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 Family Car - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Nate - July 10 - 12:59 pm

  I bought the car as we had a new baby on the way, and it is great. The car can fit a 10ft ladder, a car seat with baby, my wife, and more cargo with room to spare. All of this in a car that isnt any longer than my Dodge Neon. Its a perfect fit for a mid height person like myself, not so good if you are over 6 ft. though. The instant fuel mpg reading is great for changing your driving habits to be fuel efficient. The best part though is that it is a fuel efficient family wagon that looks really, really cool. I could cruise in my HHR for hours and hours.

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  Love it, Love it, Love it!!!! - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Nikki - July 10 - 12:34 pm

  I bought the 6 cyl LT2 model about four months ago and I absolutely love it! I had a lot of time to search around for cars and test drove the Camry, Maxima, Mazda 6, and the Audi A4. There wasnt anything special about the Camry and the Mazda 6 didnt handle very well so it eventually came down to the last three and overall I preferred the Malibu over the others. The ride is just as smooth and quiet as the other two, so if you can live without the silly little extras the Malibu is the way to go. You definitely get the most value for your dollar.

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  4th one and still love it! - 2008 Chevrolet Suburban
  By DT - July 9 - 10:06 pm

  They just keep getting better. I had a Tahoe and 2 other Suburbans previously. The 98 Suburban I had really felt like it stuck to the road, the 01 lost that truck feel and felt loose. The ride of the 08 is great, the appearance is great, the highway/city mixed mileage is about 16 on gas and 13 on E85. I like the on- board computer w/mileage performance, XM Radio, On-Star and monthly status e- mails. The kids like the heated rear seats and DVD player plus they can load all of their junk easily.

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  Love the new Chevrolet - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Traverse owner - July 9 - 6:50 pm

  WE have only owned the 2009 Chevrolet TRaverse LTZ a couple weeks. We love it so far. We still need to learn all the tricks with navigation and bluetooth phone but those are great features along with the cooled seats in hot Florida. We hope it is as reliable long term as we have too many gadgets to want to fix them. Only complaint so far is getting used to the many gears as it seems to downshift just as you go around an intersection wehre you dont completely stop but then accelerate after going around the turn. We had a Ford Taurus that did that many years ago.

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  Worth the wait of 8 weeks - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cv - July 9 - 3:50 pm

  I really like this vehicle, driving it is a pleasure. Very noise free, smooth riding, comfortable and drives great. I arrive at my destination relaxed and ready to get back in and drive again. People come up and ask me about it, must be catching on. The Cyber grey metallic looks very good on the Equinox. The 4 cylinder is strong enough if you are use to high reving engines, and let it rev.

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  I love my Tahoe! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Michael - July 9 - 10:33 am

  My wife has always liked Tahoes and so talked me into getting this over the H3. Im glad she did, this truck is great! I look for reasons to drive it. GM hit a home run with this truck. I love the new chiseled look. I get lots of looks in it too. I am a new GM fan. I recommend you get one. You wont regret it at all. The truck seems very refined and somthing you want to take a long trip in. I feel totally safe driving my kids in this truck.

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  7,500 mile follow-up - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By CSB - July 8 - 8:23 pm

  Still happy with this purchase. I have downgraded the mileage mark to "8." I have yet to take a long trip without ridiculous traffic (D.C to Outer Banks NC), but did get 29mpg fully loaded down at 75mph for about a one hour drive. Ratings r based on driving at 60mph on highway? The computer says Im averaging 20.5 mpg in northern VA suburban driving. Dont know what to make of all of the conflicting mileage reports. These Equinoxes cant all be made differently -right? I think I will try determining my mileage the old fashioned way to see if the computer is off. Maybe I have a heavy foot. I averaged 21mpg with my Mazda 6 (4cyl.) Anyway unless you get a Prius, whats 3 to 4 mpg?

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  Awesome! - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By ApacheGray - July 8 - 7:23 pm

  I have only driven German cars for the last 25 years - lifestyle change took me to a top of the line Tahoe 3 years ago and while it was a good car, it was too trucky - so was heading back to Deutschland. Until our Chevy sales guy enticed me to drive the Traverse. A month later, I am in love. Have put 2,000 miles on it with no problems. It holds a large amount of stuff as well as 4 humans. It handles well, is comfortable and we are getting 18 mpg in town and the promised 24 on the road. GM has a chance if this is a sample of their future.

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  thrilled with my used malibu lt - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Brett - July 8 - 10:56 am

  I bought a used Malibu LT with 18,100 miles on it and have had for just over four months. Car has been great...I have a 100 mile daily commute (roundtrip) and have put 12,000 miles on the car in 4 months. Zero problems. Car has been terrific. XM is great, interior looks awesome and the ride is very smooth if you put up your windows you hear nothing outside. This was my first car purchase and I am beyond happy with it so far.

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  Back in black and no windows - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Dennis L - July 8 - 7:50 am

  A head turner youd think I have the only black panel hhr in NE ohio. I put custom black wheels on it and that is it. Everyone has something positive to say about it everywhere I happen to park. A friend at work bought one a week after seeing mine. Nuff said there, contagious I say! I have to admit I first only bought because I nailed the price. The dealership didnt even fill my tank! I stole it and really didnt care that the only gas left was what I had put in it for my test drive. I dont use cheap gas anyway in my cars (there is a difference in performance), I dont care what you drive. So the HHR has won me over and the vehicle is perfect for my horse duties, the truck stays put.