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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  08 LTZ in Kansas City - 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Kansas CIty 08 LTZ - March 31 - 2:38 pm

  I traded in my 07 Trailblazer SS for this vehicle. It rides far better and while it does not have the blazing fast speed of the SS, it does very well for a big truck and gets a lot better fuel economy than the SS did with its LS2 Corvette motor. Still Adjusting the the size of it vs. the TrailBlazer, but overall am very happy with it. Got a great deal--almost 10,000 of the sticker and 0% financing to boot. I believe that I will be very happy with this vehicle.

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  2007 Cobalt LT - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By bigbadjim - March 31 - 11:21 am

  I am a larger man at 62" and I find that the Cobalt has the best leg room of compact cars. The Cobalt also offers a quiet ride and very good stability. We owned a 2005 Focus SES and this is hands down a better car and it is less "tinny". The power is decent and it offers a full compliment of standard features for a decent price. We paid $11,500 w/ only 13,500 miles on it.

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  Happy with My Equinox - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Sandy Miller - March 31 - 11:07 am

  I have only had the vehicle one week and so far I am very happy with it. I am impressed with all the features it has for the amount of money it cost. I especially like the automatic start. I am a single woman, and this is a good feature for me. I also like the OnStar feature and hands free telephone. I drive to work every day, a 52 mile round-trip day, so far I am getting approx 21 MPG. I hope to get better as the car breaks in, of course this is a lot better, than what I was getting with my Chevy Avalanche. My friends are very impressed with the looks of the vehicle, inside and out. So far I think I made a good decision to buy an Equinox.

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  2004 Impala - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Duclz - March 31 - 10:15 am

  Have had very few break downs, only problem have been the brakes but it is not that much of a problem. Also it gets pretty good gas mileage for a 4dr Sudan. Though I found the default radio deck controls kind of confusing at first, as I am use to simpler buttons, but there not that hard to understand.

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  Problems with my HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Linda - March 31 - 7:15 am

  I love driving my 2006 HHR. It comes with many standard features that on most cars you would pay extra. My problem since I have owned it include having to get keys reprogrammed, radio making noise when not on and would pop when turning on (had to be reprogrammed), had to get gear shift replaced because not unlocking doors when put out of gear and now in shop twice for oil leak (replaced gasket but still leaking a puddle of oil when sitting. I have 29,000 miles on my vehicle.

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  Great truck - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Tom - March 30 - 5:15 pm

  Just a touch underpowered but good fuel mileage and comfortable ride is worth it. 24 mpg on the highway. When going on the beach, wouldnt want any other truck. I have pulled every other model out. More F150s than any other. Even had some refuse help cause they drove a Ford. O well, I just drove on by.

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  200000 miles plus easy with this vehicle - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Needas - March 30 - 11:51 am

  I have had my impala for 7 years now, with over 225000 miles, I still get 29 miles to the gallon average for all driving. I have only replaced the catalytic converter. It still has the same get up and go. It is wonderful on long trips. The only car I have ever owned that does not hurt my back after 12 hours of driving. I own three Chevys all over 200000 miles, one over 300000 miles, if you want minimal repairs and a long lasting vehicle, Chevys are your car, with Impalas leading the pack

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  Excellent Truck - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Andrew Mahaffey - March 30 - 9:24 am

  I love my 2000 silverado 5.3 ext cab 4 door z71 sb this thing has been the most reliable vehicle i have ever had my truck currently has 368000 miles on it with the original engine and trans this truck is truly bullet proof the only things i have ever done to this truck is a 1 water pump brakes and fluids and some rust repair i have towed with it and even driven it hard and it still runs like new.

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  Really Nice Small SUV - 1999 Chevrolet Blazer
  By jay7015032 - March 30 - 1:32 am

  Ive only owned this truck for a little while, it was passed down from my dad so its had three owners. But I love it. I have a K&N intake, throttle body spacer and cat bck exhaust with over sized tires. Plenty of power for me. But with power comes a lack of fuel. Seems I put gas in daily but I dont mind its fun to drive. The truck is a little rattly but I do have 130000 on it. Bottom line I love it on and off road

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  Witness Protection Program - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Patrick - March 29 - 10:00 pm

  This car draws more attention than Paris Hilton or Linsey Lohan on the town at night. If you want to keep a low profile consider something else! The car has great road feel, comfortable but taut suspension and build quality as good as my Accord. Good luck getting your hands on one!