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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  Like my chevy - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By Aray - September 16 - 6:59 am

  I have owned this car for a while now... even been a little slack when it comes to maint. on it, but hey, Im a single mom. Anyway, all I have ever had to replace on it was the 2 front wheel hubs and the fuel pump. Not a bad deal for 8 years right?

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  Happy with the purchase - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jason - September 15 - 8:16 pm

  I have owned this for about 4 months and am very happy. Smooth/quiet ride, good gas mileage, good price. I got this after leasing a 07 Cadi CTS. I think the ride is just as good. If you drive between 55-60, I seem to easily exceed the 33mpg on the car sticker for highway miles. No complaints about the car, and really glad i made the purchase (and really glad this is an AMERICAN Car)!!!!

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  Love This Car! - 2007 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Awsomeness!!! - September 15 - 2:36 pm

  My First car I ever bought. This car did alot of 5 hr trips to Mammoth Mountain. Also it was my commuter car... Easily hit speeds I shouldnt have been driving and very roomy. Love the fact that I could fit 6 people in there and did it often. I am still beating myself up for trading this car in for a Jetta... Ugh, the jetta blows compared to this truck!

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  Good ride but you will pay for it $$$$ - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By GregS - September 15 - 2:31 pm

  To be fair i bought it used and was an x security car. Anyway had the head gasket, lifters, tie rods, and the air stopped working. I do have 184,000 so that part is good. Key lock problem a huge pain but can be reset by leaving the key in on position for 11 minutes exactly as it resets! Stinks if you are in a hurry because it happens at the worst times!

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  LOve the vehicle - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Joe - September 15 - 12:42 pm

  I currently have 10,500 miles on my Traverse and Im pretty happy with the comfort, performance and gas mileage the car has been getting. I drove a Tahoe before this and its just as roomy and it gets better mileage. Its my first AWD car and I notice slipping when turning corners and rollback on inclines. Wondering if this is normal?

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  Still glad we bought it after 16k miles - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Lonniegl - September 15 - 2:00 am

  2002 LT w/ Autoride - Its been a year now and 16k miles and we still love the truck. It hasnt required any warranty service. We got the center buckets because we were used to that feature from our minivan. Kids can walk between the seats to get in the back; but you drop to 7 passanger capacity instead of 8. Gets 19mpg on the highway and about 13 around town which is respectable. Minor interior rattles, one notably from a center bucket seatback. Stereo sounds great at high volumes, average at lower volumes. Ride is excellent. Car is quick,drivetrain has been flawless. This is my wifes car and she absolutely loves it.

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  great car 4 money - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By chevyman - September 15 - 12:19 am

  very easy to work on, plenty of room, for the money, it was very worth it. especially the gas mileage. we average around 31mpg.

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  Chevy Quality? - 2000 Chevrolet Suburban
  By bman - September 14 - 11:51 pm

  Bought this truck in 2003 with 35k on it. have put 100k on it since then. steers more like a mini van than a truck, rides better also. Have replaced every power window motor at least once, replaced transmission at 105K have replaced 4 oxygen sensors and still have engine trouble light on. push button 4 WD switch doesnt always work, door locks occasionally dont work, check 4 WD light comes on but no mechanic can figure out why, wheel speed sensor in front wheel hubs were repaired under recall once but again dont work causing ABS to activate at speeds less than 5 mph such as when you are trying to stop at a redlight, causing brakes to not work, have had several near fender- benders.

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  Falling apart already... - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By dgw2jr - September 14 - 10:17 pm

  I got it as a rental for work. Pulls hard to the left. Tire pressure is good though. Vibrates when braking as if a rotor is warped. Not acceptable for a car with only 30k miles and built in April of 2008. I dont expect it to last as long as my 1992 Sentra.

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  Bad decision - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Ramon - September 14 - 9:16 pm

  Overall, I am pleased with the fuel efficiency, but little else. I started having trouble when the drivers side door broke off completely. I got online to do some research and have found that I am not the only one with this issue. I decided to repair the handle myself just to find out that it will take more than just removing the interior door panel. I switched from Ford to Chevy in hopes of easy repair work, but I miss my Ford already.