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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  This car is so underrated - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Kim - April 24 - 7:41 pm

  I get 35-36 on the highway often more. I get 26-27 in the city/burbs. I think people need to get beyond the car the Cobalt replaces and enjoy this car. It is very cute and I get compliments from all ages. I know it isnt a luxury car but it is fun for non-hot rodders of all ages, that doesnt mean you are boring either. Put a fin on a car and it is a sports car

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  3.1L need I say more - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By snake11292006 - April 24 - 2:37 pm

  My girlfriend bought this car a little over a year ago and it was a very realiable car until about a month ago. The frist thing was the intake gaskets had to be replaced at about 115000 miles. We got the car back and it ran fine for a 3 weeks when a new leak devloped. Took it to a shop and found that the timing chain cover was leaking. So that will be another $350 to fix. If you dont want to sink a lot of money into a car then dont buy one with the 3.1 or the 3.4 they have nothing but problems.

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  Basic transportation vehicle - 1990 Chevrolet Corsica
  By Basic transportation - April 24 - 12:14 pm

  I got this car from my aunt with 21,000 mi on it. It is good for people who are on a budget. Its cheap to fix and maintain, and it has just enough to suit my needs. It has a 2.8 liter V6 engine with multi-port fuel injection. I replaced the horn, the muffler, and the paint job. This car will run for a very long time without many problems and very good on gas especially around here in New York State. Its a cheap, basic, solid transportation vehicle.

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  My 2007 Impala - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Steven Trybulec - April 23 - 10:03 am

  Very nice design inside and out. Fit and finish excellent. Handles well, good pick-up, fair gas mileage. I am very impressed with this vehicle. A big improvement over my 2003 Malibu. My opinion on par with the Japanese.

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  04 Colorado Z71 LS - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Dave - April 22 - 9:10 pm

  We like the truck and the quality overall is very good to excellent. No service problems, a few things replaced (A/c switch and a recall on the stop lights) but overall very good. I get 17-18 MPG everday driving, which I thought would be better, but is livable. Good offroad traction for 2wd with locking differential.

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  Great for age - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By matt - April 22 - 8:19 pm

  I purchased the Blazer with 93 grand on the ticker, not knowing any past info on the car. I have 126 grand on it now and its been a great vehicle other than the fuel pump dieing but what do you expect out of 11 years? All the options work great, I abuse a vehicle as it is my office on wheels every day in Atlanta. I miss the s-series truck line as Ive owned a few but I guess Ill keep my Blazer going and replace whatever it needs from years to come! You cant beat the styling and comfort! I love my truck!

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  Good so far - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By AmyF - April 22 - 4:43 am

  Weve had our HHR now one month, and we like it so far. Roomy for the kids, and I like not having to bend over when putting my 2 yr old in his car seat. Ive been slowly getting used to the design of the windshield (kinda small) and I keep forgetting where my window controls are, and Im a little surprised at the lack of console storage... there is none! Theres the small storage bin in the dash, but I dont have anywhere to put CDs, kleenex, and other "junk"...maybe thats a good thing as my husband would prob say. Okay mpg, but not where we want it yet. We plan to change to synthetic oil and a K&N Air filter when the oil needs changed. All in all, we love the car so far. Very sporty!

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  Rattle trap after 8 years - 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By mkbangs - April 21 - 9:42 pm

  I bought this car brand new and had no complaints for about 8 years. Then it began to rattle me silly at idle in drive. I tried everything. New motor mounts, insulation, new plugs and wires. I finally had to get rid of it. I paid a good price for it and I enjoyed it most of the time. I wont buy another Chevy though because of it. It was like the minute it was paid off it was done. Also the auto door locks quit working on the driver side and the passenger window stopped working correctly and neither were electric.

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  Silverado 2500 - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
  By upsdriv513 - April 21 - 1:00 pm

  A pretty solid truck. The 4 door extended cab comes in handy for loading the kids or groceries. Not real happy with the gas mileage which is an average of 15 mpg. However the 6.0L vortec delivers tons of power when needed. With the towing pkg option you can almost forget you have a tailer behind you. No complaints with the 4X4 system in either mud or snow. The steering tire combination tends to grab and dip in a little on quick maneuvers or higher speed turns, but no doubt that also has to do with the large size of a 3/4 ton.

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  08 Tahoe purchase - 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By D S W - April 21 - 11:51 am

  Compaired Tahoe and Toyota Sequoia, bought the Tahoe. A lot more equiptment for the money, nicer interior and better gas mileage. New 100K/5yr warranty also helped with decission. I have the LTZ with all the toys and they all work as advertised. Ride is very smooth,the V8 to V4 modes are seamless. Biggest negative is rear seating, especially the 3rd row and the lack of independant rear suspension. The Toyota is the winner in these areas. The 08 Tahoe appears larger than my 03 Tahoe Z71 , but it has the same dimentions. The 08 is less truck like than the 03 with a lower dash. The 03 did have more storage areas than the 08.