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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  The Comfort of a Luxury Vehicle - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Sailingsoon - March 2 - 8:49 pm

  We purchased this vehicle new for $18K when GM was offering great rebates- what a bargain! In 2003 we purchased a TB for my daughter and were impressed by the ride and ease of parking and handling. The reliability of her TB was OK, but not stellar. In 90,000 miles she had to have the fan clutch replaced, a passenger side power window replaced at her cost and had some initial warranty problems with door seals and taillights. I read where GM later changed the type of fan clutch and solved that problem.

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  Great suv for mileage - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Ron - March 2 - 2:00 pm

  Highway gas mileage is 34 mpg in eco mode, Over all 26 mpg. Handling is great at all speeds. Comfort on the road is outstanding. Power of 4cyl is fine, much more power then I first thought. Seats are very comfortable, the ride is a little stiff but holds the road sound. I am very pleased and have not found any problems in the first 3000 miles. General Motor is back to #1 with this winner.

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  CUTEST FLOWER POWER CAR!! - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By AILEEN - March 2 - 10:25 am

  So far I have driven my car to Philly, New Jersey,way upstate NY and love it. I dont get great gas mileage :( but its zippy for a manual and comfortable to drive. Its yellow & I recently put a big cool purple flower on the hood and I hope to start a new trend to replace the Volkswagen bug..haha MY CAR IS CUTER!!!

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  My Late Life Crisis - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Dan B - March 1 - 9:17 am

  I was looking for a vehicle that had most of the room of my Saturn Vue, and a style that would excite me. The HHR is perfect. It has a sporty feel, accommodates the weekend chores, and is generally fun to drive. I knew what I was buying so I have no complaints about the limited view or the cupholders. The first thing my passengers and I noted is that its a solid car feel. I plan to enjoy my new toy!

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  Kudos to you Chevrolet - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Matt - March 1 - 2:33 am

  I looked at several cars before buying including CTS, Lexus GS350, Acura TL, Honda and Maxima. I test drove this one and felt the others werent worth the extra money. LTZ version is awesome. Everything about it was well done, high quality materials on interior, great engine and ride, good looks and you absolutely cannot beat the price. GM did an awesome job on the redesign of this car. I honestly feel it is comparable to many higher priced imports. Standard features makes for an easy purchase. Im extremely happy to say that I bought an American car. I strongly encourage all potential buyers to test drive this car before purchasing a Honda, Acura, Nissan or other. Youll be pleasantly surprised

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  Best car - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By aguzman - March 1 - 2:03 am

  I drive my Maxx 120 miles a day and I enjoy it very much. It handles great, is comfortable, and I get 29 miles to a gallon. Has style and my coworkers really like it. Some of them have gotten themselves one also. A great unit. Wished more people would try it. They would love it like I do.

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  Make more suvs like these - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By summer - February 28 - 10:52 pm

  It is perfect for travel. You sit in this SUV upright so that your back is happy. You can see the road for miles. You can haul most anything on the racks or when you put down the back seats. Low maintenance overall. I want a new one with this is paid off.

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  watch the tranny - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By chris - February 28 - 8:34 pm

  I first bought my Blazer with 61 k on and at 7 years old. Soon had to replace the usual, (tires, brakes, fluids etc). Overall very reliable if you take care of it. Today with 180k I have to put it away as there are serious problems with age even if you take care of it. Last year the tranny went .... 2400... Never been the same since.... But I love the interior, all leather and with the sunroof and electric features it was great. The gas gauge never worked. Now there is a metallic squealing in first gear ( tranny a year old), and the repair shop long gone. I did get use out of it as I travel a lot and far... Have not had front end or ball joint problems but have had rear end issues(axle&seals)

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  Just an mazing car 9C1 - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By impala fan - February 27 - 6:30 pm

  This car is just amazing. We bought our first impala in 2007. it is a 9C1 impala (police package) with 3.8 L engine and it had 80k m. on it. it is fast, good, reliable, rugged. Now it has about 100 and it still going thank God.

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  Loving this Car! - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By bev73 - February 27 - 4:08 pm

  I have had this Equinox for 3 weeks now and I love it more each day! So fun to drive and I feel so safe in this bad weather weve been having.