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:

• 

  Best Family Sedan Value - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Lee - August 28 - 2:13 am

  I cant believe how nice this car is for the money- smooth,quiet,beautiful,great mileage. Ive had Camrys Accords C- class MBs that were all great but this GM product is as good if not better than any for overall value and quality.

• 

  Good God! - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Bouree - August 27 - 10:10 pm

  I had a Honda for transportation and a Harley for fun. My father had just bought an 04 convertible and I had my first drive in it two weeks ago. I got the bug. I test drove an 07 and didnt feel much more power than the 04. Plus the interior was cheesy. Drove the 08 LT1 and and when I punched it the first time, an involuntary expletive burst out of my mouth. I could not believe that this car was street legal. The LS3 engine is night and day from the LS2. Plus, the interior was much nicer. I couldnt wait for an LT2 or 3 and bought it that day. Run, dont walk to the dealership and get one of these. You wont regret it.

• 

  Sold on Suburbans - 1995 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Sam - August 27 - 6:08 pm

  I love my Suburban. It has been very solid, with no real issues for over 7 years. Therer have been the expected battery, alternator replacements, that wear out over the years. Ive got 230k miles and its still great for hauling my crew around, and I trust it over long hauls still.

• 

  Her Hot Rod aka HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By joanne - August 27 - 5:36 pm

  I love my new HHR. It rides like a dream. The handling is awesome. My husband drove modifieds for many years and he says the cornering ability of this car is great. It still has plenty of room in it. The design is really classy. Everyone that sees my HHR loves the look, the color, the style. I was pulled over by a police officer one day, not because I was doing anything wrong, he wanted a closer look at my car. The only thing that really took some getting used to was where the buttons were for the windows. It could use maybe one more cupholder too. I love it.

• 

  Most for the money - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ibcheap - August 27 - 4:18 pm

  Both my husband and I drive approx 600 each week. So we each wanted a low cost vehicle with decent gas mileage and comfort. We found this in the Equinox so we bought two. I traded in my 2005 outback on the two vehicles. Although, the subaru is a real fun car to drive, it was not comfortable. The Equinox is comfort almost as fun to drive and gets good gas mileage. Id recommend this vehicle for a young family or older folk, like me, with not so a pliable body but wants the best buy for the money. GM has a hit with this vehicle.

• 

  Better then my old Toyota - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Bob - August 27 - 1:50 pm

  GM quality is going up while Toyota is going down. This truck is used as a family truck, camper trailer towing and snow plowing my drive. I guess the previous poster did not have his truck set up correctly for snow plowing. You should have ordered the aux. battery and larger alternator. Thats what those options are specifically for. I have a HD plow it it works fine.

• 

  Small is better - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By Joe - August 27 - 10:29 am

  I like the my S-10 for its performance, road handling and driving comfort.

• 

  Great SUV - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By tpalite - August 27 - 8:35 am

  Im an orginal owner and never have had any problems with the vechicle. At 102k miles the throttle position sensor went out, replace the throttle body module. This has been a great purchase. It is the most stable SUV at high speeds that I have test driven. I have no plans on getting rid of this vechicle, but if I need to replace it I would purchase a newer Trailblazer.

• 

  My Car - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Greg - August 25 - 2:06 pm

  Great car. 6000 miles so far and no problems. This is the second 2006 Impala in our household. Both are fun to drive

• 

  New owner experience - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By initial skeptic - August 25 - 1:36 am

  For years, Ive stayed away from the Vette because of poor quality interior and poor feedback response. Ive owned a S2000, 350z (modified twin turbo), Audi S4, and Lexus SC430. I can honestly say Im impressed with every aspect of the care especially the great handling and daily livability. Feedback response is not as crisp as the S2000, but its good enough to instill confidence. The interior is so much better now, it feels like a luxury sports car (on-star, turn-by- turn navigation, radio frequency keyless entry/start, coach-like leather, and tactile sensation of each dial/button, phone). Every day, I find something more to like and Im a hard person to please when it comes to details