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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  2012 FLEET CAPTIVA SPORT - 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport
  By 2012captiva - March 29 - 7:48 pm

  After 8 years and over 123k miles, the old Subaru Forester needed significant repairs. Needed a roomy SUV, not a subcompact. Found the Chevy Captiva at Hertz car sales; 33k.After 36K, car would lose power for no reason; check engine light came on. While waiting for appt. with Chevy dealer, car then stalled while idling-had to have it towed.Needed oxygen sensor and fuel injector-no longer covered by warranty.Ran sluggish after repairs.Took to mechanic friend - changed transmission + brake fluid.Found transmission fluid to be black, needed new cap; found a worn cracked bolt to shock absorber. Dont know what else he did, but it runs like silk now. (chevy did suggest changing fluids at time)

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  A pretty good car - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Joe - March 29 - 5:50 pm

  V-6 1998 Malibu has served me well. I have 126,000 miles and she still rides well. Proper maintenance and the car will last.

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  great car - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By grafton - March 29 - 10:00 am

  I like the car, I was not happy that at only a year old (it is a 2002, and it had 42 thousand miles on it already. It runs great. It tells you when you need an oil change, washer fluid, all that. It runs great and very quiet!

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  After 5 years - 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By wes - March 27 - 10:00 am

  Very comfy seats, Paint color is awesome/Laser Blue but the paint chipped real easy from hwy. rocks. A/C doesnt cool enough because of the hot dash. I had my windows tinted, Rides good/XM/ON STAR

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  Just got it - 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By SK - March 27 - 10:00 am

  This review seems a little premature due the fact I just took delivery 1 day ago. Yet so far this thing is super nice & rides great. Plenty of room to suits my needs.

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  Almost perfect - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By surfnantucket - March 26 - 9:53 am

  Bought my Blazer in 1998 and still use as my primary vehicle. Paid $15,000 and it had 32,000 miles on it. I have replaced the transfer case, I am on my third gas tank, 1 alternator, 2 EGR valves, On my 4th fuel pump, 2 batteries, 1 heater core, 1 Engine (my fault), 2 sets of oil cooling lines, 2 front brake jobs, I now have a problem with a fuel sensor, it comes and goes, light comes on and then goes off, runs bad then runs good? Body is rusting now but thats driving up and down the beach all spring, summer and fall plus New England winters. For the most part it starts 99.9 percent of the time and holds lots of snowboards and beach stuff.

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  Not a winter car! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By ivy12595 - March 25 - 3:47 pm

  I purchased my HHR in the spring and loved driving it for about 8 months. Then winter came. The windows continuously freeze up. I have to scrape them to get them to roll down even though there is not obvious signs of freezing. The vehicle is in an unheated garage. I have also found the the struts are terrible. Every time I hit a bump, they squeak. With frost heaves in Maine, I squeak all the time.

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  Good Value - 1997 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Dino Motta - March 25 - 12:50 pm

  Purchased this vehicle used with 4,500 miles. Currently has 171,000 and still only uses a quart of oil every 3K. For this size vehicle fuel economy is excellent. I just from a 1,500 mile trip and averaged 17.9 mpg traveling at an average speed of 72 mph (5.7L Gas). Most unusual repair was replacement of intake manifold gasket (75K), this appears to be an issue with many Chevy models other in addition to Suburban. I have done many expected repairs, water pump, fuel pump, u-joints, radiator (plastic sides tanks are silly). Brakes, rotors and drums are an issue. Brake system probably undersized for weight of vehicle.

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  Nice car, a few problems - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Amy Voutt - March 25 - 12:20 pm

  I love my 2008 Aveo that I purchased in aug 2007 however I have had some problems with it. Not once but twice the struts had to be changed (the same side). And just a month ago it was in the shop for 3 weeks because something happened to my transmission. Now that it is fixed and it is running okay I love it. I get great gas mileage and I love that it has 4 doors. Great for families with a 5 year old like me and still is somewhat sporty. Love the spoiler.

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  Great for couple with no kids - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By L.H. - March 25 - 5:33 am

  I love my little Tracker. I bought it 5 years ago and have not had one bit of trouble with it. This vehicle is very compact if you need to put a child car seat in the back seat be prepared to have the chid banging the back of your seat. You cant fit an adult in the back seat comfortably. But that aside if you put the seats down you have a huge amount of room to haul stuff. This little SUV is very cute and alot of fun to drive. It has get up and go and handles well. When you pop it into four wheel drive you can go through almost anything. In Minnesota winters it has come in handy a quite a few times. My car sits outside and it has always started even when the temp was 30 below zero.