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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  Looks good so far - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
  By david - March 25 - 5:40 pm

  My wife gets compliments all the time. People are surprised it is a Malibu (considering the previous old boxy style). The car looks great, could be a bit more peppy but gets the job done. We have had zero mechanical problems, Gas in this car seems to last for ever. We average around 30mpg in mixed city and highway driving (not bad for a mid size sedan). Sound system great, lots of little nooks to holds stuff, lots of trunk space, comes with XM, on- star is cooler than I thought with turn by turn GPS and the emailed mechanical reports. Overall, this car has a lot of cool features for the money, the coolest is the motor shuts off while stopped in traffic to save gas (why didnt I think that?)

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  Best car in the nation besides Camry! - 1996 Chevrolet Impala
  By jg1 - March 25 - 4:34 pm

  I bought my SS with 89000 miles on it in 2005. This is a great car. Took it on trips no problem. Everybody always asking me do I want to sell it. The best big body car ever made. Runs real strong and lasts with the best of them.

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  Great sports car - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By al martoia - March 25 - 2:48 pm

  Had this 2008 for 4 months now and love it. Super fast for a stock Vette. Traded my 2003 anniversary in on it. The ride is a lot more comfortable and the interior looks and feels great. The 3lt package is a must. Cant beat the price, a lot of car for 50 grand.

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  Very pleased - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By VA - March 25 - 12:53 pm

  So far Im very pleased. GM definitely made strides with this truck. In particular the interior comfort and build quality is far better than in previous years. Gas mileage isnt good, but hey, its a truck!

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  Couldnt be happier - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Pat - March 24 - 11:08 pm

  Ive towed a loaded trailer from Dallas to Vegas and back, family trips, light offroading, carpool duty, and city commuting and my Suburban has handled it all with aplomb. I bought my truck because it could handle full 4x8 sheets with the seats folded and all the other things too and its never failed me yet. Its like the Swiss Army knife of vehicles. It may not be the best at any single thing, but it can do a lot of stuff and do it very, very well. And without all the fumbling around that you get with one of those uber-everything chunky Swiss Army knives, either. Its a super-capable vehicle. I couldnt be happier with my choice to buy this truck.

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  2008 Equinox 6 cyl 3.4 LS - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Jeffrey McMinn - March 24 - 9:16 pm

  Runs great in that have had no problems so far, but only have 3000 miles. Has great pick-up when needed, corners well. Style is impressive and everything inside "makes sense". The ride is not as smooth as Id like to have it, but were not talking a Caddy here. Drive conservative and get 25 MPG, but do little city driving. Realistically, Id probably get 21 if I drove like I used to do when gas wasnt gold plated, but if we can put a man on the moon, surely we could design one that gets 30 mpg.

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  Fast - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Midnight - March 24 - 5:24 pm

  The wife wanted a hybrid, but nothing caught my except the TBSS. It has a mean muscular stance. We bought one in Red Jewel Tintcoat. Just a beautiful color. It is fast, roomy, and handles real well. I like big trucks. Im a big guy, and even though the HHR was better on gas, this works the best for us. My wife drives it to and from the train station and we use it on weekends. If I had to drive this to my work every day, 80 miles roundtrip, I wouldnt buy it because the gas would kill us. This is one awesome vehicle and is a lot fun to drive.

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  I am very pleased - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Tasha - March 24 - 1:28 pm

  I purchased my 1st Tahoe almost a year ago, and I must say that I love my car. I love the way it rides, the comfort is amazing. Anytime that I have to travel I offer to drive, becuase it is fun to ride, and I feel very safe while driving it.

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  2016 Spark compared to a 2014 Spark - 2016 Chevrolet Spark
  By Happy daughter! - March 24 - 4:24 am

  My daughter and I tried out a new 2014 Chevy Spark two years ago. We thought it was OK, but needed a big makeover and a lot of refinement. This year, we drove a new 2016 Spark, what a wonderful little car. I thought because she was a new driver, she should have something that was very safe! It has a great warranty, and easy to drive around town with great gas mileage. This car has safety features not found on most $30,000 cars. Parking assist, lane departure assist, frontal crash avoidance, ten airbags, including knee airbags, back-up camera and more. Fantastic ! 2LT model with all the extras. She paid $14,000 for a new car! It was absolutely worth it. She loves the car. She is single, and there is more than enough room in the car for extra people if need be. The gas mileage cant be beat! The insurance is low too. We could tell this was a great little car, quaility, quaility all the way, compared to the 2014 Spark. With all the options she has, a bigger car would cost at least twice as much or more. She has had it a week, and wants to drive everywhere. At one time she wanted a much bigger car for safety, but they dont have all those safety features on most bigger cars. A bigger vehicle would cost almost $20,000 used, and wouldnt have all the safety features, plus it would have 30,000 miles or more. For the price, she couldnt beat buying a "NEW" car.....and not having someones used troubles!

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  Great buy for $16K - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By S. Daniel - March 23 - 11:20 pm

  Was looking to downsize from a mid- size SUV. It had the necessary cargo capacity I was looking for with some kicking style to boot. Nice ride with adequate power. Im not a nit-picky guy, so all the reviews Ive read about inconvenient power window button location and cheap seat fabric I can live with. Being a former SUV owner, if GM wants more of us to downsize to the HHR, they have to do something about storage up front. Even with the unique dashboard compartment, storage is really lacking. Even the door pockets are the smallest Ive ever seen! But obviously all the other positives outweighed this big negative, so Im still happy I bought the car.