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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  Love/ Hate - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By lss - May 20 - 12:46 pm

  I have had my t-blazer for 5+ years. It had 99,000 but I have made several major repairs. Thank god we got the extended warranty. The exhaust manifold had to be replaced twice now, catalytic converter, DVD system, now the fuel gauge is not working and it is leaking tranny fluid. I am keeping it as long as I can but I think after 3 GM with problems I am moving on.

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  1999 Chevy Prizm - 4 Dr Base Model - 1999 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Ess Bee - May 20 - 12:05 pm

  I bought this car from a family member, with 14,000 mi. on it. Ive followed the maintenance manual and have had NO problems! Ive had to replace the tires, oil, spark plugs, serpentine belt and battery the normal maintenance stuff. I had to have the A/C charged a few times - but that only $20. It now has 115,000 miles and has NEVER broken down. Its been a fabulous car! I was informed that it is really a TOYOTA COROLLA with a Chevy name plate on it. Chevrolet and Toyota entered into a Joint Venture and produced this wonderful, dependable car - I wouldnt have purchased it otherwise. And its great on gas.

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  I was told it had 1001 improvements - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By clint - May 19 - 2:12 pm

  Bought it new, it has 93,000+ miles, 3rd day the traction control light came on, it was a loose pvc connection at valve cover, not long after that the courtesy lights on the rear view mirror and trunk quit working, didnt care, the steering tilt lever falls out, didnt care about that either, the brakes havent been serviced yet, theyre still good, but theres a good vibration when braking especially from highway speeds, dont care about that, the transmission started to slip and clunk into gear about 10,000 miles ago, Im kind of worried about that, it goes away after it warms up, theres oil leaking from somewhere above the oil filter, it runs good though, I would say it needed more than 1001 improvements

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  Never Again - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Never Again - May 19 - 1:47 pm

  Purchased the car used but from a dealer with 43,000 miles on it. It is a 5 speed manual. I have now replaced the transmission 2 times and the thing is acting up again. I am a trained tractor-trailer driver and have had no problems with any of my truck transmissions. There seems to be a poor design and the parts used to build the hydraulic clutch are simply terrible (plastic). The thing has shaken, rattled, and rolled since I first bought it with little things like knobs falling off all the time. Although, I will say the engine has lasted, but I am sure it is going next. It just does not seem like the people at GM cared about craftsmanship or quality. Do not buy one, especially a stick.

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  Frustrated! - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By jonpcraw - May 19 - 1:02 pm

  Purchased it new. I liked it when i first purchased the car. I travel 80 miles a day to work and now have 63,000 miles on it. It seems like Ive had this car in shop too many times. Keep having problems with rattle (bad) in steering had it looked a few times, the car rattles a lot in the bad now. Had to get 2 struts 2 shock absorbers at 50,000. Has been in the shop for brakes 6 times. Its horrible in the snow even with new tires. Its hard to see out the windows because of the design. How the radiator is placed, any stone that is kicked up will put a hole in your radiator, trust me. It does get good gas mileage at 28+ and has room to haul things. Now its worth nothing in trade.Very disappointed

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  Im back (2 years later) - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By cragman1 - May 19 - 10:30 am

  Third review from me on my 08 Cobalt base LS w/automatic. Most owners probably either sell or trade 2 yr old cars nowadays. Which is my reason for a 3rd review. Since buying this in Jan of 08, weve seen Toyota go through their inevitable fall from grace, and Hondas numbers are down as well - no doubt due to lack of interest from generation X, Y, or is it Z by now? Either way, once we have all small cars starting to look like Scions or Mazdas, Id swear its starting to look like a science fiction movie version of The Stepford Wives - only done in a small car theme! ~0 . Anyway, I still have my 08 white Cobalt with nifty round red taillights and it still purrs along nicely!

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  Amazing Camaro! - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Brandon - May 18 - 9:33 pm

  I purchased a new camaro 2lt with the rs package about a month or so ago. The car is black on black and boy let me tell you: wow! This car is absolutely amazing. The exterior and interior styling is gorgeous, the performance and powertrain is awesome, and the build quality is excellent. I drove the ss package and it was too fast, especially for my wife LOL, so we decided to go with the 304 hp v6. The v6 powerplant w/6-speed auto is powerful, smooth and fuel efficient. A recent road trip from Houston to San Antonio to Austin yielded almost 26 mpg overall (not driving the speed limit of course!) its amazing all of the people who stare and give you thumbs up with this car. Good job gm!

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  The Burb Keeps Going! - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Dave - May 18 - 12:17 pm

  We have used our Suburban for just about everything. We travel all over the city hauling the kids and their sports equipment every weekend and also use the vehicle to pull our seadoos. Have used the Suburban in the snow, sand, and mud with no problems driving the vehicle on/off road. Plenty of power for highway driving which is fun to drive!

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  My Beautiful SSR - 2004 Chevrolet SSR
  By Pat Yanish - May 18 - 11:41 am

  This truck is beautiful and in great condition. Drives like a charm and has a lot of get up and go. I love my SSR. Buying experience was outstanding. My sales person, manager and financial person were great and honest. Honesty is hard to come by. They were fantastic and I would recommend all my friends to go there.

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  My beautiful SSR - 2004 Chevrolet SSR
  By Pat Yanish - May 18 - 8:25 am

  This vehicle is awesome. I have wanted this SSR for six years and it was worth waiting for. It gives me a smooth ride and I feel great driving it.