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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  Much better than its reviews - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Locust - December 22 - 5:12 pm

  The TrailBlazer is a plain vanilla SUV, but get in and see what you get for thousands less than those that get the great reviews. It has some great features, phone, directions & emergency. A very nice ride, Bose speakers, buttery soft leather, 2 zone temp control & deep tinted windows. And a lot of room, Im a big guy at 265 & Im not squished in , the seats are large & firm with plenty of headroom.

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  Family Hauler - 1998 Chevrolet Astro
  By Chevy Fan - December 21 - 9:35 pm

  Bought from a frequent traveler with 98K on it. We now have 271K on it. Nothing unexpected - usual replacements of water pump fuel pump, trans rebuild, and so forth. Still no oil consumption. We use on trips for family of 4, plus it served as the "Mom wagon" for several years, racking up 300 miles a week. We are ready to let it go after a long service life. Everything still works. Needs a radiator, uses too much gas at todays prices. We got our moneys worth.

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  attention grabber - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By ajay - December 21 - 7:06 pm

  I got a yellow 2lt automatic and it grabs a lot of attention. I took the delivery on Friday evening and drove it to Ohio state fair and the policeman at the parkinglot stopped us to say he likes the car. Girls chased me in a charger till I got off the freeway. Camaro enthusiasts walked up to me and said they used to race z28s earlier. I stopped at the rest area and people started taking pictures with their cell phones. Kids in the block like to spot it. Cars drive around it to see it. Couple of cars pushed me to race on interstate 75 on my way back. This car make me feel Young, enthusiastic. I am totally not kidding but it makes me motivated.

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  So far so good - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By kennx01 - December 21 - 3:22 pm

  This is my first Chevy and so far I have not had a problem. I have read the other reviews and it seems that the people with the LT 2.2 seem to be the most pleased with their vehicle. The gas mileage is good and this car is a lot more comfortable than the Mazda I had before. I think if Chevy can continue to improve its cars this will not be my last Chevy. Good luck and safe driving to everyone who purchased this car, so far I love Malibu.

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  This isnt your old Malibu - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Malibu Man - December 21 - 5:34 am

  This is my 4th Malibu. By far this is the best. First, the V6 offers up power and speed like no other (watch it). Its cockpit feel wraps you into the car. The dashboard layout and lighting is very cool. Very quiet and smooth ride. Everything is at your finger tips. The look is very impressive. I tried the Camry earlier in the year and it did not come close, especially the ride. The in and out of the seats is a bit hard, but once youre in, get ready for the ride. This is the best Malibu yet, a lot of rights, a little tweaking maybe needed.

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  Luv the car, hate the wheel radius - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Greendog - December 21 - 3:56 am

  I hunted around several dealerships lookning for various models of small SUV. This auto gets about the same if not a little better mpg than my Silverado pickup. The 1 thing that always fools me is when trying to pull into a parking space, I always need to start the turn early, due to this wide wheel base.

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  Good truck but lacks details - 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By northern horizons - December 21 - 12:46 am

  I bought this vehicle new in the fall of 07 as a left over. I put about 40K miles on a truck per year. I have been impressed with the power and fuel economy of the inline 6. I have had less than stellar reviews for the fit and finish and the vehicle locks. The interior console is poorly designed. I hate the OnStar big brother thing and the original tires. I now have a passenger side window track that is broke and Im out of warranty in 13 mos. Ill probably keep this car for a long time but I get the feeling that its going to be expensive. If the American auto manufacturers are going to make it they are going to have to pay attention to details & stop worrying about gimmicks

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  My first Chevy - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Ron Freborg - December 20 - 10:41 pm

  My commute is 135 miles per day, and the gas prices were eating me alive in my 22 mpg Ranger. We determined that if I could get about 32 mpg, the gas savings would make the car payment. The car felt good, the dealer wasnt pushy and although it was used it was a certified car. I have taken it to the dealer for two minor warrenty issues, and have been very happy. This is a great little comuter car, that for 2 avg size people could be a cross country car. The interior has a few issues with the cheap plastic, but for the price of this car, its quite affordable with a good safety rating. For the same price, I could have got an older, high milage Corolla without as many features

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  Our floorboards are soaking wet - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Daryl - December 18 - 8:10 am

  The rear hatch leaks when it rains and now the spare tire well is full of water and the carpet is soaking wet. My local dealership has never heard of this problem and offered me no help. Between oil changes, my Equinox uses more than a quart of oil. Local dealership says this is an "acceptable" amount of oil usage. Ive had 10 year old cars that didnt use this much oil between changes! The center console design is terrible. You cant have a drink in the cupholder and pull up the emergency brake at the same time. We traded a Toyota Camry for this vehicle and thought we were trading up. We were dead wrong. I would prefer to buy American but this makes me never want to by a Chevy again.

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  The Blue Cobalt - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Jason H. - December 17 - 7:06 am

  Have had the Cobalt since the beginning of August. Great car with some exceptions. I have had some major/minor glitches. My back window shattered out of no where, my sunroof switch cover fell off and has not been replaced yet, my car is rattling, and my emergency break light seems to come on at random when driving.