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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  Very reliable! - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Angel eyes - April 12 - 10:54 pm

  I purchased this car from a friend. This car now has over 200,000 miles and still runs great! It also still gets great gas mileage, 18 in town and to my surprise about 30 on hwy!!! I would buy this car over again.

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  Good car - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By chefantwon - April 12 - 11:23 am

  I have had my Aveo for about 3 months now and I think its great. Im getting about 28MPG city. I sometimes have to haul large packages to UPS/DHL to ship and this car can handle just about anything. You can even put a 27" TV in the box in the front seat with no problem. I am very happy customer.

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  I have owned 3 .. and LOVED them all!!!! - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By KenyLee - April 12 - 4:22 am

  I received my first 2005 Chevy Cobalt LS for graduation. I ended up getting t-boned by a Ford F-350 going 70 on my driver side.. totaled the Cobalt but i only had a few scratches and was good to go. Next was my 2006 Chevy Cobalt LTZ. 10 times better than the first.. I owned it for 2 yrs had 56000miles on it. i drove it from Georgia to Alaska and had not ONE problem with it the whole time. i ended up trading it in for a 2006 Chevy Cobalt SS supercharged.. i wanted something sporty yet reliable and safe. this was it.. i love it and have had no problems with it yet!

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  Very fine car! - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bob in CO - April 11 - 10:58 pm

  I bought mine from my credit union as an ex-rental car with under 20K miles. I drive approximately 20K miles/year, mostly highway miles. This car has been great. I have the LS with the V6 engine. It is very comfortable, gets approximately 28mpg combined city/highway, and around 31-32mpg with strictly highway driving. The traction control works VERY well on snowy Colorado roads. The engine has been trouble free (I now have approximately 70K miles on it), with nothing more than normal maintenance having been necessary to date. The body is free of noises and rattles, and the seats are VERY comfortable, especially on long drives. The trunk is huge, and easy to access,

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  A nice ride - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By stevo3364 - April 11 - 4:03 pm

  The HHR is very stylish, versatile and fun to drive. Its retro look makes it different than most other cars on the road. The HHR is great on gas and has some good giddyup for a 4 cylinder

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  Lovinitsofar - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By P&A - April 11 - 10:03 am

  Two months old so cant speak for reliability. Love everything so far for our first chevy. Very roomy, feels expensive compared to old Jeep Cherokee we replaced. Good pick up speed, fairly quiet, very smooth, handles well. First tank of gas 16 mpg city with a few quick accelerations. We tested, Hyundai Veracruz, Kia Sorento and Borrego, and GMC Acadia. Chose Traverse over Acadia due to looks, price, and Edmunds reviews. Daughter loves hooking up PS2 and playing video games w/ rear DVD. We love the headphones she uses so we can play our satellite radio while she plays games or watches movies. Im 57" 215lbs and fit comfortably in 3rd row. I will review again in about 6 months.

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  2005 Suburban LT 2WD - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Tim - April 10 - 5:39 pm

  We bought this vehicle new in 8-05 and have been very pleased. Reliability has been top notch with not one issue at almost 50,000 miles. Its been on a 4,400 mile vacation round trip with a 20 MPG highway rating driving thru a stretch of interstate at 65 MPH. Most of the driving has been in the Baton Rouge metro area.

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  2004 Cavalier - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Littlelady - April 10 - 2:00 am

  I just bought this vehicle a couple weeks ago. My Cavalier replaced a 1997 Geo Prism. I went for all the luxury available. I love it! Very comfortable and affordable for a car in its class!

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  good campact utility truck - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Rambo9 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Iam 6 8" and I fit better in this truck then I did in my 2001 tahoe. I like it better because its smaller, easy to mauneuver in traffic, and fun to drive. The engine does need more lower end torque, but I must say I do enjoy all that back end power. It takes off like a rocket past 40. However, I have yet to see the claimed 18 to 24 MPG. More like 16 to 16

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  VETTE - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By REMAN - April 10 - 2:00 am

  THIS IS A BAD CAR. IT RUNS GOOD WHILE LOOKING GOOD.