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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  Best suv out there - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By kingpinokc - April 28 - 2:00 am

  There is no other suv in its class that has the horsepower and fun to drive feature. When I first brought my wife thought it would be hard for her to drive since all she every had was small cars. She would not trade it in for the world. Also she came from a ford family and I have comverted her. HA HA HA

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  Do Not Believe Baised Magazine Writers - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By msl8129 - April 27 - 9:56 pm

  With gas prices the way up we decide to shop for a fuel efficent vehicle. We looked at many cars and the Cobalt is a great little car. Please compare it with the foregin cars in the same class. You will find out how much more you get with the Cobalt and at a great price. The 2.2L 4cly has plenty of power to get on the freeways and has a smooth ride with good breaking, and great handling. Look at standard features you get with the Cobalt more HP, XM radio, side curtain air bags, 5 yr/1,000,000 power train. I have not owned a GM vehicle since 1984. GM has greatly improved I am very happy with this vehicle. Keep making these cars in the US. Its a great product.

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  Major Gas Hog - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By bsm2dogs - April 27 - 11:59 am

  I didnt care about the poor fuel mileage of this hog at the time of purchase, but boy is it bad now that fuel is $3.50 a gallon! The navigation system is also a joke. You cant use it without the disk which by the way cost $500+ and it is outdated. Want updates?, Buy a new disk at the $500+ price. In my opinion, there are much better choices out there then this vehicle - Dont waste your money on it.

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  1997 Chevy Lumina LTZ - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Petey - April 26 - 10:47 pm

  Bought the car in 1999 w/ 63000 mi. on. Managed to get to 160,000 miles on it before giving it to my kid after drivers ed. It managed to get 2 1/2 more years out of it. Got to 183,000 before head gasket went. Only repairs in 6+ years was a water pump, manifold gasket, tires and fluid changes. Always started for me.

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  95 Astro van - 1995 Chevrolet Astro
  By dougp - April 26 - 7:42 pm

  The motor and transmission are rock solid, everything else has broken and had to be fixed, I mean everything- 4 alternators, radiator, rear end, starter, ac blower motor, electric window motors (both), thermostat, waterpump, ac compressor, and about 12 more things that I have forgotten, I have never had a car that was this crappy- but does have a good motor and trans. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, the worst front end on any vehicle ever made it eats idler arms and tie rod ends. Other than that it is ok.

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  Excellent Car - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Charlene - April 25 - 8:37 pm

  This car has been great to me. I bought it used with 21,000 miles on it. It used to be a rental, and I am amazed it hasnt had any problems. My dad really talked the price down for me because it used to be a rental. I got it for an amazing price. It nows has 91,000 miles on it and Ive only need to do regular maitenance. I get approx. 35 miles on the freeway and 30 in town/freeway. Ive replaced the brakes and tires, but no problems other then that. It has been a great car and I couldnt have asked for anything better. Ive heard some bad things about owning a Chevy, but I dont have anything negative to say about mine. Maybe I just lucked out.

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  Front Brakes - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Don McWhirter - April 25 - 4:43 pm

  We like driving this HHR. It hasnt given us problems execpt for front rotors. They were turned twice and finally replace at 15000 miles. Not good prefomance when the Rav4 we traded in hadnt been touched in 60000miles. The dealer screws you around saying the rotors are still within tolerance even though when theyre turned they warp faster next time. GM doesnt seem to want to admit they have a problem.

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  Chevy on top - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By tmacmvp1 - April 25 - 4:33 pm

  I bought my Tahoe about 3 years ago in a as-is condition. It had 80k miles on it at the time. It now has 130k miles. Im telling you, when Im driving this truck I feel like the king of the road. Its 5.7 engine chugs the gas but trully delivers when need to. Only problem I had was a bad fuel pump. It had problems turning on when the motor was cold. little by little it got worst until finally I replaced it. cost me $255 with labor (got a deal). Other than that it is comfortable and very roomy! Im 19 so that actually comes really in handy on the weekends lol. Just being a teenager sorry for the comment. Very good design and reliable at the same time.

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  Pluses outweigh minuses - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Ed Yancey - April 25 - 4:25 pm

  Vehicle looks great. Sonama Red Metalic with silver pinstripes. Performance is outstanding and the vehicle gets a lot of looks and positive comments. Heated leather seats are a big plus. Love the Pioneer sound system and the sunroof. Did not really plan on getting the sport as looked at the lower end models, but glad purchased this model instead. Only problem so far was in-dash cd player. It would just quit playing discs at certain times. Once ignition switch was turned off for a few minutes the cd player would work again. Sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for just a few songs. Tried different discs and same problem. Dealership replaced the radio/cd player now works fine.

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  Chevy, make another! - 2002 Chevrolet Astro
  By Jason - April 25 - 9:32 am

  We purchased our 02 because we owned a 91 & my wife loved being up higher than a typical minivan. It was barely used when we bought it & it had everything we wanted. The biggest improvement over the older one was the rear dutch doors. Its a system that makes complete sense. The adjustability of the bench seats is tremendous, allowing ample leg room for an adult in the back if neccessary. Try having an adult in the back of a Caravan they may decide to walk! The only thing I needed to change was the factory rims & tires looked really soft for such a tough truck (and it is a truck!). We love our Astro van and plan on keeping it for years to come