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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  HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By ? - February 10 - 5:30 pm

  I like the HHR for the size of the car which is just a smaller SUV, and the height of the seat is great since you dont have to stoop down to get in the car or pull yourself up and out of the car. I am getting great gas mileage even though I havent put 300 miles on the car yet. I am having a problem with the lock feature....when it locks up I havent learned how to unlock that feature without getting the owners manual out and reading it again. Yet what the book says I am not grasping so I just play with the push buttons on the lock and eventually I get the car to turn on.

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  Good as new! - 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Butch - February 10 - 12:43 pm

  I bought my 96 Tahoe, 4 door 2 wheel drive LT, brand new. It was easily the best vehicle of its type at the time. And I think it is still the best vehicle of its type after all these years. Masculine look. Heavier than the new SUVs that get blown around in the wind. It is a "truck"! I have used Mobil 1 5w30 Syn in it since about 25,000 miles. It now has over 130,000 miles. The inside of the engine looks like new. It does not use any oil. I have went as many as 8,000 miles between oil changes, but never more than a year. Mobil 1 fluids also in the transmission and rear end. Also syns in the brakes and steering pump. Valvoline. Truck still looks and drives almost like new. 22 mpg highway.

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  Best Truck I Have Ever Owned - 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By STHORNWALL - February 10 - 3:13 am

  Absolutely the best truck I have ever owned.This is my 4th truck.I owned a 1996 Dodge Ram,1996 Chevy Cheyenne,2001 Ford F150 and now my 2002 Silverado.Its performance and sturdy reliability has turned me off to any other brand of truck. The ride is very smooth on and off road. The truck has great response to aftermarket intake, headers, and exaust. The interior looks great and is very comfortable as well as long lasting and easy to maintain. I was discouraged at the price of this truck at first because they are notably more expensive than Ford, Dodge, Toyota. But after about a week of driving I realized that “You get what you pay for”. Truck was worth every penny and more. Wont buy another brand ever

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  We love our Malibu - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Greg - February 9 - 5:32 pm

  My wife and I have only owned our 2008 Malibu LTZ for a couple of months, but from what we have seen so far it is the nicest car we have ever owned. Being the top of the line Malibu, it has all kinds of neat features and so far they all work flawlessly. The car has great acceleration and takes the curves like it is glued to the road. It also gets great highway mileage. I topped off the tank until gas was at the top of the filler tube, drove 92 miles and topped it off again with only 2.8 gallons. That equates to about 32 mpg which is 6 mpg higher than the 26 mpg rating. The 92 mile trip was 95 percent freeway with the cruise set at 70 mph. This car also gets lots of looks!

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  1993 Lumina Euro 3.4 - 1993 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Jim Borgman - February 9 - 10:02 am

  My Lumina now has 102,000 miles on it, the only problems experienced was the serpentine belt failing and the timing belt breaking. I have had 26 MPG highway and 20 city. The car is an excellent automobile, I just can see myself trading it in or selling it. It has the 3.4 engine which is trouble free, I do take it in every 3,000 for total lubes so the car uses no oil. The suspension is tight and so far the exhaust system is still fine. I do wish it came standard with beverage holders but that is a small need. Love it.

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  The best SUV I have ever owned/driven - 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By mike - February 8 - 9:19 pm

  I have only had my Tahoe for about a month. Ive towed with it, used it for work and just driving with my family. Im 25 yrs old and even the way I drive the truck still rides great, handles perfect, and Im getting over 19mpg. Since the truck was used and had 168k miles on it when I bought it, it was really taken care of. The interior is luxury especially for a workable SUV.

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  An Excellent Affordable SUV! - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Kansas Sunflower - February 8 - 9:15 pm

  Since buying this vehicle I have driven it in town, on highways, in mud, in sand, in snow, and some on ice. Much of the driving has been a combination of city and highway, but it has been on one trip of about 2000 miles. The performance has been great and the overall mileage has been better than I expected. Most city driving yields about 15-16mpg and most highway driving has yielded 19-20 mpg. However, during the 2000 mile trip the TrailBlazer (6 cylinder) got 23 mpg at times with an overall average of 21 mpg for the trp. This is a very comfortable vehicle to drive and to ride as a passenger. It has not given me any problems so far.

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  Nice truck! - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By kory - February 8 - 8:36 pm

  This truck has plenty of power for pulling my 18 ft alumacraft boat. I threw on a knn fipk cold air intake and that is saving me some money because it really helps with gas mileage

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  Love this car - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Barry Barnes - February 8 - 8:22 pm

  Its been a great car, never had a breakdown Drives great. I have the LT2 with all the options. Have all the power I have ever needed. I can squeal the tires on take off all the time. Rides great and enough room to carry lumber and piping for yard work

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  Time To Buy - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Doug - February 8 - 2:56 pm

  My wife and I just purchase this vehicle. I need to tell you that this is one of the best models that Chevy has come up with in a long time. We were looking at the Tahoe and found that it didnt fit the needs of a family. I highly recommend that if you are looking for a mini-van and a SUV buy this vehicle. It is very powerful and loaded with extras. Opt for the leather and DVD.