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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  traded in 05 Uplander van for 10 Travers - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By jtbea - April 15 - 12:47 am

  The minivan had high miles, AC, door issues, and showing transmission issues plus we were tired of no tow power and also of mom van image. Traverse is all the Uplander was not. Great incentives, design and features, dealer added bluetooth and remote start. We added 2-tone black/gray leather seats, heat warmers and DVD player as dealer after-market installs.. thats the way to go folks! Custom leather design for no more money and to my taste and better quality leather. Just wish center row seats were removable or easier to get to 3rd row for my teenagers.

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  GM Hit a home run - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By jshaf - April 14 - 9:47 pm

  This was my first rear wheel drive sports car, have been wanting one since my teens and I think I picked the best year to buy in my life time. This I think is an instant classic. as another person said this might be the best car GM has ever built and I have owned many. I get many complements daily, it never stops and like someone mentioned earlier it almost gets annoying, but you feel good knowing you own such a cool car.

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  Worst design and customer service EVER! - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Dusty - April 14 - 9:32 pm

  I have a 2010. At first I loved it. I baby all my vehicles like its my child. I do not drive on gravel roads or construction I wash it even if its going to rain. Something You have too watch for. The front tires are kicking up debris and taking the paint off on the door and by the vents! I have a yellow one and its noticeable. I have a quote for $1400. Two dealerships and GM said its my problem I should have bought mud flaps. I only have 4k miles on the car when I noticed this. Its a flaw in the paint or the design. I have the accessory book that came with the car splash guards were not an option at the time so how is it my fault. I even gave them almost 3k for extra warranty and meant nothing!

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  Great Used Car! - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By DSFan4Life - April 14 - 8:43 pm

  I bought this car used a little over 2 years ago & I am a lot happier than I thought I would be with it. It does great on the highway when you need to pass people. It gets ~30 mpg regularly. It does amazingly well in snow for a small car. And it does well in grass too. I would definitely recommend if you dont need a huge car.

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  A diamond in the rough - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By stuart - April 14 - 4:18 pm

  Ive had a lot of SUVs before but my 2007 Equinox is by far the best Ive owned. My mileage is quite good on the highway around 27-28 mpg. On a long trip I took, on a level road, with Cruise Control on 60, I was averaging 30 MPG. The ride is comfortable, smooth and effortless to drive. The AWD is awesome in Snow, especially going up hills. Brakes are superb and quiet. The best feature is the back seat that is adjustable and has a flat floor (no hump). I have my own business and transport a lot of boxes. Out of all my previous SUVs this one hold the most.

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  Love it. - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By jpeagle21 - April 14 - 3:49 pm

  Bought one of these in 07 as a program vehicle with 5000 miles. Loved it, but when gas prices went up to over $3.50 we traded in for a Saturn Vue. BIG mistake. Didnt know what we had till it was gone. My wife decided she wanted a big truck again recently. She wanted a truck, but with all the bells and whistles normally found in SUVs (heated seats, DVD, nice interior). Looked at everything out there and fell back to the Avalanche. Bought another 2007 model this year with 44,000 miles and love it, again. Will not sell again, I dont care if gas goes to $10.00 a gallon.

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  Lousy Lumina - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By KenGeisinger - April 14 - 11:34 am

  I bought this car with very low mileage back in 1999. I also have a 1998 Ford Taurus which is very comparable in specs with about 60,000 more miles. I have had very little trouble with the Taurus but a lot of trouble with this car. I had to replace a intake manifold gasket and a fuel pump. The former I did myself and the latter cost me over $500 about a year ago.

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  OK Truck - 2009 Chevrolet Colorado
  By dandydon - April 14 - 10:09 am

  I missed not having a 4wd truck but I didnt miss the 14 mpg. So I got this Colorado. The mileage is OK, I have gotten 22 to 23 mpg on the highway. Around town in drops right off to 16- 17 mpg. I like the looks. It does ride a little rough , but its a small 4wd with the off-road package, so thats expected.

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  Hope they improved it. - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Gary Z - April 14 - 9:24 am

  Car is too light to drive at Atlanta interstate commute speeds - tires squeal at normal I-20 speeds or in ANY crosswind - had dealer check it out, and he admitted that the cars weight is the problem. The Kumho 722s began hydroplaning in normal rain at < 30k miles, replaced with Generals, hydroplaning problem fixed, but still wants to leave road at Interstate speed. Had right headlight fail at 18 mos old - way too soon for something like that. Then had HVAC blower fan motor blow its resistor after only 7 mos on road, and again at 18 mos on road, before they figured out that the motor was the problem, not fuses and resistors.

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  Nice little car - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By rallen - April 13 - 8:18 pm

  I drive 115 miles round trip to work every day. I bought this car for the economy and because of the deal on it. I average 36 mpg. At 70 mph. The interior is very nice (LT). No rattles. Radio is very good. Changing the oil is easy once you get a 45 star bit and a 24meter socket for the filter. All in all a nice little car.