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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  For Work and Play - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Paul - September 13 - 10:52 am

  We bought the HHR as a second car. It has been used as a delivery vehicle as well as for family fun and errands. The car excels on all accounts. Very comfortable and economical with a load of standard features. Also a terrific bargain with all the incentives at the time of purchase.

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  a clean mean machine - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Don Bennett - September 13 - 9:30 am

  I have driven the vehicle 88K miles mostly on the hwy. smooth and comfortable. Gas mileage could certainly be better but with the non existence of problems and getting 104K miles on the original brakes I wouldnt complain at all. I came from driving 20 suburbans and the longer wheel base was the only thing missing other than carrying capacity which I didnt need any longer. GREAT CAR

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  The Affordable Supercar - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By BikerJoe - September 13 - 7:35 am

  The Z06 is truly a supercar that not only performs as well as cars costing hundreds of thousands, but beats most of them on the track and around town. I demand performance and drive mine fairly hard. My Z06 never lets me down, whether zipping through the curvy mountain roads at insane speeds or in stoplight to stoplight g-force fun. Also, I dont know where the mpg rating comes from in this listing, but I never get lower than 21-22 mpg average for a tank, and I get about 28-29 while cruising the highways at 74 mph. On a recent trip to Kentucky, I drove for 1200 miles and averaged 25 mpg, even though they were very mostly hard-driven miles. Interior is only okay. Build quality is awful.

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  I like it - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Joe - September 13 - 5:43 am

  I have had my Malibu Maxx for several months and love it. I especially am pleased with the mileage with the cost of gas nowadays. It has a lot of qualities that are useful like the Driver information System that tell you the mileage, gives names of songs on the radio, sigalerts etc. I have found no problems with the steering or the brakes that has been referred to. The seats are very comfortable and the leg room is appreciated for a big guy like me.

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  All around winner - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Neil - September 12 - 10:52 am

  Got the LS (w/auto) under cash for clunkers. Outstanding car, especially at the price paid. Ride, handling, features all excellent. Lots of fun to drive, and nearly as versatile as a minivan. Seems to be very well built. Base model plus auto and roof rack has everything I need. I drive in heavy stop and go traffic daily, but have improved my gas mileage by more than a third. My only complaint- the basic stereo! Has all the features you might want, but sounds like a 1960s pocket transistor radio. Spring for the upgrade if you can.

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  Saved our lives - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Tracy - September 12 - 8:58 am

  We only had our Equinox 8 months but it was one of the best vehicles we have ever owned. For an suv it got decent mileage, around 22 hwy which is all we drove in it. It was so fun to drive until we lost control by driving a little too fast in the rain and went head on with the concrete barrier at 65mph. The seatbelts and airbags hurt but did exactly what they should. Noxs designed was great! We both walked away from an accident that should have killed one of us. The frame was rolled under but we had no major injuries. If you want something dependable and very safe buy a Nox. We are going to pick out a new one now!

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  Not a BAD car but very dissapointing - 2000 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Joseph - September 11 - 6:06 pm

  The fuel economy is awesome on this car but the mechanical flaws equal out the savings. This car ABSOLUTELY CONSUMES OIL at an incredible rate on the free way, it eats a quart of oil every 150miles (google this issue before you buy). The car stalls EVERY time I start it and when driving, it sometimes fails to accelerate when you apply the gas which is very dangerous when turning into traffic. It is absolutely HORRIBLE in the snow so reconsider it if in a winter climate area. Also, the outside design is beautiful but the interior parts are made of cheap plastic that will break. My door handle broke a year ago and I am STILL looking for a replacement part. I would not recommend this car.

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  2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By superniceman - September 11 - 2:25 pm

  Best SUV for the price! Have driven quite a number of new and used SUVs. In my opinion it was well worth the price I paid! Very comfortable to sit in, controls within easy reach, well designed. The front bottom seats are especially long, which relieves leg stress on long trips! Very stable on the road, even at 70. Hardly any sway around corners. Great fuel economy with 6 cylinder engine. Plenty of passing power. All the bells and whistles. Very roomy trunk. Great CD sound system. Easy to reach oil filter.

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  Great SUV - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By johnv100 - September 11 - 11:41 am

  Just bought a used Suburban with only 45K miles to tow my boat and haul the kids. So far, my family and I love it. The gas mileage is not very good (avg 13.5 mpg), but no ones buying this truck to commute anyway. I love the exterior design. Leather seats are good, XM radio is great. The kids love the DVD player. Very roomy, and plenty of power to tow a boat and the whole family. Parking brakes are flaw designed I found lots of complaints about them. Mine aint working either. Interior plastics look cheap, but I dont mind. Replacing OEM rims with larger chrome rims and low profile tires makes the truck look awesome.

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  Safety is Number ONE!!! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cindy - September 11 - 11:20 am

  My daughter loved driving this vehicle. It drives very smooth, like a car, but she is up higher and can see better. Recently, a car sideswiped her on the freeway, causing her to lose control. She hit a cement guardrail almost head on doing 55mph in her Equinox. She 360d across the freeway and ended up against the opposite guardrail and yet SHE WALKED AWAY with just some soreness and a small seatbelt mark!!! The vehicle was totalled because it did what it was designed to do - take the impact and protect the passengers. And OnStar called her just like in the commercials. We are definitely getting her another Equinox to replace it. Her safety is number one!