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:

• 

  Basic yet under-rated - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By cailean - July 10 - 12:58 pm

  Ive got over 90,000 km on my car and its still going strong - the only problem I had was with the cooling system just a month after I first bought it, and it hasnt been an issue since. Its far from being the fanciest car out there, but theres a lot more to it than people realize. Surprisingly sporty, excellent mileage for its age, and a surprisingly large amount of cargo space - I once loaded three large book cases from Ikea with room to spare. I bought this car straight out of university when money was pretty tight. My money situation has improved, so I probably wouldnt buy it again, but would more than recommend it if youre needing to pinch some pennies.

• 

  Love it, Love it, Love it!!!! - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Nikki - July 10 - 12:34 pm

  I bought the 6 cyl LT2 model about four months ago and I absolutely love it! I had a lot of time to search around for cars and test drove the Camry, Maxima, Mazda 6, and the Audi A4. There wasnt anything special about the Camry and the Mazda 6 didnt handle very well so it eventually came down to the last three and overall I preferred the Malibu over the others. The ride is just as smooth and quiet as the other two, so if you can live without the silly little extras the Malibu is the way to go. You definitely get the most value for your dollar.

• 

  Hard to say - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By VtSteve - July 10 - 9:13 am

  The obvious allure of this car is the exterior styling. Not dramatic, just great, clean lines. The interior is roomy, and the trunk is quite large. Having driven all of the Malibus competitors, I thought this car would be Chevys big score. Then the small disappointments set in. From my perspective, the one thing I cant live with is the front entry and egress. The stylists clearly won the battle here. Exiting the car makes me feel like Im in an Italian sports car. Nice interior, well laid out, well-equipped. Trunk opening narrow, but spacious trunk. Still dont like the klunky 4 banger.

• 

  The mystery igniton problem! - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Robert Reynolds - July 10 - 1:05 am

  The HHR gets great mileage on long trips about 33mpg, however mine is a manual transmission. The interior needs more cup holders there are only three right down the center console. So with that said there are two in the front and only one in the back for rear passengers. This is a very fun car to drive and is very soild like a truck but rides like a car.

• 

  Its been a good car - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Bruce Stevens - July 10 - 12:49 am

  Bought new 2009 LTZ leftover in Aug. 2010 has 158,000 miles on it and has been basic maintenance. Headlights bulb replacement is poor design. Steering light came on a couple of times but has been fine since. Handles great, rides great, better than my Jag. 28 mpg avg. 30-32 on long trips. I would buy another Malibu.

• 

  4th one and still love it! - 2008 Chevrolet Suburban
  By DT - July 9 - 10:06 pm

  They just keep getting better. I had a Tahoe and 2 other Suburbans previously. The 98 Suburban I had really felt like it stuck to the road, the 01 lost that truck feel and felt loose. The ride of the 08 is great, the appearance is great, the highway/city mixed mileage is about 16 on gas and 13 on E85. I like the on- board computer w/mileage performance, XM Radio, On-Star and monthly status e- mails. The kids like the heated rear seats and DVD player plus they can load all of their junk easily.

• 

  Love the new Chevrolet - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Traverse owner - July 9 - 6:50 pm

  WE have only owned the 2009 Chevrolet TRaverse LTZ a couple weeks. We love it so far. We still need to learn all the tricks with navigation and bluetooth phone but those are great features along with the cooled seats in hot Florida. We hope it is as reliable long term as we have too many gadgets to want to fix them. Only complaint so far is getting used to the many gears as it seems to downshift just as you go around an intersection wehre you dont completely stop but then accelerate after going around the turn. We had a Ford Taurus that did that many years ago.

• 

  Worth the wait of 8 weeks - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cv - July 9 - 3:50 pm

  I really like this vehicle, driving it is a pleasure. Very noise free, smooth riding, comfortable and drives great. I arrive at my destination relaxed and ready to get back in and drive again. People come up and ask me about it, must be catching on. The Cyber grey metallic looks very good on the Equinox. The 4 cylinder is strong enough if you are use to high reving engines, and let it rev.

• 

  I love my Tahoe! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Michael - July 9 - 10:33 am

  My wife has always liked Tahoes and so talked me into getting this over the H3. Im glad she did, this truck is great! I look for reasons to drive it. GM hit a home run with this truck. I love the new chiseled look. I get lots of looks in it too. I am a new GM fan. I recommend you get one. You wont regret it at all. The truck seems very refined and somthing you want to take a long trip in. I feel totally safe driving my kids in this truck.

• 

  Junk the rolls - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By rich o - July 9 - 10:00 am

  1994 cheapest model. 115K now. Survive all that time with only tires and brake changes (& oil / filter / air filter / car wash / once a year with inspection). Now it has a starting issue; some electronic module; hell, if it costs <400, thats a gamble of 1 months payment of a $20K car. Its not sporty, but it rolls.