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 comeback..... - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Chevy Lover - January 30 - 10:04 am

  Well I was raised on Chevys and for many reasons, fell away from them in the late Seventies. GM finally saw the light and has produced some fine vehicles that compare and surpass in ways the Japanese vehicles. The Traverse is one such vehicle. The smooth quiet ride, the agile handling, the options to please. It may not have an over 30 mpg, but its a welcome gift for large guys like Myself. It surpasses the Honda Pilot and anyone looking for a roomy SUV/CUV should definitely test drive this vehicle! It also heralds some great safety ratings as well...and the AWD is great in winter conditions. Try it youll love it!

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  First Chevy Ever - Happy I did - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By m298908 - January 30 - 9:35 am

  This is my first venture into a Chevy (or any GM car). We have been a Subaru family, but now that a third kid is on the way we needed a third row. We are one of the no-minivan families. Captains chairs in the middle were a must since you cant get to the third row if you have car seats on the middle row. Extremely safe - avoided 2 accidents already (northeast has slippery weather). I never had traction control before and it saved me prob $15,000 accident. Drives great with wonderful pickup - big engine and 6 speed helps a lot with that. Very little road noise. Mileage is pretty good (16 MPG with little highway) thanks to switching to AWD only when it needs it. Highly Recommended!

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  Great Truck - 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Andy - January 30 - 8:48 am

  The best truck Ive ever owned. Its very reliable, great for road trips, towing, getting around in the snow etc. I bought it with 130k and now it has 170k. I had to replace the intake manifold gasket and have the transmission rebuilt but, other than that its been small cheap stuff. One of the best things about owning one of these is parts are plentiful and cheap. It doesnt get great gas mileage (12-15) but, its a V8 Truck. I would rather put extra money in the tank than have $1k repair bills on a vehicle that only a dealer can work on.

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  Great Car - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By Don - January 30 - 2:38 am

  We loved the car overall until the last year. It was a lease car. Most of the time when we got the car up to 50mph the car began to shake and lunge and lurch like it was hurting for gas. We took the car into several car dealers to fix it and they thought we were crazy. We did find one dealer that could see it, but was never able to get it to do it at the right time for the computer to tell there what to fix. Well, after the lease we were sad to give it up, but some poor person probably has it now.

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  WONDERFUL CAR! - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Sabrina Schuurman - January 29 - 11:42 pm

  This is a wonderful car. Until test driving this car I could never truly say that any car called my name like this one did. You know when it feels right it just feels right. Its comfy, fun to drive, and plenty of leg room in the back for those growin kids. Lots of trunk space and I can go all week on a tank of gas in town. Handles well, also has more power than I would expect for a 4 cyl. As for the style, it oozes "cool", especially the interior and the cars silhouette and rear styling. Cant find one thing wrong except my husband says he has poor visibility when driving it. I love it!!! While on the test drive the kids were like, "Yeah Mom, this one!".

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  never buy a venture, EVER!!! - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By lemonloverx7 - January 29 - 10:10 pm

  It looks nice but its very unreliable. The back seats are so unfordable! Everyone hates sitting in the back two rows. 3 smalls seats jammed in the second row its not comfortable at all. the fronts seat are okay though. we have had so many problem that I cant even remember all of them. But a few big problems were, intake manifold gasket, oil leaks, leaking anti-freeze, temperature regulator, tail light assembly failure, AC stop working randomly, slipping transmission. The intake manifold gasket seems to be a big problem in chevy! Not a good car at all! The LT has to many features that brake alot. The van only has 124,000 miles on it. my friend has a Subaru with 241,000 and its still going!

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  Gets Me From A to B - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jeff Mackin - January 29 - 9:22 pm

  This car has a decent amount of pep for a V6 engine. The ABS Brakes stink! Did I mention that I hate the ABS brakes??

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  I Dig It - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Dave - January 29 - 7:31 pm

  I get a little over 16 mpg average with fairly aggressive driving. I cant complain for what I get. Suspension was too stiff so I softened a little. Perfect now. VERY fun to drive. Its my work truck. People always asking what the heck it is-- SSs are rare around here.

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  A Lot of room and a lot of fun. - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Greg F - January 29 - 1:15 pm

  Came off the lease of a 06 Cadillac DTS in November. The smooth ride in the LTZ is superior to that of the Cadillac and of the 2002 Lincoln Town Car I had previously even with the 20 inch tires (Bridgestone Dueler) I have now. The amount of room for the driver is outstanding in the Traverse and is of particular importance to me. The power of the jets on the Windshield washer is the best I have ever seen. Mileage is only at 16 mpg and is a little disappointing but I have been using the remote start. Brakes tend to squeak first thing in the morning. Voice recognition system does not work for hands free dialing. It can not distinguish between different numbers. Overall I am very pleased

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  i love my HHR always - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By love my HHR always - January 29 - 11:29 am

  I feel it is a very comfortable car given the price range. The biggest attraction of this car is its unique retro style from the 1949 Chevy Suburban. I really love that old style with a mix of modern features. Another good thing is the mileage and the seating is really comfortable, leg room. The visibility is OK, but not great because of the unique body shape and windows are small, but that is a not a problem as i get used to it. The biggest problem is the depreciation of the car value. SO , may be a used car would be a best bet. But overall, i recommend this car who love the old style.