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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  Shuddering Suburban - 2009 Chevrolet Suburban
  By David DNO - September 8 - 6:46 am

  My 2009 Suburban is spacious, elegant and well built. The cabin is very quiet at any speed, and the handling for such a large vehicle is impressive. I have a large family and the Suburban is the only "Car" that suits my needs. The Suburban has the ability to cut down to 4 cylinders on flat or down hill surfaces to improve fuel economy. The down side to this feature, which is standard on ALL models, is the unfortunate tendency to "shudder". The truck will "buck" during a coast. Sometimes accompanied by a distinct clattering from the engine compartment. Additionally, when accelerating up hill, the truck will lumber, failing to accelerate, as the engine screams to answer the command.

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  Happy to be Chevy Truck Driver! - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Tom - September 8 - 3:56 am

  I was first looking at Tundra, but the dealer wanted too much. After several weeks of researching, I am happy to have Blue Granite Silverado. Color looks great. It was my first time to buy full pickup truck. Only have this truck for several weeks and now running at 2000 miles. Good view of driving. Glad to have running board, even Im pretty big, my knees going bad. Turn ratio needs to be better. Good power for a 4.8 engine. Impressed to see driving under 2000 rpm at 70 - 75 mph. Need to improve hauling weight. Weight is limited to 4800 lbs. Dashboard layout is great. Nice to have seat built for 6 people. I like the idea of raising the backseats to make room for Home Depot stuffs.

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  Its a Mans Truck! - 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By ITS A MANS TRUCK - September 7 - 8:43 pm

  Well I had a 2001 surburban, got rid of it and bought the 96 tahoe.. Strong truck.. Transfer Case went out on 4x4.. Other than that I have 235,990 on it now.. Truck runs great no problem.. Oh yeah did change the intake gasket.. Great truck..

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  2005 Tahoe lt - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Brad - September 7 - 7:21 pm

  Original owner and currently have 22" wheels on it, love the look and easy to do repairs on if your willing to try. Good experience of ownership overall

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  little white ice cream truck - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By SikesPros - September 7 - 6:12 pm

  drives excellent,tires keep going low,nice quiet smooth ride...easy handling..nice stock stereo,cmfo seats,adjustable armrest.

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  The Way to Go - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Bob Riehm - September 7 - 3:53 pm

  Just turned in my 2007 Impala SS. It was a fantastic car. Took on a few cross country long trips and clocked 27mpg on the hwy. The car always performed perfectly and had real power when I needed it. My new 2008 from the dealer (demo with 6,000 mi.) is similar to the old one. Not much change, and the 2010 are virtually the same so..... I went for the deal. I will continue to buy this venue of car (American all the way) before spending thousands more on a foreign hottie which really cant compare to the American Impala SS. The price is right and the feel is right, both in the car itself and the American pride.... "step on it !!!!"

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  My Little HHR - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Paul - September 7 - 3:08 pm

  I really like this little car. Good MPG close to 30 just knocking around. So far no problems. The seats are too high, you can not adjust the electric seat low enough. I have LT2 loaded but no sunroof. I needed the extra head room. Will see if it holds up. I want this car to work out for us

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  Awesome compact car! - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By colbolt4life - September 7 - 2:29 pm

  I have had this car for 3 years now, I bought it brand new and I love it. The only minor issue with the car that I hear from a lot of Colbolt owners and my selfs is the radio/cd player. It messes up sometimes. Other than that it gets great gas mileage, I havent changed the breaks yet and there still good. I love the car all around and think it is a great buy for a first time buyer or a teenage kid.

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  Problems - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Riverhouse2 - September 7 - 11:40 am

  I bought the car with 63000 miles and within 3 days of owning it I had it in the shop twice because it would not start. At 89000 miles the transmission acted up so had to have that fixed. At 140000 now the reduced engine light is on and you loose speed. Reading other reviews on this model seems Alot of people are having the same thing. In fact the dealer told me with the transmission issue "Oh these cars are known for that." Frustrated that GM will not do anything about it.

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  A Drivers Car - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By sr001 - September 7 - 10:07 am

  Car is engaging, it communicates through the steering wheel, suspension and exhaust sound. It does not attract attention, the interior does not communicate (steering wheel blocks freeway speeds and generally no useful notification system, trust onStar). Step on the throttle and it accelerates very quickly, no bad boy behavior, just the rush. On curves, following instinct only, the posted speed limit is generally exceeded (significantly). As a passenger, it is a Chevy Cobalt. Its not a great family car, except that everyone in the family wants to drive it.