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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  Cant find anything I like better - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By M and K - May 4 - 12:16 am

  I have owned too many vehicles in my time and have found this one to be the best fit for our family. With Dance competitions and Soccer meets having us on the road often, the room, comfort and reliability have proven invaluable. I am the person who trades every two years, until now. I have looked at new vehicles often, but been unable to find anything that fits us better or that I/we like better.

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  Beach Buggy Worries - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Jim Scott - May 3 - 11:34 pm

  I just bought my used 2006 HHR LT2 model with all the bells and whistles and I love to drive it. It handles nice and I feel comfortable in it. Gas goes a long way on a tank for at least a week. I got it as my beach buggy, the SUV room and style with nice car features really impressed me. I see a future that I am unsure about after reading some of these reviews though? I agree cup holders are too low, and there are blind spots that I got use to or get the cheap blind spot mirrors. Trying to get use to window control location also, these are basic complaints though, I would of loved a big console with them on that like in a Jeep Liberty or something so easier to reach, but all and all love it.

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  More improvements than features - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By BRIAN - May 3 - 9:18 pm

  I bought this car because I wanted to downsize from a mini van thinking I would save on gas.Big mistake my mini van got better gas mileage than this car.the car does have good acceleration good steering, turning for a 2.2 liter but the gas part not so good.I do a lot of highway driving so i needed a car with good gas mileage.also it doesnt have a lot of leg room i have 2 kids and its really tight ride. unfortunately this car doesnt have a high resale value so i didnt get much when i traded it in

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  Orange Camaro 1SS - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Tom Fearer - May 3 - 8:11 pm

  Highs: Great exterior body lines and excellent straight line performance. Multimatic paddle shifters are precise and have minimal to no shift delay. Handles close to the Mustang GT but not quite as well. Independent rear suspension creates a smoother ride that the Mustang. 14 inch Brembos really help stopping distances. Cloth seats are comfortable and look good. Current fuel economy is 17 MPG which is higher than expected. Lows: Some of the interior sight lines are difficult to see out of especially in the back which, is overcome by well placed mirrors. I would have liked an option of interior color other than black because it shows dust easily.

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  6 Year Review - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Spud90 - May 3 - 3:45 pm

  I recorded my review in 11/24/2003 when I owned the car for 1 month. In the last 6 years I have put only 32,000 miles on. I have read the other reviews and am drawn to the poor ratings. With the exception of the steering column (first year of electric power), I have had no major problems with the car. I just replaced the original tires at 30,000 miles, had an alignment done, and it runs like it is new again. I agree with other posts that it tends to eat an unusual amount of turn signal lights, which is a minor annoyance because it takes time to replace them. Otherwise, I am still impressed with the quiet ride, the power, and the highway gas mileage (34-35 mpg with the cruise set at 75+).

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  One thing after another - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By R. Maes - May 3 - 2:56 pm

  I had a great car and decided to trade it in for my 2007 impala. The car was great at first. After only 2 years of owning the car the check engine light came on. The car will get stuck in park often, the little? Mark is always coming on. The dealership has checked it time and again and they say they just need to reset the buttons. There is apparently nothing wrong with the car. The newest is the check tire monitoring system. I guess the connection to it is bad and it is not covered under the warranty. They want $80 just to put a new wire in it. This is by far the most complicated piece of crap I have ever bought. I am also a big Chevy fan so this makes it worse!

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  Problems - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Lamont - May 3 - 2:18 pm

  Ok, I have had a transmission replaced, blown head gaskets, burning oil excessively, air conditioning and heating control problems, door handle peeling (over $100 to replace), and battery drain issues! I cant stand it when you take a 45,000 car in for these issues and they concoct some B.S. about it being in spec and all we can do is keep an eye on it! The thought of the suburban is well intended but the actual reliability of this vehicle is a complete fail. But whats worse is the the excuses that the service departments give when they should step up to the plate and fix the problem!

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  GM has knowledge of existing problems - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By Super pissed - May 3 - 12:03 pm

  MANY PROBLEMS! This is not my first GM car and I always keep up with the maintenance on my car. Bought my 03 Impala 01/07 with 40,000 miles. Had the catilytic converter replace and back lighting in dash. Last year had $4000 worth of transmission work done because of slipping. Had the intake manifold and gaskets replaced due to the dexcool that gm uses in Dec. here I am 5 months later with a blown motor at 96,000 miles. There are many lawsuits against Gm for the damage the dexcool coolant causes. ADD ME TO THE LIST! Sad to say i will NEVER buy an American made car as long as I live.

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  Your Company - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By meme - May 3 - 7:56 am

  I think that this car is amazing to me because most of my people have these cars so thats why I got my car well, actually my mom had got it for me because she has six cars like this one and they are different colors so that why I decided to get me one so I thank you with all my heart and I praise you a lot or your company and I wish yall the best thing to all of the company

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  2010 Traverse - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Tim Moore - May 2 - 9:06 pm

  The best vehicle that I have ever owned. Chevy is going to make a huge comeback from bankruptcy protection with vehicles like this. I would rather own this over a comparable Toyota. Two years ago, I wouldnt have said that.