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:

• 

  cool car - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Rick Sutton - December 21 - 2:00 am

  I love this car!! It drives great, has plenty of power and is fun to drive.

• 

  Z71 - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By edhaslett - December 21 - 2:00 am

  In shop once for Cruise control (couple other times for bed liner and stuff). Got about 5k on the truck and so far no big problems. Air leaks and squeaks already though, guess it will suck at 50k. A thirty thousand dollar car should be tighter longer.

• 

  Not happy - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Dan - December 19 - 4:21 pm

  Well, this is Suburban number 3 for my family and will probably be the last one I buy. We love having the room for our son, the dogs, and all our gear, but this is a money pit. Gas mileage is 14.2 running 70-75mph, replaced fuel pump at 85,000. Between 85,000 and 100,000 we have spent $3200 in repairs. Add in the tune-up, brake flush, radiator flush and we are over $3500. The Suburban is probably one of the best vehicles in terms of meeting the needs of our family (pulling a boat, hunting, traveling, etc), but the fact that I cant get 100,000 miles out of a vehicle without a pile full of repairs is insane. Unless you can trade every 3 years on new, dont buy a Suburban.

• 

  Equinox Sport - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Equi-Sport - December 19 - 1:27 pm

  Bought the Equinox Sport just over a week ago and like it more and more. We traded an older Acura MDX for something that still had AWD, good power, and better fuel economy. All in all so far, the suspension on the AWD Sport is stiff, yet easily steerable, the motor has plenty of power for the average "Race-ready" father, and lots of interior room. I think the inside could be more refined, but we are used to forein cars. The console and sun visors seems chincy, nice leather, ample leg room, like the gauges,and decent mpg if driven normally. We do 60 miles a day on the highway, and the mpg is averaging 22 right now. This is not a Lexus or Acura, but Chevy has done well and added options.

• 

  Great Car - 2002 Chevrolet Tracker
  By med1 - December 18 - 11:03 pm

  I bought this car because I wanted something versatile and suited to outdoor adventures, but which would also be practical for city driving -- that is exactly what this car is. I took it offroading in the Northern California wilderness and in Death Valley several times, and the Tracker proved itself to be tough, well-built, and the short wheel base lets it go almost anywhere. Unfortunately, the short wheel base is also the most negative aspect of the car. It was very squirrely on the freeway and I spun out a few times on wet or snowy roads. When I blew out a tire on I5, the car spun out of control and was totaled. The squirrely-ness of the car is my only complaint - no mechanical problems.

• 

  Hip Hot Ride - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By midnightmike - December 18 - 7:06 pm

  Okay, heres my story. I own and operate a mobile dj service. I owned a 2002 Chevy Avalanche. Great vehicle, just became too big. Traded it in for a 2004 Mazda 6 Sportwagon. Fast and it handled like it was on rails, and oh yeah very roomy. I saw the HHR and had to have it. Gave the Mazda to my wife and traded in her Protege for the HHR. I have gone from an eight, to a six and now a four?! Believe me this HHR can scoot! I have a black 2LT with every option except OnStar. Leather, moonroof, running boards, spoiler and bright chrome package. Gas mileage is good and has a ton of room for all my equipment. I cannot wait to go cruising with the HHR and my 68 Buick Skylark this summer!

• 

  Still in love after 3+ years - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By OwenW - December 17 - 9:24 pm

  Purchased my Impala Oct 04 and it ranks as my best purchase ever. More than 42 years of driving & owning 11 previous cars + 4 or 5 company vehicles. Key points: Fuel economy is outstanding. Who needs econo-boxes? On cruise control at 55 = 35+ MPG all day long. At 60 it gets 31 MPG. Maintenance: This cars been trouble- free for nearly 56,000 miles. A defective dashboard display was replaced at dealers request and under warrenty early in 2007. Im on 2nd set of tires and brakes (49K miles). The cars a hoot to drive and the kids in the little imports cant believe the way my Impala handles and outperforms much smaller cars. Im sold!

• 

  great truck - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By scubie - December 17 - 10:00 am

  great for hauling, ext. cab good for child seat. comfortable to drive.

• 

  A true Beast! - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By redz28boy - December 17 - 1:53 am

  I bought this car 10 months ago and I have been very pleased! I had a 92 rs Camaro with the 305 and this is a big step up. I put flowmasters on it to sound even more menacing. I love taking into open parking lots and lighting up the rear tires! If you ever have an opportunity to buy the lt1 or ls1, then I say go for it. Go Chevy!

• 

  Like it - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By amanda - December 16 - 1:11 pm

  I bought this vehicle 3 years ago. It had 49,000 miles at the time. It now has 98,000. Ive replaced the alternator, the driver window gets stuck open (usually when its raining) every once in a while but will work again a couple minutes later. Both front doors sag, window molding coming up, top compartment buttons are broken, mirror flap on both visors have broken off, there is now a leak in the intake manifold gasket, and the 4wd is not working now. i have not had any major issues with this vehicle until now. I really like it but i am thinking about parting with it due to the gas mileage. it gets 18mpg on the interstate.