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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  Im buying american again - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Bruce - March 24 - 8:32 pm

  The HHR has turned me back were I should be buying American. This vehicle is a lot of fun to drive and some of my co-workers also own HHRs and they just love them. I have a SS and the power is great and I did not have to give up great gas mileage. The HHR is a keeper I am proud to own a chevy and my next car will be a chevy. Thanks for building a car I can be proud of and Love to drive.

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  Good car with nice surprises - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By maxx lover - March 24 - 7:00 pm

  Love the car; chose it over small SUVs and have no regrets. Loads of standard elements like remote start and automatic headlights; hatchback can be reconfigured to haul about anything. Small drawback is the 20mpg mileage with the 6 cyl engine.

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  Great - features no other vehicle has! - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By KB - March 24 - 6:53 pm

  We bought our truck new and have driven it for 5 yrs. My husband just had an accident, rolled the truck twice, and both driver and passenger survived (well) in what onlookers thought would be a fatality. The structure of the truck saved them. Very comfortable on long drives, love the interior, flexibility of car to truck. Great for farm, pulling trailer, 4x4, dogs, people, you name it - it does it. Added backup sensors - well worth the cost as its hard to see with backing up. Would love to buy another one!

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  Luvin it - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Kenda - March 24 - 3:54 pm

  Purchased the LT3 design with all the bells and whistles. Traded a blazer for it. This vehicle is the most comfortable car Ive ever driven. Very spacious. You minivan moms out there should consider the Equinox. The remote start is the bomb. Not to mention the On Star hands free mobile phone feature. A definite recommendation for those looking to buy.

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  Fast Fun and Economic - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Venkat - March 24 - 3:16 pm

  Cavalier Z24 2dr Coupe is fun to drive, fast and economic.. i love this car.. it wont empty your pockets and maintenance wise till now i didnt got a single problem with the car.. ( with regular service ).. Coming to resale value this car doesnt fetch more.. (recently i checked in kbb :-( ) Overall good car with good performance..

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  Most economical car is based on price. - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Ron Wagner - March 23 - 10:01 pm

  We purchased this LS with air and auto for $9,340. We have been looking at Aveos since they came out. We love the way they sit. They sit high, so you dont have to fall into the seat and clamber out. The mpg is disappointing so far. Just 22 mpg city. I figure I can afford at least $10,000 worth of gasoline before I reach the price of a hybrid. I dont think that the hybrids would ever match the overall economy. We really do like this car. It could be a little wider for large people though, and I dont understand why little cars dont have arm rests for both front seats, or one that is big enough for both people. Right now, I would say go for the best priced non hybrid to save the most money.

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  Fun car with hit or miss looks - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By subcult - March 23 - 6:11 pm

  We have put 20k miles on this car and are 1 month shy of a year of ownership. We have had 0 problems everything works no repairs. It was bought for my wife but now that we have 3 car seats we had to get a Mini- van, so now the HHR is mine. The car is fun to drive and gets great gas mileage we are averaging 26 mpg after a winter of letting the car idle for 5+ minutes while it warmed and we loaded up the car seats.

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  Great to drive!! - 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Ghost6987 - March 23 - 5:55 pm

  I got this car in "05" with about 100k on it and I drive it about 130 miles aday. Im a Young kid Im 21. I have the 2.2 its rusted and has a lil rodded but I have a perfect tac in it also I put a turbo on it only running 8psi a better cam and a 2 3/4 inch piping its still my daily driver never left me on the side of the road a beat on it all the time great car as long as u keep up with everything. Do an oil change with royal purple! All the time it helps the car out and protects it the best. The car has on the dash right now with the oem block rods and pistons it has 291k and still going strong. I love my teal civi killa

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  Gets the job done - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By okeydokey - March 23 - 12:44 pm

  Good Gas mileage and decent room. Quieter and more solid feeling than the Vibe. Merging onto the express way can be a challenge as the little motor tries as best it can.

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  A solid but very basic car - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By CarLuva - March 23 - 11:24 am

  The lifters started sticking when the engine was cold around 60K, but other than making quite a racket, there was no negative effect. Most of the work I had done was routine maintenance (battery, alternator, turn signal switch). Around 90K, it started having some more serious problems (the most expensive was a leaky intake manifold gasket), but nothing terribly out of the ordinary. The 3.1L V6 had adequate power, and the automatic transmission was reasonably responsive. The biggest shortcoming of the car was interior build quality: Both sunvisor clips and one cupholder broke under normal use. Gas mileage was very good for such a big car: I got 27 MPG highway going about 75 MPH.