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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  Consider this little SUV - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By MikeinMO - April 4 - 2:00 am

  A well engineered little SUV and a lot of fun to drive.It will grow on you.No problems-26 mpg on the freeway and about 23 overall.I got 4wd, but consider the ABS instead.Id recommend the 4 cyl mated with the manual-save $4,000 and sacrifice towing and smoothness but make it up in fun (adventure) and economy.The 4 door wagon isnt huge, but more storage than a lot of station wagons.If youre looking for a practical and reliable SUV that will actually handle off road situations, you owe it to yourself to consider the Tracker.CR has been down on it despite good reliability an crash test results-its time for people to recognize the Trackers strong points given $15,000 price.

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  Hot rod - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By wjdodg - April 3 - 4:13 pm

  I got the sports package with my Cobalt for another $1645. My favorite things it comes with is the XM satelitte radio free for three months and the white faced sport gauges. This is a very fun car to drive, also very appealing to look at. Ive heard alot of negative things about the spoiler, but I like it. You will see the younger generation driving this car, definitely not a family car. Chevy did a good job with this one. They will be very competitive with the Hondas and Toyotas of the world. Maybe not take over but they have a good start. Last thing my dealer said was " youve got yourself a real hot rod".

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  Forget the other models.....get the SS! - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By drstein1977 - April 3 - 10:50 am

  I just bought this car last week, SS models are hard to come by. I have to say I am glad I didnt get the 2lt, this thing blows away the other HHRs I test drove. I have the automatic so theres less HP but the design and features on this thing are second to none. No turbo lag and this thing hugs corners as well as my 2000 Trans AM WS6! Definitely a good family car with a very sporty edge! Two tone interior is nice. Extra options I bought: 7speaker pioneer system, sunroof, XM radio, and other cool stuff. Definitely get the SS!

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  Wow - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By don - April 3 - 2:36 am

  Ive had my HHR for only a week now but have logged about 300 miles. The 2.2 motor has enough power to get around and gets outstanding fuel econ. Im avgering 25 mpg in western PA! The price was right, I would recomend it to any family member, (this is coming from a Dodge man). Chevy has restored my confidence in GM vehicles.

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  not a bad ride for the money - 1991 Chevrolet Lumina
  By jmar - April 3 - 2:00 am

  I just bought my 91 Lumina Euro sedan w/ the sport package. I pretty much just use it to get to work and it seems to be a decent buy so far. It has a nice ride, is roomy enough and has plenty of torque. Some negatives, the build quality is not all that great. The interior door panels feel like they will come off any day now. It is loud from the exhaust and also road/wind noise is a bit excessive. I have read that the rear brakes should be checked often and that the charging system is weak. Overall, this is a good car that you wont be embarrased to drive and can actually be fun to drive if you dont mind some fairly minor quality issues.

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  very poor car - 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By skoniecz40 - April 3 - 2:00 am

  This car has been nothing but mechancial failures and headaches, I wish I never purchased it!

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  S-10 - 1990 Chevrolet Blazer
  By MR. BILL - April 3 - 2:00 am

  GOOD CAR SERVRD US VERY WELL.

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  A great car! - 1994 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Jake123123123 - April 3 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car! It gets a bad rap from the people at consumer reports because of its reliability, safety, and resell value, but they clearly dont have their prioities straight. The bucket seats lock you in when you blast off in this 275 hp performance car. A rocking bose stereo comes standard. Its loud, and you really feel the road - just like it should be. I love this car!

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  Love my Camaro - 1997 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Bryan M - April 3 - 2:00 am

  Both my friend and I bought 1997 Camaros and we both had the same problem. The windsheild wipers do not park at certain temperatures. This is the only problem and one that I chose to ignore.

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  Z28 Camaro - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Jason Billingsley - April 3 - 2:00 am

  The Camaro and Firebird are the last off the affordable muscle cars! Who cares about the Mustang! They were only good from 64 1/2 - 70. Chevy never put a four-banger in the f-bodies! Mustangs cant hang with the f-bodies! They just dont have the power from the factory!