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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  All around good, smaller SUV - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Rob - September 23 - 12:48 pm

  This car survived 2.5 winters in the Albany cold while being driven my a college student. While many friends cars died due to the cold, my Tracker started anytime. The 4x4 is fun for the mountains, snow and the few times I was able to bring it off-road. The car is roomy for the two people in front, but has little space for the people in the back. I am 64" and fit in the car great, but rarely does someone sit behind me. Decent amount of room. I fit a 6 foot long bookcase inside and can handle a queen size bed on the top. I have had to put very little work into this car. Belts twice, alternator, front brakes, and front rotors. Under the hood this car is tight.

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  Great but - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Fox - September 23 - 6:51 am

  I have about 2500 miles on the car now. Just returned from a 1400 mile road trip. Trip computer said 32.8 mpg Actual 33.2 mpg. Mostly hwy driving between 65 and 70 mph. I like everything about the car except for the following. Keep in mind I traded in a 2003 Accord. The 6 spd. tranny shifts smoothly 90 percent of the time. It jerks unpredictably the other 10 pct. Once the motor even raced between gears! I will be taking it in to the dealer for this. There is a definite color mismatch between the bumpers and body. I will probably live with it because I dont want to risk paint problems

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  Great Family Hauler - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Big Papa - September 22 - 3:08 pm

  Bought our Suburban used with 57k at a Mercedes dealership for my family. Truck started up and sounded like it was brand new. Driving down the freeway is smooth! Spacious interior, able to fit the stroller and a portable playpen plus anything else we need to bring with us. Both my kids are in carseats so we have them in the 2nd row captains chairs and we still have the 3rd row for 3 more passengers when needed!

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  Great job Chevrolet - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By eddie - September 21 - 8:49 am

  Our first Suburban and my wife and I are impressed. This is a beautiful, sharp looking vehicle, I have 4 kids and they love it. They are happy, wife is happy, we are all comfortable. Have taken on long trips and at one point I had 11 people in the vehicle. My sister that owns a Hummer now wants a Suburban because it is practical, reliable, is gorgeous and comfortable

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  My First Muscle Car - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Jack - September 20 - 9:15 pm

  Ive wanted a sports car ever since I started driving at 16. Now Im 19 and got my wish. The car is amazing! I love to put the top down and go to the beach. However, Im really afraid of it. Everytime it rains I fishtail. I dont even have to go hard on the gas. I hate to drive it in the rain. The top doesnt leak but the seal around the driver window does and when I open the door water spills in from the top. When I bought it the compressor for the a/c actually smoked because it would run hot. My top also squeaks and the passenger window is slower than the driver. I get excited every time I drive it and am so glad I got it, even though it has horrible mpg and rising gas prices.

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  Poor Mileage - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Craig L. - September 20 - 7:39 pm

  I traded in my 03 Impala with 3.8 liter engine for this supposedly more fuel efficient model. The old Impala got 30 mpg on the hiway and averaged around 24. This new engine is getting 18.5 mpg on my commute and if babied on the hi-way will get 26 mpg. Also, if you decelerate and then want to accelerate quickly, there is about a 1 second hesitation before the throttle will do much. Really heart stopping in heavy rush hour traffic. Disappointed that this smaller car, with an engine that shuts off half of the cylinders to save fuel, turns in worse performance and way worse fuel economy than the old 3.8 liter engine. Also, OnStar should be an option only. Why pay for it if you dont want

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  Great Car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Madcatz - September 19 - 4:08 pm

  2.2L with 5-speed manual transmission. Great car, Ive had no problems with it yet at 32k miles. I could not say enough about the awesome gas mileage I get out of it. I average 400 miles per tank of gas, usually about 420 miles, and have gone over 450 miles on one tank before. Gets about 39-40mpg at 50-55mph. But being as a manual transmission, gas stinks in traffic jams. A/C works great, it gets cold really fast. Heater warms up very quick in the winter.

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  Bought in 2005 - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Mike J - September 19 - 2:43 pm

  Bought this car for my daughter in late 2005. She went on to something else in 2006 so Ive driven this car since then. No problems. This is a bottom end car for Chevrolet and I expected more issues. I see others that are beat to death but still run so I expect mine to run for a long time. This car will put a 6 cylinder older Mustang down without breaking a sweat and still get 25-26 mpg!

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  A very decent used 4x4 - 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By eric james - September 19 - 6:00 am

  Ive only owned my 95 tahoe a few months. I wanted to upgrade from my old rusty 91 GMC Jimmy with 240,000 miles. I got it way less than what the dealer wanted. $2,800. I had cash and he was ready to take it. Only 138,000 miles and it runs perfect. I did have to replace all 4 tires and the front shocks but I expected that from test driving it. Never drove it in snow yet but in mud from hard rain it went right through it, plenty of interior room and comfortable. I did replace the original 245/75-16 tires with 265/75-16 tires. A little wider and about 1 1/4 inch taller. I gained a mile a gallon from that. Its really a great vehicle for its age. Plenty of room inside and to work under the hood if repairs were needed. I love the standard 350 engine. Plenty of power and its the most common engine ever to replace or buy parts for.

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  Good Economical and tough car - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By middleofnowhere - September 17 - 11:34 pm

  I work in construction and drive in the dirt every day. My work is all over Southern California. This is a well put together car. When I first bought and it was clean, I took wife and friends out to dinner several times. Lots of interior room. Now my car is constantly dirty, so I only use for work. I get 27 mpg with AC running and mixed driving. During winter I get about 30 with mixed driving. Interior is functional. Good ground clearance. Very happy and recommend.