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 Legend That Isnt Fully Justified - 1995 Chevrolet Impala
  By OneOwner - September 11 - 2:00 am

  My car was the show car at the Philadelphia Intl Auto Show in 1995. I tried to get a discount, but the dealer insisted on the MSRP, which I paid. At the time, I thought it was the best looking 4-door car for sale. In many ways, it still is. And it does turn heads, even today. Since is from the Generals stable, getting parts is easy, and generally cheap. At first, the Comp T/A tires were hard to find, but now you can get MUCH better Kumho tires for less than $80 each. One thing that is unfortunate is that, my car being the "rarest, a 1995 DGGM", you cannot get the paint from the dealer or AutoColor anymore to fill chips. Rear seat room is poor, as are the quality of the interior.

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  wont buy another one - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By sandyc44 - September 11 - 2:00 am

  Bought this brand new and after 3 years the radiator had a leak and the fluids from the radiator and transmission were mixing so I needed a new radiator and transmission $4000. Neither the dealership or manufacturer would back it up. The instrument cluster went out after 2 yrs, speedometer doesnt work. Lots of rattles. It is fun to drive but now that its over 5 years old with 140k+ miles its very loose. Back rear window motor went out. Very expensive vehicle to buy and maintain. I had an all wheel drive Passat which handled better in the snow. Never had this many problems with any other vehicle Ive owned.

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  Somehow i love it - 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
  By plsgofaster - September 7 - 6:27 pm

  My dad gave me this car a year ago. Its performance isnt impressive 0-60. In quite a while (10.3 sec) it was comfortable until the padding "parted" around the frame of the seat. The build quality is sub-par the interior made of the worlds cheapest plastics is coming apart piece by piece. The power locks work 30% of the time the Windows barley work, but the engine keeps going. Im getting 160 miles a tank the mpg is dreadful. Its expensive to insure because its a sports car even though it barley moves. However the exterior is a triumph in styling 10 out of 10. I cant explain why but I love this car and I love driving it. Maybe its the t-tops.

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  1996 Chevy Blazer - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By valbabe19 - September 6 - 1:21 pm

  I bought this car when it had about 168,000 miles on it. I needed a beater car to get back and forth to work..and trust me its a beater. I have had nothing but issues with it since I bought it. I had to replace the wheel bearings w/hub assembly, shocks (front and back), brakes, thermostat (twice), and now I am having major issues with the coolant system and the access tank running dry.

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  Reliable Unique Econo-Box - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By KDW - September 4 - 3:41 pm

  I purchased this car used in 2008 with 29,000 miles. It has been a reliable, comfortable commuter that gets good gas mileage, 26.5 City/Hwy average. I travel 60 miles round trip to work 1/2 city 1/2 high way and when I hyper- mile it I can average 28 mpg but what fun is that! The car is laid out well and hauls an amazing amount of stuff for such a little car. The interior is laid out thoughtfully but the window buttons are annoying. My biggest complaints are performance and visibility. This car is just NOT fun to drive and its VERY hard to see out of. I added small peep mirrors and that helped but the overall visibility is appalling. Re: steering, it doesnt inspire confidence in turns

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  Same Old GM- Junk - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Dave - September 3 - 3:47 pm

  We bought this vehicle and all I can say is I am officially done with American cars, especially GM. This vehicle has been a problem since the day we bought it. The salesman demoed the fold down seat and it split. They tried to restitch it rather than replace it because GM would not replace it. Window motor problems, trans problems, electrical problems and all we get is grief from the crappy service department and GM. We bought the stain protection for the interior and we are now arguing because they have tried to get two stains out that wont come out but nobody (GM or the chemical supplier) wants to eat the price off all new seat covers. Never again, stay away from GM

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  Losing patience with Chevy fast! - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Dave - September 1 - 9:44 pm

  I am as loyal a buyer as Chevy can have after buying 7 Suburban/ Tahoes but have ready to throw in the towel after the issues experienced with my 07 LTZ. Its now burning 1-3 quarts every 2K miles and its going in for the new fix (waited 8 mos) tomorrow. If they resolve the oil issue I may be back. Otherwise I am turning it in for Ford Exp EL. Its the best design yet, but what good is it if its always in the shop? We love doing family vacations in it but have had too many problems: 1. excessive oil use 2. washer heater -removed my favorite option! 3. Erratic A/C 4. Chrome peeling off int. door handles 5. U-joint 6. 4WD switch breaks 7. Front bumper breaks in snow! 8. 16 mpg max

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  1LT coupe - 2010 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Mahe - August 29 - 6:16 pm

  Just got this car. ~1000 miles on. FUN TO DRIVE. Lots of power, easy to squeal the tires. Best bang for the buck. Got an auto trans, pretty good 6 speed, i think it does as good a job as a manual. Of course you always have the paddle shifters.

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  Not too happy - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Christy - August 29 - 5:43 pm

  Bought my Equinox brand new in Feb 2007 within few months of having it the mirror covers in sun visors broke off on both sides. Chrome around gear shift is like a mirror to the sun & blinds you! Now my breaks grab really hard when Im slowing down, anything below 20 mph & they starts grabbing really hard as if my breaks are bad. AC doesnt really push out cold like it could at times. Recently went to get a transmission flush & was told by 3 different quick oil change places that they couldnt do it on my car since its a sealed transmission, so now Im gonna have to pay much more $ to go to a dealership for the transmission flush. Wishing I had bought a different SUV!

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  New Camaro - Grade F - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Chevy Guy - August 25 - 6:43 pm

  I must have owned 10 camaros in my lifetime and am so disappointed with what Chevy built. I know they were dealing with heavy financial issues and competing with Ford and Dodge, but they should have taken more time to do it right. The front end is way cool, but thats it. Almost looks like to replicated a 67/68 Quarter Panel and used the rear roof line off a Cadillac CTS and squished it with a corvette rear bumper. The 2011 convertible is even worse. There is a drop in the quarter panel right after the door and simply looks terrible.