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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  Owner Review 2009 Suburban - 2009 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Wayne Dykstra - December 31 - 12:24 pm

  Purchased a 2009 Suburban, my 12th Suburban since 1980. The vehicle is the best designed, finshed and highest quality Suburban yet. Fit and finish are perfect and engine noise is nonexistant. The handling and steering are perfectly tuned, and the vehicle feels like a lightweight crossover when you are cornering and drving city traffic. Amazing how they have accomplished it. For anyone who needs a big SUV (as I do) you cannot do better than this one. My only complaint is that Chevy cant figure out how to make the middle row seats lay flat. A very minor issue, however. On a scale of owner satisfaction and value I would rate my Suburban as a 9.8.

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  Love this car - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Phil Burch - December 31 - 11:58 am

  My wife and I have made 2 trips from Phx. Az to Bogalusa, Louisiana (1551 miles) this year and have averaged over 37 miles per gallon. Our gas only cost us $60 each way. Not bad at all. It is very comfortable on a long trip and has plenty of space for luggage and our dog. On the long stretches I put it on cruise control and she just hummed up and down hills. We love this car.

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  Capacity, Power, Luxury and style - 2008 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Bob S - December 31 - 11:39 am

  Driving my new Suburban has been a total pleasure. The LTZ trim package makes this a true luxury to drive. The power towing capacity and room for 8 make this the total package for large families. This is first time my wife has ever uses a truck more then me. She likes driving our Suburban as much as I do and I dont mind beaning a passenger for a change. Our standards for this vehicle have been high traded in a Toyota 4 Runner and Chevy has really won me back with a quality product. In this class of vehicle there is no computation just the standard Suburban.

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  Great looking rocket! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Brian - December 31 - 7:19 am

  Just bought my Cobalt Supercharged with 1400 miles on it. Was a demo. The car has been so much fun to drive. Getting 40 + miles per gallon going easy on the highway. The sport red color with the 18 inch chrome wheels is awesome. Other than an occasional minor rattle (might be beacuse its wintertime), this car is absolutely a must as long as youre not worried about a small backseat or using it for construction projects.I have a 2004 Avalanche that I now can use for carting my gear only. Im now saving a lot on gas and wear and tear. The bottom line: If youre looking for a fast and fun car to drive, youve got to consider this car! Feels like the old days. Power with no worry of fuel!

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  Excellent car! - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Adam from Houston Tx - December 31 - 7:11 am

  This car has been completely reliable every step of the way. I would recommend this car highly to anyone buying a new or used car! Well built car and very well designed.

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  Nice ride - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By VargRider - December 30 - 9:10 pm

  It took three months to arrive but when it finally did I was very impressed. The ride is super smooth and quiet. The handling is competent but not sporty (not expected in an SUV though) Im still not getting more than 24 mpg (mix highway and city), but Im getting slightly better mpg with every tank. The Nav and backup camera are awesome. It really makes backing in to those tight spots easy. Yes there are a bunch of buttons on the console. Is it a problem? No. At least not for your average person with reasonable intelligence. You have your Nav controls, your radio controls and your environmental controls. What is so hard about that?

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  I was pleasantly surprised - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Art - December 30 - 3:09 pm

  Ive owner over 30 cars and dont give praises lightly, however, I have been very happy with this vehicle. I traded in an 05 Trailblazer because it was woefully underpowered, but have been extremely pleased by the pep in my Equinox. The 6 cyl. is more than enough power. When I park next to the Lexus Crossover, I have trouble telling them apart and cannot for the life of me imagine what features I am missing for an additional $20k. My Equinox is fully loaded and with the OnStar GPS system, the vehicle has everything I could need. It drives great on the highway where I average over 24 MPG, and get around 22 MPG around town. I strongly recommend it to anyone who asks.

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  Love it! - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Bethie - December 30 - 12:24 pm

  I love this car but have to agree with a few of the earlier reviews about the tire sensor system. It is very touchy and the light goes on all of the time. Now that I just rotated my tires, it doesnt happen quite so often, but it is annoying. On top of that, in the MN cold weather, the radio doesnt turn on when starting the car - just makes a static sound so I have to turn it off until the engine warms up. Havent brought that to the attention of my dealer yet. Otherwise, this is a smooth ride and I get lots of compliments on how it looks. I feel very safe in it, too!

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  Roll Over - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Hetfield - December 30 - 4:06 am

  Had the truck for 4 years and never had any problems. Got good gas mileage and enough towing power to pull a fishing boat. Wrecked/totaled it this winter in icy weather, rolled once landing on its wheels - with the engine still running. Tough truck that was built well, definitely got my moneys worth and am looking to buy another.

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  No car better! - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Conrad - December 29 - 10:58 pm

  Im a mechanical engineer and I love this car, my first Corvette! Acceleration, fuel economy, fun to drive. Its much more than I thought a Corvette could be. The engineers who worked on this car should be very proud. I test drove what I thought was my dream car, a BMW Z coupe, M series (my daily driver is a 5 series) and it did not compare. Only two options Z51 and dual mode exhaust. I removed the fuse from the exhaust so its open all the time. At 58 years old, this car makes me feel the same way I did when I was 23. I drive it on day long trips through the Ozark mountains, simply wonderful. A pure expression of freedom and individuality. Its magic!