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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  2008 Aveo - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Mary from Hilo - October 3 - 2:25 am

  I was disappointed in buying the 2008 Aveo. The car was defective with no parking light, driving panel lights and shifter indicator light. The dealership closed that day and I was pressured into buying the car. I drove the car not feeling safe in it.

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  Cheap - 2002 Chevrolet Venture
  By Cheaply Built - September 29 - 4:53 pm

  Just had our 6th child so we needed an eight seater. Currently have a 1999 Toyota Sienna and love it. Just bought this 2002 Chevrolet Venture and we are shocked at the overall lower quality of just about everything in and on this van compared to the Sienna. Rattly, interior paneling that is just... cheap. I dont know how else to say it. Good thing is that we paid less for this van with 80k miles on it than we will be able to sell our Sienna with 155k miles on it. The bad thing is that I have more faith in our Sienna with 155k miles on it than I do in this van with 80k miles on it.

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  Major Disappointment - 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
  By jenniferreeves - September 26 - 5:26 am

  My hybrid stinks - Gas mileage is 16 MPG - Intermittent noise under hood that GM says cannot be fixed - been in shop over 45 days now. GM District Service Manager basically called me a liar & told me the cars simply not broke in yet & Im buying cheap gas at Shell. GM refuses to repurchase the vehicle & refuses to fix the problem because the noise is intermittent. Factory couldnt even test Hybrid Component to see if thats the problem! After being bullied by GM probably wont buy another GM vehicle! New technology not always great!

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  Not as great as everyone says.... - 2000 Chevrolet Prizm
  By morningland - September 24 - 12:01 pm

  Needed a good car for school, thought the prizm was a good fit and bought one with only 40k miles on it. mpg is amazing on this car, getting 28-30 in the city! However, it consumes oil at an alarming rate (quart every 200m) so the saves equal themselves out. I maintained this car, changed oil and trans fluid but at 70k I can no trust it as reliable. Fuel pump just went out and now I am being told the transmission is going as well, so its a piece of junk. Interior is VERY poorly made, door handles break, seats uncomfortable, everything is made of cheap plastic. Me personally, I have had enough of American cars and will NEVER put my money in them again... EVER!

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  Dont buy if you drive in snow - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Cnwave - September 23 - 9:02 pm

  I have disliked this car since I had to drive it in snow the first week I owned. I thought it would be o.k. to buy a FWD instead of an AWD. I was wrong and so was my salesman. He didnt think I would have a problem. Obviously he didnt know what he was talking about. I wont buy another car from Superior Chevrolet. After making attempts to get some kind of resolution I was unsuccessful.

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  I want a new car!!!! - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By luminassuck - September 20 - 4:19 pm

  I bought my lumina in October 2008 and I have already had an oil and radiator leak. The gas mileage is horrible, its a very loud car with no power and it seems every time I go and get my oil changed they tell me another thing wrong with it. The interior is falling apart and on a rainy day the interior fogs up horribly, even with defrost on. I hate my car.

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  Worst Vehicle Ever Owned - 2005 Chevrolet Venture
  By mama - September 18 - 12:38 pm

  We purchased this van when it was almost 1 year old. We have had nothing but problems with it. It has had electrical problems, fuel pump, power steering pump, and now we dont even know what is wrong with it. It is not safe to drive, it is to the point I dont want to drive our children in it. Please beware of this model.

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  Traverse, sorry we bought it - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Linda Silvey - September 13 - 11:17 am

  We bought our traverse in June2009. The headrests are very uncomfortable and force a short person to keep their head bowed if they dont put a pillow behind their back. My husband has nearly wrecked it three times when trying to make a left hand turn due to the poor visibility when looking to the right to see if another vehicle is coming. It is hard to park because you cannot see the front end and its very hard to back up due to the small window and the many blind spots along the sides (we have the economy model). The gas mileage is awful. We took a long trip and the highway mpg never got above 18 mpg. My biggest concern is safety. It is an accident waiting to happen.

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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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  Wrong Car - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Simone - September 10 - 3:16 pm

  I bought my 2005 Chevy Malibu in May 2006. My chevy has about 68000 thousand miles on it. Within in having it 2 weeks I had to take it back to have the rotors turned. I have had to replace front rotors, the right control arm, have a heating panel remove to stop it from making noise. I have also had the ishaft in the steering fixed three times. The gearing has been replaced, and the water pump has had to be replaced. Most of this was after the warranty expired of course. Now I have complained to GM about the steering issue, and all they are willing to give me is a 15% discount off having it fixed. This car was certified and had low mileage. I will never buy another Chevrolet vehicle.