhaust re-gen problems, GM says there is no fix, get used to the smell of exhaust in the cab. I would not recommend the $8,000 for the diesel, go with the 6.0 gas engine. I get 7-8 MPG pulling a 34 5th wheel...lots of power, lots of exhaust fumes to contend with. The Allison trans is a great feature!

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  Good Car! - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jaytee1984 - July 3 - 5:20 pm

  I bought this car in College with 49k. It now has 88k and have only had minor problems, the fuel pump went out at 86k, and the blinkers wont work every once in a while. Also the check engine light randomly comes on for a day or two. The first 2 years I had this car i drove it a lot and have only had to do regular maint. and it is a great little car, wish I would have gotten the sunroof tho.

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  Good car for the Money - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By ChicagoDave - July 2 - 2:39 pm

  I bought this car in November of 2008, it was the cheapest car I could find and I am surprisingly pleased with it. The drive is smooth and unexciting, the radio is decent enough, the controls are laid out nicely the front seat are comfortable enough to be in for a few hours at a time and its a compact car that has enough power to pass semis on the highway.

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  Satisfied - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Kim - July 2 - 10:50 am

  I have had my used HHR which by the way I just found out means: Heritage High Roof for 13 months. It does have a high roof but you cant see out the windshield very good at a red light. All in all I really like the car, (I hope I am not jinxing myself) the other members of my family always want to drive my car instead of their own. My mother can get in and out of it with no problem (which is a problem in other cars). I have always owned a van and at first I thought WOW how small, but I just went on a camping trip and was able to get everything in comfortably. I wish it had roof racks though. I have recommended this car to friends and family because of the price and reliability so far.

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  Bunch of Small Problems - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Lmonty - July 1 - 8:58 pm

  I got this car 2 years ago from a Rental place, and it had 44,000 miles on it. It now has 63,000 miles on it, and things have been acting up. The passenger front and back windows dont work with the drivers side control, the heat/AC doesnt come on until the 4th and 5th setting, the hazard lights/blinkers dont work at least once a day, and Ive replaced the brakes twice. The ABS gives me a lot of trouble in the winter, it pulses and the brakes disengage--- very dangerous! Lastly, the coolant seems to be used up EXTREMELY quickly-- not sure what the problem is there.

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  80,000 miles, no problems - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Gene - July 1 - 8:13 pm

  Hello, Im reading through all the previous posts and amazed of all the problems that people are having. As of July 1, 2009 I have 80,000 miles on mine. It will be four years old in October. I will admit the original tires were junk, I replaced them at around 20,000 and now have Toyos. The new tires are wearing awesome, I can probably get around 75,000 miles on them. Other then that, oil change every 5k, rotate tires every 10k. My goal was to get 100,000 miles on it (five years). Gas mileage, I travel 85 miles per day and I have been getting 34-37 MPG

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  For a big family, theres no other ride! - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Ricky - July 1 - 4:07 pm

  We have a large family (7) already when we purchased this Suburban. Then, we became foster parents and we grew to 9! Ours has the optional bench seat in the front, which is a rarity we found out, but we all love it. For the large family, theres no other way to go. We can even go on weeks vacation with most of the luggage in the back!