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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  Pleasantly surprised - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Skihawk - April 8 - 8:42 am

  I just bought this vehicle. It was a lease car and I was hesitant to buy it but my wife has been wanting a new car and I got a good deal on it. We immediately took a 600 mile trip in it and I was pleasantly surprised. The fuel economy was pretty good at 27.6 mpg on the road. The ride was nice and visibility was good. Havent had any issues yet.

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  2008 Cobalt Sport - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Marc - April 8 - 4:26 am

  When I looked at the Cobalt, it was for the savings in both monthly payment, and gas money. However, the Cobalt surprised me with how fun it is to drive. The 5-speed manual transmission is smooth as can be, and the acceleration is as good as my 01 Celica GTS. The ride is very smooth and outside noise is minimal, even at 85- 90mph. The stereo system was a huge plus for me as well. I was not expecting a 7 speaker system with a sub in the trunk. I would have preferred Sirius over XM, (sorry Howard) but the sound of the system is excellent. Dashboard Info Centre is more interesting to flip through than network TV. First American car Ive owned in more than 10 years, and so far so good!

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  The Price is Right - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By CapoFerro - April 8 - 2:00 am

  I have nothing bad to say about this car. If you are looking for a no frills car that will give you reliability, overall driving confidence and will not hurt your deminshed bank account in this poor market then this is the car for you.

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  Quality by GM? - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By anthony - April 7 - 6:12 pm

  2 day old van and defrost blower stopped working. Coldest night of the year too. The dealer took care of the issue giving me a rental. The passenger door and fender dont fit at all at the windshield, big gap on one side no gap on the other. The dealer isnt sure if it can be fixed. A terrible visual disaster. It is however not limited to my van only as I have seen many Uplanders the same. Also a rough idle sometimes with a gentle surge when I have a foot on the brake.

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  2007 Impala rating - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Judy and Bob - April 7 - 5:49 pm

  After riding in many friends Impalas, we decided to purchase one. The first time we sat in the car--uncomfortable seats. No headroom for hubby and absolutely no space for passengers in the back seat! Trunk can hold an army. Side view mirrors are quite small, beverage holder poor. A low ride. Large blind spot. Will trade this in soon for another Chevrolet of some type.

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  I like it...but. - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By USMC_love1122 - April 7 - 3:15 pm

  Okay so it runs great and it looks good but the traction stinks! I had a toyota 4-runner before this and it had better traction than this. My ABS fault comes on constantly which worries me a bit and my airbag light comes on freaquently too. When I bought it the rear transmission seal was broke but was fixed and covered by warrenty. Other than that I love it. Its just too light. I drive from MCB Quantico to Silver Spring every day and back for work and it gets pretty good gas mileage. Oh and my middle console squeaks a lot. Its quite annoying.

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  Disappointed - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By deano - April 6 - 9:45 pm

  Purchased LT3 with 3.9. Thought it was a classy car and good value. Performance is more than adequate for V6 but mileage is very disapointing. Previous car was 03 Impala with 3.4 which would easily get over 30 mpg on highway with high of 37mpg. I have to drive my 07 LT3 carefully to get 24/25mpg on the highway. I would think that with the technology Chevrolet put into this car - cylinder deactivation and variable valve timing - the 3.9 engine would do far better. Even my old 3.8 litre cars got better mileage than the 3.9 engine. Road noise and wind noise are also excessive. Too bad they couldnt get it right. This could have been a great car. Sorry, but my 2003 Impala was better.

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  Great Car - 2001 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Rutan Kid - April 6 - 7:49 pm

  We purchased this car because we previously owned a Lumina and liked it and the price was right. The car handles well, has plenty of power, and gets decent gas mileage. Its large enough that my family (husband and two teenage sons) can ride comfortably without being cramped. Although it doesnt have all the "bells and whistles," it has the amenities (keyless entry, trunk release, power locks, and power windows) that Ive come to want in a vehicle. All in all, a great family car and a good buy. It should last us for many years. When we sold our 1992 Lumina, it had 187,000 miles on it.

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  2001 Impala - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By tkid - April 6 - 6:05 pm

  Car has been basicaly trouble free. Excelent fuel economy ar about 25 in daily non interstate driving and 32 highway. Primary problems are soft wheel rims and brake rotors.

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  My First Tracker - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By ComputerNjip - April 5 - 9:02 pm

  My 2001 Chevy Tracker is my very first car. I love the fact that I never have to tuch the light switch. Its a very strong SUV. A couple months ago I hit a guardrail at 50 mph and went across the road into a ditch. It suffered little damage and I was pulled out of the ditch and was able to make it to work about 5 miles away. Compaired to the Expedition that was 400 yards up the road from me which was facing the ditch that had the same sort of accident as I did was undrivable. The accident I atribute to less the ideal tread depth on non LT tires.