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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  Part 2 of Midlife Crisis - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By dirizzil - March 4 - 8:59 am

  Traded in my Lexus IS for an 11 2LT. Own the car for a year now and put 10K miles on it. Styling, both inside and out is exceptional, performance is excellent, comfort is good, and fuel economy is as good as you can expect for a car like this. For those who complain about cramped back seats, you simply bought the wrong car for your intended use. Overall the car offers fantastic value and great driving experience. Attracts a lot of attention, including police(had my day in court). You cant get most of the features the 2LT offers in a Mercedes, etc unless you spend almost 2X the 30K. Really? $55K and no xenon lights, parking sensors, premium sound, folding rear seats or auto start.

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  Good car for a good price - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By s1l3nt_1nc - March 3 - 3:26 pm

  A good relieable fun to drive car for a good price. However I have run into some minor cosmetic issues. I have a Automatic LT model and the red light that shows you what gear you are in is stuck. The plastic clip that you press to change gears broke off and my trunk light no longer works. However it runs great and is fun to drive. Gas mileage is OK but could be better. Overall good for the price. One more bit of advice. Get a spare key! If your battery dies and you try to start the car your key will be stuck in the ignition until you can jump the battery. There is a way to manually get the key out but you would have to get into the steering colum to press a tiny button which is hard to see.

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  Makes it through the valley of death. - 1997 Chevrolet Blazer
  By chad1893 - February 29 - 10:01 pm

  Well it was purchased at 55,000 miles and now has 156,000 miles ive had it for six years recenly handed it down, it packed in the power and was great in snow the 4 wheel drive was great, it sat up high and youll feel like the navigator of the road. It was hard giving it away i loved it. Had it for awhile it had a great drivetrain.

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  Reliable, sporty and good on gas. - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By chad1893 - February 29 - 9:49 pm

  I purchased my mettalic green 2dr chevrolet cavalier base at 59,000 miles i was attracted to the value and reliability as well as mpg ratio, it is very smooth on smooth road and at high speeds it is quiet and tight feleling, however bumps are not its friend it handles well and can be parked easily from any angle, the coupe looks sharp when cleaned, the performance is decent its quick under 40mph anything above 40 wait a few seconds unless you want to dig your foot into the pedal, the interior mine being base with a black inerface is pretty nice with a coat of armor all. The rear seats fold down so larger things can be hauled in the trunk like a bicycle. im impressed it 15yrs old.

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  Excellent Deal + Hidden Features - 2012 Chevrolet Malibu
  By elpglenn - February 28 - 12:21 am

  After shopping around and comparing the Malibu to the Accord and the Sonata, I found the Malibu to give you the most for your money. The remote start and Bluetooth pretty much came standard on most of the Malibus, plus with OnStar I am able to get turn-by-turn directions that actually SHOW UP on the radio screen. I am very impressed! I thought I would be loosing out on navigation but if not having a map is okay with you then this is a winner! Acceleration could be better but picks up pretty good for a 4-cylinder. Braking action is good and it hugs curves very well. Overall, I like all that the Malibu offers for under $25,000!

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  Dissapointed in Quality - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By mrsjharb - February 27 - 5:57 pm

  I bought this car in Sept of 2010. We have only had almost a year and a half. The dash cracked about 6 months after we bought it. It is a 3-4 inch crack on the drivers side behind the steering wheel. Chevy wont replace dash..but from what I have researched it has been a big problem. It costs around $800 to replace. Next... the Hood latch broke for no reason. That was $280 to fix. One of the keyless entry remotes is broken. We are having problems with the lumbar control on the seats. Recently the transmission has started shifting hard between 2nd and 3rd gear. Overall im disappointed in quality of GMC product. Expensive car, beautiful car, poorly made!!!

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  Just OK - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By ripriley - February 26 - 12:03 pm

  Very disappointed with the MPG. We get 17 MPG combined. Quality is very good. Utility is not as good as our minivan was.

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  As expected - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By ripriley - February 26 - 11:58 am

  15K miles and going with no issues. I get an actual 41 MPG combined...on board computer is usually 2-3 MPG optimistic. Quality is much better than expected. Very pleased.

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  Super fun gas saver - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By ponycar63 - February 23 - 10:49 am

  I bought this Camaro with 100K on it. It runs and looks new. It was owned by a preachers daughter (really) and she babied it. I wanted a car that was better on gas than my 4x4 F150. This Camaro has been turning in mpg between 28 and 31 in mixed town and interstate driving. I had in mind of buying some boring old guy car like a Buick Century. This lil Camaro is so much more better looking, more fun and better mpg to boot. I love this car.

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  99 trail blazer 4x4 4.3 v6/atl ga. - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By stephharner34 - February 21 - 11:07 pm

  bought used at tax time,140k,no more explorers.im happy with my choice,ive had zero issues.i have noticed a lag in take off,although issue was cured when we drained trans fluid,and put on new filter..2/2012.i have the loaded edition,all leather,sunroof,tow package,power windows and locks.love the embroydted head rests and interior door logo. the big differance,ive noticed is it drives more like a car than a 4x4 truck..love it>>>>>>>>>>