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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  A Great American Car - 2001 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Jim - February 26 - 5:56 pm

  I had a 96 Lumina that went forever with no maintenance. Bought this 2001 for son, with 74K miles, and hes driven it up to 150,000 miles now with virtually NO maintenance and NO problems. A tremendously well made reliable car.

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  run far run fast dont buy an Aveo - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By RunAwayFromAVEO - February 25 - 7:17 pm

  Bought it pre-owned but it was certified. Had it tested at Chevy dealership and they said a good car for the money. Only had it 3 years drive it in Houston to and from work and so far have replaced throttle body assembly 3 times, replaced both front struts at 34000 miles as they were leaking, had an oil leak, replaced shifter assembly & sensor most recently as car would not shift out of park. to day car has been in shop for repairs 14x since April 2008. Not including regular maintenance which I do regular. Purchased this as I needed a reliable car good on gas to go to and from work. A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT & BIG MISTAKE. tryign to work something out with GM & Chevy and so far no results -(

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  Whinning noise - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By mmrando8 - February 25 - 3:15 pm

  2nd trip back to dealer for whining noise under the hood. Purged the power steering lines the first time didnt work. Took it back today and they have now replaced the steering rack. Seems there are some problems. Also had whining noise coming from steering column but after reading another blog, Im guessing that noise will be gone as well. Going to get it now. Will let you know more tomorrow. Absolutely love this car though. Super fun to drive, roomy on the inside.

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  JUNK - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Kevin - February 25 - 3:04 pm

  I researched this car to death before purchasing a 2004 model in 2005. I read all sorts of positive notes on it, kind of like here. Let me tell you it was the biggest piece of junk Ive ever owned! Everytime I turned around there was something wrong with it. Engine light always came on, had problems with the brakes, trunk wouldnt open anymore, headlight quit working, just to name a few. I only put 26,000 miles on it, so its not like it had a lot on it.

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  Awesome car! - 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Bibblebop - February 25 - 2:09 pm

  For a car to from point A to B, this car has been great. Twenty years old and still running awesome. I have 95k on it and picked it up 4 years ago with 54k. Its cheap to buy parts for and runs forever. This is my second Cavalier and a true fan. Look around, you still see old Cavaliers everywhere. Thats tells a story on the quality these little cars are known for.

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  What a Joke!!!!!!!!1 - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By DawnJ - February 25 - 1:36 pm

  Traded my Monte Carlo for this van used not even a year ago. Has been in the shop 6 times. Has cost over $1500 in repairs and has to go back into day because "starting is disabled" Have replaced a wheel hub. The brakes shake you out of your seat whenever you depress them. The steering grinds when you turn right. The electronic doors will close and crush a gallon of milk. When you hit a bump the door alarms go off. The reverse warning system tells you, you are going to hit something when there is nothing there and then lets you back into parked cars. The DVD player stopped working just after my baby discovered it was there. Interior noise it horrible! Dont just walk away for this buy, RUN!!!

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  The Good, Bad, and Mean looking - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By sladeltd - February 25 - 1:17 pm

  The GOOD: Love the styling, even on the interior, its not high tech or futuristic, it is practical. It has the power when you need it. The BAD: I bought the extended warranty and 3 months after I bought it I had to replace the engine, cylinder lost compression and it was idling rough. I spoke with the Enterprise rental guys and they told me the Trailblazer was the vehicle they saw come in for warranty service the most. Enough said there. Road noise is bad because of bad fit for the windows and therefore leaks into the door panels. my speakers were corroded and I had to replace them. I had to replace the water pump. Bottom line, a good style design needs to be backed up by a reliable design

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  Super Ride - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By gozmore - February 25 - 10:16 am

  This vehicle is such a blast to own and drive, I am the second owner, 39,000 miles, 33 miles to gallon on highway, great sound system, great visibility,I get peoples attention where-ever I go, 24 miles per gallon city, hauling capacity is unbelievable, I had a custom trailer hitch added to pull a small trailer.I added the "Chevrolet" word on the front nose and on each side of the hood, the color is light gold with saddle trim, I also added power air filter system

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  Solid family truck!! - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By edwardstd - February 24 - 10:52 pm

  This is a great truck and family vehicle all in one. I have owned suburbans and this allows the large quad seating area for the family when needed and then haul dirt with having to worry about destroying the interior. Mission accomplished for multi purpose vehicle. Performance is great as I tow boats and trailers regularly. 3/4 ton would have been nice at times but for the average person not needed, probably why they discontinued the option.

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  Fire Hazard - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Not Happy - February 24 - 5:59 pm

  I was getting ready to get on I-5 and my car died. Coasted to the side of the road and hit the ON Star. They said a tow truck was on its way (30 minutes). A state trooper stopped and told me to stay in the car but also said he smelled gasoline. I told him I had been trying to start it again but "no go". When the tow driver showed up was told that the car was leaking gas. When it got to the dealership on the truck, the gas went everywhere. Attendant told me I could have been killed. Broken fuel rail. The dealer was notified and all he could say was"was there an impact" no apology - but will give us one (1) free oil change- not bad for almost being killed. GM customer service - zero!!