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:

• 

  I like it - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Joe - September 13 - 5:43 am

  I have had my Malibu Maxx for several months and love it. I especially am pleased with the mileage with the cost of gas nowadays. It has a lot of qualities that are useful like the Driver information System that tell you the mileage, gives names of songs on the radio, sigalerts etc. I have found no problems with the steering or the brakes that has been referred to. The seats are very comfortable and the leg room is appreciated for a big guy like me.

• 

  All around winner - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Neil - September 12 - 10:52 am

  Got the LS (w/auto) under cash for clunkers. Outstanding car, especially at the price paid. Ride, handling, features all excellent. Lots of fun to drive, and nearly as versatile as a minivan. Seems to be very well built. Base model plus auto and roof rack has everything I need. I drive in heavy stop and go traffic daily, but have improved my gas mileage by more than a third. My only complaint- the basic stereo! Has all the features you might want, but sounds like a 1960s pocket transistor radio. Spring for the upgrade if you can.

• 

  Saved our lives - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Tracy - September 12 - 8:58 am

  We only had our Equinox 8 months but it was one of the best vehicles we have ever owned. For an suv it got decent mileage, around 22 hwy which is all we drove in it. It was so fun to drive until we lost control by driving a little too fast in the rain and went head on with the concrete barrier at 65mph. The seatbelts and airbags hurt but did exactly what they should. Noxs designed was great! We both walked away from an accident that should have killed one of us. The frame was rolled under but we had no major injuries. If you want something dependable and very safe buy a Nox. We are going to pick out a new one now!

• 

  2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By superniceman - September 11 - 2:25 pm

  Best SUV for the price! Have driven quite a number of new and used SUVs. In my opinion it was well worth the price I paid! Very comfortable to sit in, controls within easy reach, well designed. The front bottom seats are especially long, which relieves leg stress on long trips! Very stable on the road, even at 70. Hardly any sway around corners. Great fuel economy with 6 cylinder engine. Plenty of passing power. All the bells and whistles. Very roomy trunk. Great CD sound system. Easy to reach oil filter.

• 

  Very Impressed !!!! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Luis D. - September 11 - 10:58 am

  I must accept that at the beginning I was a little concern about the reliability of this truck due his history but I have to say after almost 3 years to own it that this is the best truck Ive ever had.No complaints at all. Just visits to dealership for regular maintenance and for a 5.8 V8 engine 17 miles/gal. is not bad !!

• 

  We were one of the first. - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Larry G Smith - September 10 - 2:13 am

  When I saw my first HHR I thought it was some sort of prototype. Chevrolet certainly was not advertising them or I would have seen it sooner! Love the authentic retro look and with the 2.2 H.O. It scoots just fine. I can hardly wait till GM has a few years to get the engine upgrades right. I will take mine in white with a Turbo!

• 

  Make the whole family happy!!!!!!!!!!! - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By linda Jakson - September 9 - 1:36 pm

  We are a family of 5. Me, my husband and three grown children youngest one is 14 the other 2 twins are 16. So we needed room, my husband Mark was against a mini van and the gas mileages on most suvs are not good. We look at different vehicles for about a month off an on, mostly imports because of their reliabilities. Test drove the Honda Pilot and was about to buy when we saw the Traverse drive by. Read reviews,& went to dealer. Fell in love, At first we were going to buy one with the ench seat in the 2nd because of having 3 kids. Decided on capts chairs. The kids all have plenty of room and fight over the the 3rd row because they sit in middle & stretch they leg between the capts chairs.

• 

  nice car - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By sj - September 9 - 12:30 pm

  For the money this has been a great car. Bought with 6K miles and only a few issues that so far the dealer took care of. Tires did wear quickly but thats not cars fault. Gas mileage is excellent. At 35K miles now, well see how the next 30K go... Had considered Camry but got a fully loaded 6 cyl for almost half the price..

• 

  Very nice car - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By toegar - September 9 - 10:00 am

  My car has been a pleasure to drive. It has the pick up when you need it. It takes corners tight and with ease. The car gets a lot of compliments from stangers. Im 47 and never had this much fun with a car. The car has had no no major problems. I store it in the garage over the winter.

• 

  not bad for an old car - 1991 Chevrolet Lumina
  By A. Schmidt - September 8 - 6:46 pm

  I just got this car for really good price. It runs very well! It hugs curves, and does wonderfully at higher highway speeds. Mine is the 4 door Euro. The driver side seat makes my back sore, though. And the inside is a dark blue cloth, and its own way, its quite nice looking. The outside body style is kind of pokey looking. Very fun to drive though. Id drive this thing to the moon if I could.