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:

• 

  Great Truck - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By MFoxx - June 11 - 5:57 pm

  I havent had my truck very long, but its been great! Its comfortable and fun to drive. My wife loves it!

• 

  Pretty freakin awesome - 2001 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Brianna - June 11 - 5:26 pm

  Ive had this car for less than a year. My dad bought it for me and it has been... okay. It has problems with the coolant tank (leaking), the security light and low coolant light ALWAYS stay on, and the mileage is pretty crappy. It was almost totaled when the sparkplug heads warped, and cost a fortune to fix. Other than that, I LOVE this car, and I love to drive it. I hope it doesnt die again!

• 

  LOVE it! - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By SCMCGirl - June 11 - 4:12 pm

  I bought my Cobalt a year ago and still LOVE it! I had always driven v8s so was a little concerned about going to a 4 cyl, but was very surprised with how much power it actually has. It also handles very well. I live on back country roads and it takes curves wonderfully. Plenty of trunk space makes traveling easy. Also has a GREAT stereo system. The remote start is also great for warming up or cooling down the interior before getting. The back seat is a little tight though.

• 

  A hoot to drive - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By 01Z2806TBSS09CSS - June 11 - 3:27 pm

  I picked up a Cobalt SS Sedan to compliment the 01 Z28 and 06 TrailBlazer SS that I own. I have to say that I am totally impressed with the Cobalt SS. What a surprising car! If I had not seen on at my local track I would never have given owning one a thought. The handling of these cars is second to none. You forget you are in a FWD vehicle. Straight acceleration is a blast and you dont realize how fast you are going due to how stable the car is at speed. Gas mileage is great. With the cruise on at 55 Im getting 30+ MPG. City Im getting mid twenties.

• 

  BIG ZERO on our Tahoe... - 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Clunk, grind, smoke - June 11 - 10:00 am

  Vortec engine reliability is questionable. Only thing worse is the transmission--we were on our second when we unloaded this scrap heap for a Toyota Sequoia. GM--NEVER AGAIN, and I have two family members working at Arlington and Shreveport plant. Theyre very embarassed.

• 

  Very Satisfied - 2003 Chevrolet Impala
  By Amhcng - June 11 - 10:00 am

  Enjoy the ride and the comfort for the price. The handling charactistic are excellant, with good response on the highway. Interior looks great. For a car that cost $16,000 I am very pleased. Would recommend strongly.

• 

  **THE AMERICAN POWER** - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By LUMILORIAN - June 11 - 8:35 am

  This car is great, love the 16 inch tires and rims, its roomy, v6 bullet proof engine, 6 passenger seating, power Windows, and power locks, its very useful you can put a lot of things on it, I traveled far away and never put me off the road, regular maintenance, cheap to have, very quiet car, its not heavy so you can make it faster with additional modifications.

• 

  After only 5 years - too many things wrong with it - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By chevydriver2 - June 10 - 7:47 pm

  Ive enjoyed the truck which I bought new in early 2009. At 1700 miles off warranty, I had to replace rear break cylinders that cost about $1,100 all in. Too much too soon. Ive been burning oil like crazy. I took it in to have that repaired. It turns out there is a dealer bulletin on it. That means they did a big repair job for free because I got it in at under 100K miles. Apparently excessive oil usage was a big and noted problem. On the same visit I replaced to door lock motors $500, to rear window switches $250 and a solenoid that was causing an engine light $400. I just think that this is two long and expensive a list for a truck that is 5 years old with only 86K miles on it.

• 

  Not as great as Magazines say - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By fastrevmd - June 10 - 6:09 pm

  Highway mileage is more like 27mpg than 30mpg that was posted on the sticker. I tested this accurately as I could possibly do but never came close to 30mpg. The power steering went out on mine the 1st week. Also the seats are not very comfortable, I had leather and still not comfortable.

• 

  Great Car - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Mark - June 10 - 2:08 pm

  Ive had my Cobalt LT sedan for a while now. I love it. Its perky, handles well and gets fantastic mileage. I had a Saab 9-3 before and I like the Cobalt seats much more than those in the Saab. Im glad I bought American this time, also.