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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  Dependable at times - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Bigg Poppa P - August 6 - 9:56 am

  Bought used with 78K to tow our 21 foot Outback TT. Tows OK. Replaced battery, altenator, starter and original tires at 80000. Fuel gauge needle vibrates. Changed engine oil to synthetic had minor leaks, went back to regular QS. Installed Magnaflow muffler with dual outs, K&N air filter and throttle body spacer. HP and mileage improved. Front discs warped did complete brake job. Manifold gasket replaced at 111000 and new starter. The DRLs worked when we bought it. Now they come on whenever. Fuel pump very loud since we bought it and is hanging in there. Small leak in A/C system. Water leaks from hard rains cleaned drain no luck. Headlite lenses dull bought new ones. Buy again? Newer maybe!

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  Good Van - 2004 Chevrolet Astro
  By jayvict - August 5 - 8:20 pm

  Our family expanded so we bought this van with 34k miles for a great price. We travel home 3 to 4 times a year (1000mi round trip) and it runs like a charm. No problems. I feel safe when my wife is alone with the kids on trips. Love the rear air and towing capacity

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  SS HHR - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By dotes - August 5 - 12:40 pm

  Purchased a 08 HHR SS and have been enjoying it. Even with the high performance turbo charged engine, I get decent gas mileage. Of course using the various readouts and the cruise control helps too. Of course there are some minor things that I dont like. But at least the window controls are back where they should be on the SS. Having to go through two tire changes when a flat occurs on one of the front tires will be a real big pain. But I have roadside service. I rented a HHR for a week a few months before. So I could see if I liked driving it. I did and waited for the SS model to come out. I got the victory red and have got several comments on the HHR. So far I like the HHR I have.

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  I like it - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By SSCHMITT - August 4 - 10:00 am

  ITs a nice car for the money. It rides smooth and is peppy not fast but has enough power. Interior needs some work but overall I like it nice buy. I have 1055 miles on mine.

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  Grasping onto optimism - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By heelngville - August 4 - 10:00 am

  Vehicle has been in my position for 3.5 weeks now and due to arising problems, the vehicle has been in for service on 5 separate occassions. (A) The service engine light has come on 3x (B) A major component that operates the AC had to be replaced (C) The strut mount bushings now need replacing......after 700 miles. Fortunately I purchased an extended warranty. The dealership has extended excellent service in dealing with each instance. Being a first year vehicle, I realize that you will have "bugs" to work through, however I guess I was spoiled by the realiability of my Trailblazer. Aside from the issues I have experienced, the vehicle is great.

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  Reliability and Miles - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By James B - August 3 - 2:54 am

  I have not had one single major problem with this truck. I absolutly love this truck. When I first bought the truck my freinds said, "The transmission is gonna break down first. 225,000 miles later and still no problem. This is a very well built truck. Truly the heartbeat of my needs and Chevy is truly The Heartbeat of America.

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  Economy doesnt meet comfort - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Bri - August 2 - 4:48 pm

  I owned this car for 3 years, and Im just now trading it in. My husband is in the military, so it was easy to put 60k on it in that amount of time. This car gave me no trouble for 2 1/2 years, until the fuel pump went out. I wasnt surprised, as GM is noted for recalls. With an aftermarket air filter, I got 39 miles to the gallon in this car. The only reason Im trading in is because were expecting a baby, and theres no way a car seat will comfortably fit in this back seat. Moderate comfort for 2 people, but dont bother if you have a child or any friends to drive around. The front controls are horribly placed, and its small. But all in all I loved this car. Very reliable.

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  Get with it GM - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By murdog - August 1 - 1:23 pm

  I bought this 2006 Silverado and drive it off of the Lot and the next day it was back at the dealer for a repair of the alternator. Then at 9000 miles in for a tranny seal. Then at 17000 miles for the OnStar antenna falling off and the visor falling off and hitting my wife in the head. The truck has been good on gas avg of 20 Hwy 16 city. Not too bad. But as many times as it has been to the dealer for things breaking that should never break. I just bought a 2008 Ford Fusion for work and will be solidly in the Ford camp now.

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  My tranny - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By walkhud - August 1 - 12:54 pm

  Bought the car at 188,000km. It had a new transmission 1 year before we purchased it so we thought we were safe despite the mileage. Transmission went within 1,000km. They said there was a problem with a heater that warms the transmission fluid and that killed 2 transmissions ($2500 CDN to fix). New battery ($200). Oil in our coolant led to a new radiator ($800 CDN to fix). Now we have oil in our coolant again 2 months later...well wait and see now. By the way, weve only driven 5,000km! Thats $0.70/km not counting car payments/insurance/gas.

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  What do you want for $16900? - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By JC - August 1 - 2:37 am

  No its not a sports car and it certainly isnt a race car , but it is comfortable with reasonable handling and good gas mileage. I am 6 ft tall 200 lbs.and its comfortable for me to drive. Have the 1LT with the 2.2 and 5 speed. OnStar, leather, ABS, rear-side airbags, bright chrome package, stereo controls on steering wheel. Averaging 26.8 mpg but only has 1,300 miles. Half our driving is city. What else has all this for $16,500? Plus a 100,000 mile waranty