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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  Great 1st Car - 1998 Chevrolet Prizm
  By J.Debs - April 24 - 11:00 pm

  My little car has 160,000 miles & its going strong. A few things have gone awry such as I had to replace the starter shortly after I bought it (it had 105k miles when I got it in 2006), the front passenger door handle broke and so did the AC but its been a great first car. No engine problems at all. It does eat oil fast which is annoying to refill so often. I get anywhere from 31-34 mpg. Ive taken it on many long distance trips and its always a joy to drive.

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  No complaints yet - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By kingsso - April 24 - 12:02 pm

  My truck is doing well thus far. It turns a lot of heads, beautiful truck.

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  NICE - 1996 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Johnny - April 23 - 7:36 pm

  This is my father in laws but I use it all the time. We have the big 454 engine. I love it. We tow our travel trailer and this truck has almost 160K miles on it. I love everything about it except for the placement of the vents in the center. They are in a very bad spot and if you use the cup holder, they are worthless. Very strange place and you cannot turn them in far enough. Anyone that owns one knows what I mean. but that is small compared to everything else. Of course the fuel economy is not good, but what do you expect for a 454.

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  contrary to other reviews I love my van. - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By flaGSmom - April 23 - 4:05 pm

  I have read so many horrible reviews and I know the posters arent lying but I absolutely love my van it so roomy and loaded with great features of course I have all the service records and this vehicle has been very well maintained and has only 60,000 miles, we keep a close eye on the intake just in case though and DH is mechanically inclined so it wont end up being a major issue of course its used and we expect that we will have to replace things the key is do it before it breaks and it doesnt end up in a dominoe effect like so many have stated I honestly never thought I was the minivan type but I love this van and I am a believer now

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  Zippity zoomer. - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Clyde - April 22 - 11:55 pm

  I sold my 2005 Ram to get this little cutie as I had seen them around town. I miss the big V-8 power and sound, but the little 4 has its own punch. To date I have not spent 40.00 to fill it up. The Ram would hit nearly 100.00. I still dont get the one power drivers seat when the passenger should have a choice as well. Also the down low center cup holders are a bit inconvenient, but over all this is a pretty fun vehicle. Love the sun roof, and IPOD connection. Oh yeah, I hope they move the window buttons back to the doors where they belong, and also put lower door lock knobs to fit flush with the door. Runs good so far, and it feels lie a pretty tough engine.

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  best $200 i ever spent - 1993 Chevrolet Lumina
  By tucker - April 22 - 1:01 am

  My dad found this for me while I was car shopping. It was meant to be a temporary car but I fell in love. The lumina never failed to start throughout the entire first Maine winter I put it through, though the doors did have a tendency to freeze open, but as soon as the car warmed up theyd thaw and I could shut them properly. I lived in this car for the summer of 2008 and the bench seats are like sleeping on a couch. Ive seriously never been in a more comfortable car. Ive never had a Major problem with this car, always routine maintenance done a little too late. Had the car for almost two years and shes in rough shape, but Ive put her through hell. I love my lumina and highly recommend!

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  Good truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By chris - April 20 - 7:23 pm

  Bought the truck used with 37000 on it. It has been very reliable up to this point, I now have 60000 miles. I recently purchased a 29ft camping trailer and the truck did fine towing it. Maintaining highway speed was not a problem with the 6000lbs in tow. My only complaint is the brake system. Ive tried new rotors and three different types of brake pads, but the brakes dont give you confidence. I wish I had the Hydro-boost system, the vaccum assist brakes are terrible.

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  Really needs an upgrade. - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By TJDasen1 - April 20 - 6:58 pm

  Handsome car on the exterior, but the interior is just not up to snuff. The Impala is supposed to be Chevys top family car and it falls flat by not offering options offered by other "lesser" cars. NO auto climate control, NO reversing sensors, NO HID headlamps! Come on! Even Hyundai offers these. And the handhold for the trunk pulldown is a joke. You can only lower the (dirty) lid with it and then you have to grab the outside of the trunk to push it the rest of the way down. Very bad design flaw. True, this is my 82 yr old mothers car and not mine, but I have to drive her in it. Whats nice is that Chevy still offers a column mounted gearshift option. Thats what sold the car. Grade C

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  enjoying the ride - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By ics - April 20 - 12:33 pm

  I purchased my aveo5 after my brother in law let me drive his. I test drove the nissan versa and honda fit but like the aveo the best. The only problem I had with it was after driving a suv for 10 years I drove the aveo like a suv. The front of the aveo is too low and now I have damage to the front of the car. I now am more cautious.

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  Solid car - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By confused - April 20 - 8:38 am

  Had 100K on it when i bought it. I have had some minor issues with it but nothing major. It was the spare car for friends and family until i sold it to a friend. It now has 270K miles on it and still going strong. For 2 years it had no maintenance and was drove to hell and back. It has needed tires and spark plugs the typical. I had to replace the EGR valve (my dad did, if you do it correctly which most dont there are no more issues), the ac motor, and 4wd switch. Common it is 270K no suprise. I have spent maybe 750 for repairs in its life time. Never left me stranded even when it died from the egr valve started back up and got me home. I would buy another one and might actually.