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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  Stealth Value~! - 2011 Chevrolet HHR
  By smulvey - April 7 - 3:22 pm

  If you price out a car that does what this car does you will notice it is $ 4,000 cheaper than the typical offering in other lines , even including GM lines! It is a 4 cylinder motor. It is great for highway and city driving. It is not a torque monster. You do not want to buy this car to TOW a boat to Floirda from the hills of PA. I drive 25,000 miles a year. I have 80K on my HHR. I had it into the dealer once ( last month ) for a door lock / key FOB / RFID issue. The dealer could not figure it out. Everything else for this car was done in my Driveway or at Sears at the mall.

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  shafted by gm - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By noxsucksthegas - April 6 - 8:41 pm

  like most everyone here iam going to talk about the piss poor mpg . like some i have talked with gm @ 1-800-790-5700 for the past mounth 1/2 . just to find out that my nox is in the avg. est. fuel rateing at normaly 23.5 on the hiway which i disagree because thats just above city avg. on hwy. driving . my opinion gm has a problem with that 4cly. or maybe they shouldnt put that 4 cly. in the equinox. anyway they wont admitt they are wrong. the new redesigned gm that runs deep SUCKS. the old gm whould at least listen and try to help you. out with the old in with the new.

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  So far I count myself LUCKY - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By beguilingirl - April 6 - 6:54 pm

  So far everything is going great with my new-to-me Malibu. It is spacious & well designed. I commute about 22-25 miles each way to work (mostly CA highways) and Im averaging 29-32 mpg. And believe me, I am not going a steady 65mph for that whole time. I am standard rush hour 5pm traffic everyday. I took a 2 hour drive and my mpg was up 33. So far so good. That 15 gallon gas tank though makes a nice dent at every fill-up. All the internal features are really easy to use and intuitive designed. Love the sliding cup holder cover! As far as the steering wheel manual gear shifter, i wish that had been put some place else. Kinda get in my way but not enough to really complain.

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  My first Car Crush! - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By ecocruze - April 6 - 6:24 am

  I just purchased a 6 speed manual 4 weeks ago. Love the car! Highway:city driving 70:30 split (44.2 mpg/ computer feedback) Ill keep an eye on gas volume in and MPGs out to see if its accurate. I typically drive for milage but Ive played a few times and the car has some quick pick up. The manual turbo and suspension are a blast. This is a fun car to drive and, BONUS!, it will save you cash (87 octane 3.60 a gallon Durham, NC)

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  Nothing but trouble - 1999 Chevrolet Lumina
  By gmck25004x4 - April 6 - 2:18 am

  I bought my wife this car because it had the 3.8 and it was so beautiful. I hate Luminas and I didnt consider this a Lumina. It looked different with the package on it...however...it smelled like a Lumina, acted like a Lumina, and it was in the shop once a week like a Lumina. Interior is very uncomfortable. Hard for a real man to back into the cockpit without hitting his head and his butt. Seat is too low to the floor. Knees and legs groaned to get out after 200 miles. Gas mileage in town is 21 and on the highway is 27.7. It still got 21 on 30 mile trips. Had to go on 200 mile trips to get 27.7 Go figure... Intake gaskets and plenums are easy to go out on this. If you smell antifreez

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  2011 Chevrolet Malibu LT2 "Platinum Edition" - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By randyb4 - April 5 - 2:40 pm

  I just bought my first Malibu about a week ago and I am quite impressed at this vehicle. I really like the design of this car. I was never impressed with the older Malibu style but GM did a nice job on this body style. I must say that it has a "big car" ride and the 2.4 litre 4 cyl. engine puts out a fair amount power. I am over six feet tall and I have ample headroom.

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  03 malibu - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By erinjeanmck - April 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car in 06. I was the 2nd owner of this car. It had low miles on it & was in good condition. I had to replace all the tires on it at the time of purchase. I bought a car remote for it within the 1st yr. I get regular oil changes & last summer had to "fix" the car after it over heated--$600ish. The car remote decided to stop working this past winter. I also had to replace one of the tires this winter. I dont drive it excessively & have never taken it out of state. Farthest I have traveled away from home is 2 hrs 3 times. Its a good family car, but Im usually the only one traveling around in it. It does guzzle gas--16-20 mpg city. Good car if you have a family.

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  DONT LISTEN TO TEST REVIEWS? - 2010 Chevrolet Colorado
  By dchronister - April 4 - 5:50 pm

  TEST REVIEWS ARE NOT VERY KIND TO THIS PICKUP?? I HAD A 2004 EXT 4CYL. LIKED IT ALOT. AND UPGRADED TO A I-5 4WD EXT. I HAVE OWNED FOR 15 MONTHS, NO PROBLEMS,GOOD FUEL ECONOMY,COMFORTABLE,GREAT LOOKS WITH THE LT2 PACKAGE! I DROVE A FORD RANGER,TACOMA,FRONTIER,AND DAKOTA...... THEY ALL HAVE THIER ATTRIBUTES, AND DIS-LIKES. THE COLORADO SEEMED TO BE THE RIGHT CHOICE THE 2ND TIME AROUND.....I HAVE NO REGRETS....READ THE PEOPLES REVIEWS WHO OWN THESE TRUCKS .....NOT CONSUMER REPORTS,ECT.... FOR SOME REASON THEY THINK THIER SUPPOSE TO DRIVE LIKE A CAR, AND HANDLE LIKE A SPORTS CAR??? ITS A TRUCK, AND A GREAT ONE AT THAT. ASK COLORAD OWNERS,NOT EXPERTS WHO TEST THEM AND GIVE THIER OPINION?

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  Just Okay - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By afj21 - April 4 - 9:37 am

  I decided that after owning a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer LS for 10 years I should write a review on it. I purchased it in 2001 with 36K, AFTER the warranty expired at 60K , the car became a money pit. I called Chevy to see if they would assist me to no avail, the car was nickel and diming me to death. Drivers seat lever, all mirrors, passenger seat wouldnt lock in place, power windows quit working, rear hatch hydraulic lift levers, distributor (2X), heater core, new radiator, shocks (2X), chewed tons of brake pads and the check engine light on for Trans slippage for about 45K miles (which I refused to fix) Only after everything was fixed twice did it run up to 210K miles. Glad its gone.

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  Fast, fast, fast - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By mudshark78s - April 3 - 11:50 pm

  Bought this car 2 yrs ago for $12,000 with 57,000 miles on it just hit 70,000 ,our summer ride, 35th anniversary package with z rated tires,ungoverned 150 top speed,seen 135, wife gets nervous, added slp intake and diablo tune, looking to put on headers.Would recommend this to anyone that loves that raw power feel, Not one problem with this car.