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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  More like entry level! - 2011 Chevrolet HHR
  By canman4 - June 13 - 9:08 pm

  Ive had this car for about a month and a half now. What can I say? This car is OK, not good, not great. Good thing GM is offering huge discounts because its not much better than some entry level cars. I was looking for something larger than compact after owning a van for a while. The size of this car is pretty good compared to small SUVs but, thats about it. A very loud Ecotech engines easily scares people at crossings but is kind of annoying (the older engine was quieter and you cant buy ethanol anywhere anyway). Bad gas mileage (not much better than the old van), creaks all around the dash and the outside air temp sensor is way off (5 -10 degrees). Go with Mazda 3 or similar.

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  DONT DO IT! - 1993 Chevrolet Astro
  By goodlife - June 13 - 3:34 pm

  Terrible terrible terrible! Wish Id researched a little more before purchasing! Granted, a 1993 cant be expected to be stellar. That said, I didnt know a used car could be this awful! My Subaru with 260,000 miles has always run like a champ with routine oil changes and a few small things here and there, so I assumed I would be as lucky with this van. Not so! It only has 140,000 miles, purchased with 133,000. Ive already put thousands into it and just trying to get rid of it now.

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  great car - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By dirtcolornox - June 13 - 11:46 am

  Have driven the car for about 1300 miles, so far, it is a great move. Had a 06 caddy SRX, Moved to the nox to save on Gas, less $ on maintenance, goal was 28 MPG.

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  So Far Impressed, dont listen to the nay sayers - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By peterparker121 - June 12 - 7:20 pm

  WOW, i was looking for a more economical car, had an Impala for the last 6 years, you know, better MPG, without a huge price tag. Got more than I bargined for. This car is sharp. I got the imperial blue metalic, lt rs model. Put over two hundred miles on it in four days. Im a husky fellow, 58" and around 225, and I find this car to be super roomy. If youre one of those people whos shirt tags bother them, you may find it a tad small. Took awhile to get the seat adjusted just right, but once I did, I find myself not wanting to get out of my Cruze. Handles great, not Impala smooth, but pretty dang nice. Blue dashlights on the chrome, STYLING. Love watching the average MPG go up, up, and up.

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  Great Car for Price - Sorry its Being Discontinued - 2011 Chevrolet HHR
  By zkeith2 - June 12 - 6:31 pm

  Overall a really great car. It looks better, is more fun to drive, and has better cargo storage than comparable cars. Its rare to get a hatchback in this price with masculine design lines. Most look so feminine/cute/wimpy. With huge rebates in place now because 2011 is the last model year, this is a great deal.

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  Sweetest bang for the buck - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By joker42369 - June 12 - 5:58 pm

  Ive had this car for a few months now, and love it more everyday. First off, the supercharger whine is simply addicting. Five speed manual is awesome, red and black seats this car just rocks. I wanted one since the first time i saw one. So far, while beating on it constantly, ive gotten no problems, and 21-22 mpg CITY. And boy is it fast. 350z fast. Not to mention, the sport tuned suspension was derived testing at nurburgring, so it handles really good, even on crappy roads. As long as you can get used to a twitchy first gear and mad wheel hop (which i did) this car is perfect for the price. And i can look at it all day, just a beautiful car.

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  It did its job - and Im okay - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By mbs2 - June 12 - 2:24 pm

  Im just sick over the fact that I wrecked my 02 Trailblazer a week and a half ago. I LOVED that car. In fact, most comments I got from people, after making sure that I was okay, were to express their sympathy over me losing my car - everyone knew how much I loved that thing. As a real estate broker specializing in mountain properties, I used my TB for all it was worth. At 159,000 miles, it ran perfectly, looked nearly perfect, nobody could tell it was as old as it was. I bought it in 04 with 42k miles on it, and only repair was a 4WD switch computer chip. While I was spinning out in the rain on the freeway about to hit a tree, I was calm because I knew it would keep me safe, and it did.

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  Most reliable car ive ever seen - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By tim_koehler - June 9 - 9:02 pm

  My dad drove this car on a 30 or so mile comute everyday untill i got it in January of 2011. The Impala was handed to me and i expected a little out of it but it has done so much better then i expected. This last winter i was busting drifts with it that trucks couldnt get through! Decent gas mileage the only complaint is i took out the head unit to instal an after-market one and boy was it a mess. We had to get it profesionally done there were so many wires. Great car and i easily recomend it!

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  Equinox MPG not as advertised - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By lsr1 - June 9 - 9:53 am

  I bought a Chevy Equinox 2011 a few weeks ago, and the MPG of 32 Highway is not even close to the actual. I do mostly highway driving, and I am only getting 18.5 MPG. I have been very conservative on how I am driving (no fast start, or engine reving). One of the reasons that I chose this vehicle above others is becasus of the fuel economy. Chevy outright LIED, and so did the dealer. Now they wont return my calls anymore when I ask them why they lied to me about the MPG. How can Chevy get away with that? I WILL NEVER buy another Chevy as long as I live, and I will discourage anyone I know from buying a Chevy as well.

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  My Volt after 3 months and 3100 miles - 2011 Chevrolet Volt
  By decibel1 - June 9 - 9:43 am

  I have owned my Volt since mid-March, and have used exactly 20 gallons of gas over 3100 miles. Most of my daily driving is done in all electric mode, but I did take one 80 mile trip and one 750 mile trip. On the long trip I did not recharge and averaged 41 mpg in charge-sustaining mode. I also own a Prius and feel that the Volt, though a bit smaller, is a big leap forward over that fine car. The Volt is quicker, handles better, is quieter, has much lower operating cost/mile (i pay only $0.10 per kWh), and has been totally glitch free. Its an astonishing achievement.