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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  Not good in the real world - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Ramblenon - January 17 - 10:34 am

  We have the automatic transmission, and believe me the gas mileage is no where thry say it should be. were lucky if we get 27 -28 on the highway and maybe 19 -21 in the city. Winter driving is even worse and when it gets below 20" the car never really warms up. While it is a fun car to drive the inside is layed out poorly, Of the worst the cup holders are right in front of the controls which makes the controls hard to use. Over all I would never buy another Aveo unles they made major improvements. Ive been A GM owner all My life and this has been one of my worst experiences.

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  Great Car - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By brsmith1202 - January 17 - 8:18 am

  As a owner of a 2004 suburban, I have only one simple problem, the battery went out the day after I got it. I have had no real problems with, the vehicle runs great, take care of it, and will take care of you.

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  Great Overall - 2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Jimmy - January 17 - 6:36 am

  Well im only 17 my parents owned this car. And gave it to me as my first car. Before i always thought i was gonna tune it. But pointless even though its a v6 it hauls like a v8. 0 to 60 mid 7 secs good for a commuting car and the mileage is good to 30 mpg for the highway going 70mph. Really great car.

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  2009 Cyber Grey Couple - 1LT, Z51, NPP - 2009 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Duckman - January 17 - 1:01 am

  1st time ever owning a Vette. Have always wanted this icon. This car ROCKS! I have so much fun driving this. The acceleration blows me away (I love taking friends for a spin and pinning them to their seat while I jet on to the freeway!) and the car is pretty comfy and drivable (I drive 4x week to work). I avg about 21.5mpg, but tend to drive a shade less than 80 (its hard not to speed gotten it up to 95 once and still felt so smooth I barely noticed). Paid ~39.5k+ tax, etc (amazing how low these cars are going for now) and am absolutely thrilled with the car and the value I am getting. Like others, this car puts a smile on my face when I see it. You will not find a better value!

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  Helluva a Ride!!!! - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Oregon SS - January 16 - 9:03 pm

  Picked up my SS/RS a little more than a week ago. I drive 130 miles round trip everyday to work. This car is a blast to drive. I thoroughly enjoy my drive. The car handles great, is comfortable to drive, oh and did I mention fun. I have read of people complaining about mileage. You certainly dont buy it for the mileage. But I am averaging 20.6. I imagine if I was a bit kinder to the throttle it would only get better, but again what fun is that. The acceleration is great cornering is fantastic, cant wait to get the ground effects put on to complete the look. Great job Chevy! I would recommend this car to anyone who wanted a fun performance ride!

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  Saved My Life! - 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Satisfied - January 16 - 10:45 am

  Had this SUV for two and a half years, I never really had any problems with it. It was recently totaled when I was T-Boned at 50 mph, I know that this car saved my life and if I had been driving a smaller car I would not have survived. Though I normally buy new cars every three or four years, I intend to go out and purchase another Trailblazer (used as it is out of production now) and drive it in to the ground. I wish GM still made these.

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  Love the car but dissappointment sets in - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tilson - January 16 - 7:29 am

  I love my car! Its a joy to drive. But at 55,000 miles I am having repetitive problems. Spent approx $1400 in repairs due the warranty is out in 2 years due to my required mileage. It is in the shop for the 3rd time for the same repairs. Traction service light keeps coming on, auto door lock failure, brake lights keep coming on when I am not pushing the brakes!! I have maintained this car with schedule maint. We keep our cars 10 or more years and have driven them in excess of 300,000 miles. Sadly I dont think this one will last 100,000. Repairs are expensive at the dealership. I am so disappointed. But do note that we also own a 2006 Silverado Truck and it has been a great vehicle!!

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  Not So Spectacular - 1996 Chevrolet Corvette
  By corvettefever96 - January 15 - 10:37 pm

  I bought this Corvette in 2004. It only had 38,000 miles on it at the time. I drive it about 4,000 miles a year. Honestly, its a very pretty car... I have people tell me all the time how beautiful it is. But... I dont think its a very reliable vehicle. Ive had the water pump replaced, transmission had a leak that got fixed. Now, I noticed that my oil pan gasket is leaking. Really, I dont think the vehicle is reliable. You would think that because its a "Corvette", it was built good. I dont think it was.

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  09 Cobalt LS Automatic - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Jim - January 15 - 8:11 pm

  Wanted a base coupe to replace an 04 Cavalier coupe automatic. Other than looks, not too much has changed. Same basic layout with a few more features. Nice car for way cheap money. End of year pricing and rebates put this less than the competition (Kia- Hyundai- Nissan-Focus). Only drawback - 6 year old design. Looks like a 10 to me. I might buy one more before the Cruze swings into production. (or they move the Cobalt tooling to Mexico)

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  Only Good for 5 Years - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Lynne - January 15 - 7:44 pm

  I loved this car when I bought it in 2004. It handled well in the snow. It was more like a truck, but it did the job. Unfortunately at about 65,000 miles, major things started to go wrong. The sway bar links,(which had to be replaced when I bought the car), had to be replaced- close to $900. Then, two head gaskets had to be replaced at about 69,000 miles- $850. Finally, the car began dying sporadically without explanation. There was an electrical problem, but Chevy would not acknowledge it. They began replacing things at random, only to have the car die again. Loved it at first, but traded it for a Subaru. Chevy claimed 70,000 miles was high mileage. I cant afford to own that type of car.