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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  Lemon uplander - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By doc olds - November 23 - 2:00 am

  Very poor vehicle from Chevy only 8 months of reliability and all down hill from the (uplander) from the vent cover in the top of the head liner falling off all the time to glove box breaking off when opening it to no heat in the back of car to all major thing going under the hood like I said (very poor uplander)

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  LTZ! Reliable AND fun to drive! - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By OFFSTAR - November 22 - 2:00 am

  Driving this car is fun, Do not confuse the suspension on this car with that of the LS or the LT. Since I purchased this car I find myself taking more travel liberties and looking forward to the long drives. Acceleration is perfect with the active fuel 3.9 engine. I average 36 mpg on the highway AND that was manually calculated, not from the on-board computer (if I dont hot dog it). never less than 23 in town! I have only been to the dealer for maintenance and with 30k and no failures I am impressed and recommend this to anyone who wants some fun, reliability and great fuel mileage!

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  Same problem, 4 times in 3 weeks - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By sunshine - November 21 - 2:00 am

  the acceleration is not very good however,the good fuel economy makes up for it. i have owned this car just under a year now and recently have been having problems with the car. They keep fixing it but 2 days later it breaks again. tomorrow will be the fourth time in less than three weeks that i will be taking it into the dealership. other than this, i love the car, but i guess you get what you pay for! Cheap price means cheap quality

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  2010 RS Camaro - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By lld767 - November 21 - 2:00 am

  Well Ive had my camaro for over a year now and I have to say I love it. Fun to drive,good gas mileage,a real head turner.I have the RS LT2 Automatic. Love the Bluetooth for phone w/voice activation. You can pair your cell phone to make calls and play your music wireless. There is also Aux input jack as well as a USB input. I have the 6 speed auto with the tap shift. Not very fun. If you put the trans in manual mode but dont activate the tap shift the trans will be in sport mode, it should say S where it displays what gear your in. It will say M+gear# if you activate the tap shift. Trans will redline with a firm shift. Much more fun to drive.

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  Its A Real Chevy - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By HARJR - November 21 - 2:00 am

  Moved up here from a 2000 Camaro which I had and thoroughly enjoyed driving for ten years. This 2010 model is a dream come true.

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  Very Good Car - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Steve - November 21 - 2:00 am

  We have had the car just over a year and have 16,000 on it now. Highway driving has resulted in 19 mpg (very high Kansas winds) at 78 mph, to 34 mpg with a tail wind at 65 mph. My wife loves this car, and I wish it were bigger. But, it is such an improvement over the 07 piece of crap equinox that we owned briefly.

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  Unreliability - 2009 Chevrolet Equinox
  By trishe - November 20 - 2:00 am

  Although it has a lot of good features it is very unreliable since you must drive it long distances to keep the battery charged or leave it running if you are making a lot of short stops. If it sits more than 2 days you have a dead battery. The dealer can not seem to find the problem. The console is awkward to use where there are two people in the car. The defrosters and most vents come through outside air and across the engine. The air bounces off the window and into your eyes and bringing the toxins from the engine with it and stinging eyes and causing congestion. My small pickup has a better turning radius. I will take a lose trading it in for something other than a Chevrolet.

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  2011 Camaro 1SS - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By JHorton - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Very fun to drive. Turns a lot of heads traveling down the road. v8 power is awesome, I have waited for this car since the concept was unveiled.

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  Wowee Zowee Batman! - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By richinnj - November 19 - 2:00 am

  When was the last time you had a smile on your face... simply from driving a new vehicle? This is the one that will put it there! I am a week in owned many many vehicles, and none as crisp, comfortable and right for our family as this one. I think GM got this one right because I can tell you that my neighbors have asked to check it out - something theyve never done prior. It feels as big as a Tahoe, but drives like an equinox. The acceleration is fantastic, the gas needle hasnt moved in a week of commuting and my back doesnt hurt because of poor seat ergonomics. The kids look lost in the back - they are having a blast. I would even recommend to Adam West.

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  Dont buy the Uplander - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Lee - November 18 - 2:00 am

  I bought this vehicle for my wife as she needed a large more reliable vehicle for the family. We have had nothing but problems with this 2008 Uplander. The worst thing is its not reliable. Charging System Failure continue to be a problem. Some days the vehicle will be just fine, and then other days the vehicle wont start. A dealership has replaced the alternator twice, and again we are still having the same issue. Charging System Failure and the vehicle wont start. When you have a family with young kids nothing is more important then reliability. What is so frustrating is if you google problems with 2008 Uplanders you will get several customers with my exact same story. :(