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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  Lemon - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Brad - October 11 - 10:54 pm

  Transmission is junk. 4,000 miles after warranty expired the transmission failed. Searches on the internet produced many hits with the same issue. It seems Chevy knows this is an issue and has failed to do anything about it. Sad that a vehicle that costs over $50k can fail after only 40k miles... This is my second Suburban to have the same problem. Definitely buying an import next time. Americans cannot build cars.

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  To good to be true - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Herb - October 11 - 9:23 pm

  The first 3 years the car was an absolute joy to drive.Then after 50,000 kilometers the third stop light failed. And now the transmission cable broke. The problem is that the dealer cannot find a replacement in North America. They even checked scrap yards to no avail. They contacted GM and were told the part wont be available till August. This is a 5 year old car with 78,000 kilometers, and parts are already hard to locate. The dealer is trying his best, but it seems GM does not care.

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  Down Hill - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By jack - October 11 - 7:48 pm

  I bought my avalanche in june of 2003 at 2 years old the transmission went out and it doesnt jet out like it used to. Then it leaks water inside because it got hailed on and now its messed up so i think it might have shorted my electrical system because my airbag light came on. Then my passenger window recently went out so.

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  LOVE it! - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By lins - October 11 - 7:40 pm

  We purchased this when we had problems with our 99 Olds van and we have no regrets. Have only owned it for a few weeks so far but I love driving it and love the looks. My husband is 6 ft and he has no problems with space. I can not believe how much stuff I can haul in he cargo area! This car is so fun to drive and beats out the van on cargo space and gas mileage. We did have to get a new battery installed within a few days of buying it but we did buy it used so I cant complain to loudly on that. It was still under warranty so we didnt have to pay. I just LOVE this car and hope it handles well this winter here in the Northeast.

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  Proven Wrong - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By goodsinbad73 - October 11 - 11:56 am

  I have only had this vehicle 1 week now and I must say I am now on the bandwagon. At over 62 lots of room to spare. I love my panel it gets looks from everywhere. There are only 2 bad flaws I have found. Because the front tires are so big they throw dirt and rocks..fix. Get running boards or tire guards. 2nd. Because of my height the window controls for both windows are in a bad spot if you need to roll down while in motion. They should be located in the door. It is flawless other than that. I love it.

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  Right Choice - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Bobbi - October 11 - 5:06 am

  As a semi-handicapped, eighty year old woman on limited income, I could not be more happy with this choice as far as ease of getting in and out, mileage, and reliability. Its appearance is in keeping with the much more expensive cars that Im used to and can no longer afford. My only criticisms are that it will not accommodate towing and at any speed over seventy five. It wants to take off and fly and is susceptible to buffeting from large vehicles and heavy winds. All things considered, I would rate this a 9+ for what it is meant to be. In my lifetime I have owned and driven over eight different makes and types of vehicles over 2 million miles and taught drivers education, and I recommend this car highly!

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  Great car, auto light control issue - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Eric - October 11 - 4:06 am

  I have had nothing but sheer enjoyment from this car since I purchased it. The engine is very well powered for a 4-cylinder, road noise is much quieter than a lot of other models, and MPGs are good considering the amount of storage space and the fact you can easily fit 4 large adults in the car. I read there used to be an issue with stone chipping on previous models, however 2008 comes with a thick protective film on the surfaces at risk from stones and that film seems to work great. Even the film doesnt show signs of impact. Only issue has been my auto light sensor failing. Sometimes it wont allow parking and interior lights to come on with headlights. Manual override doesnt work.

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  chevy jolt - 2016 Chevrolet Volt
  By greyvolt - October 11 - 12:02 am

  loved how olid and quiet and smooth this felt on smooth road at dealer and bough it. but when you hit bumps the cars bottom weight makes it JOLT. rear passengers hit their heads on the slanted door opening getting in or out and heads touch ceiling which is at upholstery and glass window of hatchback. the car is fun driven alone when you can twist and turn around corners blithely, or accelerate like a race car. only getting 34 mpg. supposed to be 42 (no i dont always race around. im a very cautious normal driver. the paddle brake on steering wheel lurches and gives motion sickness. its too touchy. cant apply it gently. interiors electronic lights hard to understand, hard to tell if car on or off.

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  Awesome Car - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Scott - October 10 - 11:29 pm

  Ive had this car for 8 months and love everything about it. The styling and quality are great and its perfect for a family of four. I also had the unfortunate experience of having another driver run a red light and hit my front end going about 30 mph. The Malibu performed quite admirably in the accident, definitely living up to the 5-star rating it received in crash tests. Thankfully, I walked away unharmed and my Chevy dealer was able to fix the car completely within a couple weeks. So far, I havent noticed anything different about the car since the accident, which was four months ago. The performance of this car, before, during and after the accident has been great !

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  Monte Carlo! - 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By blake - October 10 - 8:03 pm

  i have had this monte for 2 years and I put a lot of work into it. I upgraded some parts to performance. air intake, rims, tinted windows, performance chip, painted calipers. Chevy is easy to handle, maintain, easy to replace everything. I get about 17 gallons per gallons tho, and its bad since the gas prices are right now!