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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  Happy in Ohio - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By preacher - January 11 - 6:47 pm

  Wow! What a nice set of wheels. I purchased this 2009 HHR in Dec. and have 1000 miles on it. I have the H.O 2.4 which has a lot of guts. With the LT2 package, it is loaded. The only thing that is missing is a telescoping steering wheel. I absolutely love it. Its like riding on a rail. Love the electronic power steering. Upscale feeling all the way. Bright red and chrome wheels makes this 65 yr. old feel a bit younger. Lots of room for the grandkids and their stuff. GM has a winner in the HHR and so do I.

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  Shame about the style. - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Charles - January 11 - 5:06 pm

  So, one of the most boring faceless cars on the US roads has a hidden heart. its fun to drive, Cheap to own and a good value.I own a 08 Mini, an 08 F150 and find the Manual version of this car nearly as much fun as the Mini and more so than the Ford. BUT drive with care.mine has 29000 miles and is already falling to pieces. its back at the dealers again where they are replacing more of the steering assembly. the chrome has dropped of the interior handle and the door locks are sticking.. ALL IN ALL... its still a good cheap car. the discounts are great.

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  Great Vehicle!!! Go CHEVY!! - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Shawn - January 10 - 11:01 pm

  I love my chevy traverse. It handles great. Smooth ride and fun to drive. It is a drivers SUV. My limited options on the LT1 feels like I got a loaded version. The interior is nice and has the feel of luxury w/o leather. A great buy!!!

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  ok truck - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By mattc - January 10 - 6:13 pm

  Its a Nice little truck but for me its not very comfortable (6,3) the extended cab woulda been better also the 2.2 is not a good on gas as I was hoping. I do like it because it gets me where I need to go and any extra work done. I use it every once in awhile to haul and have had no problems with that

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  My honest opinion of this car - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By nomorefords - January 10 - 12:47 am

  Ive owned this car for 4 months now and Im very happy with this car.The power of the LS2 brings tears to my eyes.A definite eye catcher on the roads.Has many options that other performance cars just dont have.I have the fully loaded LT3 pkg w/select ride 6spd paddleshift.With the select ride switched between tour/sport it really doesnt fell any different.The heated seats are never used because the climate controls work so good.The bose system sounds so good and Im very happy with the center control lay out. If I were to purchase another corvette I would get a 6spd manual transmission,opt out of the select ride and heated seats.

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  Great for under 12500! - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By My favorite! - January 9 - 10:25 pm

  Well Ive had it for 5 months now and it has been a little champ! Of course its a little slow (I have the auto) but I get 26 city and about 33 highway. Its a nicely built car, Ive had no rattles or problems like others have said. I have every feature except the leatherette seats. The only fault I really have with it is that I feel it could be either sportier with some engine tuning (maybe even raise mpgs?) but everything is good. I wish they would give the car a little more something with the styling outside ( I dont like the headlights on the aveo5). I would recommend this car to anyone on a budget!

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  excellent crash safety - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By carbanks1 - January 9 - 4:42 pm

  I had my chevy malibu for only 3 days when I was involved in a head on collision at highway speed. I was able to correct the skid almost completely before I realized the cruise was still set at 65mph. I tapped the brake to deactivate it, which caused the car to spin into the other lane of traffic. I was hit head on by another car with no injury at all whatsoever (I didnt even get whiplash). The airbags didnt go off, which was probably a good thing in my case. Although the car was totaled, I was safe.

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  Surburban = Lemon - 2006 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Paul Lenich - January 8 - 3:55 pm

  I bought a new surburban in 2006. After 60,000 miles, the transmission failed and I had to spend $3k on a new one. The vehicle was out of warranty and GM offered no assistance. I am extremely disappointed that after spending $50k on a vehicle that it needed a new transmission with so low mileage. This is my first GM car and my last. I have owned three nissans and one volov and the quality of the suburban is well below the others. I would advise shopping around.

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  ready for an upgrade - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Nanni - January 8 - 1:52 pm

  I bought my tahoe because i fell in love with the looks of it. It is very easy to keep clean due to the dark colors but had to replace a cracked head and $1600 in other engine repair work in less than two months of purchasing. Now it needs an O2 sensor, tie rods, ball joints, the oil gauges drops to 0 when stopped and its not the oil pump. Its been an ongoing money pit.

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  do yourself a favor and stay away - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By dontbuy - January 8 - 10:41 am

  I bought this car new and it has been in the shop more and for longer periods of time than ANY other car I have owned. I am picking it up again today from the dealership after the transmission was rebuilt at 10,788 miles. There is a water leak that they have yet to find and the car smells like mold. They want me to bring it back when the new carpet they ordered for it comes in! this has been an ongoing thing since early last summer with the mold. The first time they just sprayed something in the vents. there is standing water in the trunk wheel well.