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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  A must have for me - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Ashephoenix - December 2 - 1:55 pm

  I am not a Chevy person I have never been that impressed with the vehicles they make but when I went to find a vehicle for my family of five I fell in love with this one. We do have some problems with the door but ours will tell us if the doors are still open so we can close them. We do not have the automatic doors since many vehicles have problems with the motors going out and we did not want to have to deal with that. I hit a deer today front end damage was minimal and I walked away safe and sound, I was very impressed. I love my SV and would recommend this to anyone who wants a decent vehicle for the price. We do not have any special features and got ours for 16,900. Great deal.

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  Little thing that annoy me - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Ron - December 1 - 10:12 pm

  I have the 2.4 L (larger 4 cyc) engine which is fun. I have a white with the chrome package with it decked out except it has gray material seat. It gets between 25 - 32.5 mpg so that is wonderful for commuting.

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  Cute but needs some redesign - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Kenn - December 1 - 9:57 pm

  I have almost had 3 wrecks due to the blind spot dealing with the windshield pillars. They are very thick for such a small vehicle. The windshield needs to be bigger, when I put the visor down I have to slump down in the seat to seat under the dumb thing. GM did move for 2009 the window controls to the door they are a pain in front of the gear shift. The cup holders are too close together so you cannot have to larger cokes in them and then the armrest are in the way to get to your drink. It needs to have a console and lots more cubby holes. There is a lot of space that is wasted that could have been utilized for storage. The storage in the door is way to small needs to accomodate drinks

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  Oldy but Goodie - 2000 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Dave - December 1 - 4:09 pm

  We purchased this truck used with 77K miles on it for the 3rd row seating. Plus my wife isnt the best of driver, so if she got into an accident, there is a good chance of her and my kids walking away. We now have 111K miles. I have replaced the shocks, tires, and alternator, in the last four years. American quality I feel is more than reached by this vehicle seeing how the above is routine/scheduled maintance. Gas is not the greatest in the city, but on the highway, fill up with Plus grade, and see your avg shoot from 18mgs to over 28 mpgs going 70 plus mph on the highway. We have done long road trips with this truck for quite sometime now. If you can find one in good shape buy it

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  Cobalt XFE - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Bob - December 1 - 7:37 am

  XFE (5 speed) is tuned for highway driving. Flat terrain at 58mpg = 38-42mpg. Subtract 4-5 mpg for air conditioner! Poor in town mpg (23-26). Not good for stop and go commuting in a hot climate. Enjoy XM radio. Good seat adjustments (up/down, back-forth, tilt-lumbar). Chevy. Get rid of Coupe design. Dangerous, cannot see out of back, especially with worthless spoiler. Change to hatchback. Trunk is deep, but opening is miniscule. Cant even put a standard cooler chest in it. Poor access to rear seats. Also Chevy failed to support the XFE sedan. Could not find 1 in the whole US! Corporate didnt know either. Inexcusible. No wonder they are bankrupt!

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  A winner - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By pops - November 28 - 2:32 pm

  Excellent minivan -- smooth ride, quiet, decent handling, adequate power, good economy, great styling inside & out. Not as great seat comfort, middle row legroom, antiquated 2nd and 3rd row seat movements.

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  Blazer LS - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By GM Owner - November 27 - 10:00 am

  The vehicle is very well insilated. Interior Elements: Great contrast in color, patterns, fabrics- better than the redesigned version for 2003. --too monotoned. Exterior:style wise, the rear wheels are pulled in to far in the wheel wells where as the front are almost flush with outside fender. looks weak in the rear. Shape: narrow body -- relax on the roundness. trucks are squared -- Cherokee Classics still havent changed the exterior for decades and yet continue to sell. Basically take care of your vehicle, do the maintence and your fine. things breaking and parts replaced that dont work --- complain to the dealer rather than the parts.

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  Reliability 07 Vette - 2007 Chevrolet Corvette
  By 07Reliability - November 26 - 12:37 am

  Reliability is not there. Electrical system drains battery so car will not start if car is left parked for more than 10 days. So many things on this car are attached to the battery--it does nothing but kill battery. Try taking this car to the airport and come back 2 weeks later and see what happens. When youre not driving for even short periods in must be plugged in to a charger. Dealer says all is working properly-- even the car manual says battery will not last more than 25 days?

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  Pleased I Bought It - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Don - November 24 - 11:36 pm

  I havent had this car long but from the time that I have had it I believe it will give me years of fun driving. The styling is masterful but the engine could use more umph. The vehicle is well built. Actually put together like a Swiss watch, and it runs like a Timex! I have the 5 speed Getrag manual and I wished that I had the automatic. However this transmission is very good. I would like to add an STS Turbo if I could find one. I would recommend this vehicle to any and everyone.

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  Mamas Truck Now - 1991 Chevrolet S-10
  By Mamas Truck Now - November 24 - 3:20 pm

  Bought with 20K miles for son to drive to college. 5 speed in floor. When son bought his first new car, I paid him $1000 for the truck. Have driven it for 12 years now and will keep it until I have to have it towed off. Great little truck that costs zilch to operate. Only work done on it was a fuel pump. At 160K now. Love my truck! (My other car is a Lexus)