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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  Old "Mina" - 1990 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Mol - March 20 - 2:03 pm

  For what this car lacks in the looks department it more than makes up for in the reliability department! It literally doesnt matter what you do to it, this car refuses to quit running- and Ive done a LOT to it... It totes my dogs around, its been hit by a deer... its been left in the woods with the windows down in the rain (by the previous owner...). At 147,000 miles the rides now a little dicey sometimes, but that can be expected with any geriatric car!

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  Worth serious consideration - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By troutman - March 20 - 11:43 am

  Chevy did a real nice job of touching up this reliable performer, making it more sleek in design and improving both the appearance and functionality of interior controls. What sold me was a combination of the fuel economy and the flex fuel engine offered in the 3.5L V-6, which runs on both unleaded, as well as E85 fuel. Finally, the base engine, in addition to being very miserly on fuel, has a surprising amount of power and has the feel of a sports coupe. This vehicle is worth both a test drive and serious consideration against any other manufacturer.

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  camaro v6 - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By mike - March 20 - 2:25 am

  All and all i must say it was another low quality GM product. I bought the car at 80,000 miles, and had it untill it tanked out around 96,000 miles. During that time, it was broken down more than it ran. Always something, id fix one thing and something else would go wrong. When it did run performance was not what it should have been. My scion and integra are much more fun to drive. The v6 was quick enough for daily driving, but dont expect to win any races. The car was a decent looking car minus the ugly stock rims. The t-tops were cool, and i LOVED the interior. By far the best interior of any car i ever owned. It came stock 2 tone black and red inside.

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  Nice Little Fun Car - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Sean - March 19 - 11:06 pm

  General Motors is getting a bad rap about their cars. The engines in the Cobalt and HHR are tried and true Ecotech motors. I have owned this car since it was new. I have put on tires and a brake job. I love this car, not one problem at all. This will match up well against most small imported cars very well. I am thinking of trading in next year for the SS model. Great little car and really fun to drive.

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  Best bang for your buck - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Colene Myers - March 19 - 10:49 pm

  I bought this car in 2008. My Granddaughter had an accident and totaled it... The police office said that the car was well made or the passengers would not have walked away. Along with the excellent mileage that I received that says it all. Now am looking for a replacement.

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  We luv our bus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By David&Anesha Wossne - March 19 - 10:13 pm

  We had to get a bigger vehicle (I was pregnant)so we traded in our Jag Vand Plas for a used 2001 "Bus" with 117,000mls. We cant tell you how much we luv our "Bus" We added 3 TVS for the kids, Navigation for me. It is great for Soccer and other sport activities for the family,we travel a lot and it has great as mileage (16-18) We hardly drive our other vehicles except for work. When the engine falls out well get another used "Bus"

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  Great SUV, Poor MPG - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Brian - March 19 - 4:56 pm

  I have had my Trailblazer for over 4 years now and finally paid it off. Its a great SUV that is comfortable, sturdy, and great offroad and on the highway. The extended version is nice and provides 8 feet by 4 feet of room (when front seats are pushed forward) for gear or even a sheet of plywood. the seats in the middle are comfortable but a little cramped for anyone over 6 feet tall. The seats in back are great for kids but not adults. Overall the SUV runs great (only had a speedometer issued covered under warranty) and never any other issues. Sometimes the wind noise coming over the mirrors is a little annoying though.

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  Unreliable - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Tommie - March 19 - 3:56 pm

  I have owned this car for a little over 2 years and have less than 60,000 miles on it and the power steering has gone out on it. I called GM and their response was that it was no longer under warranty and they were not responsible for it. They offered a50% discount on the almost $900 repair it would take to fix it and only gave me 90 days to fix it. Do not buy this car it is a piece of junk. The Sun roof broke at 37,000 miles, the in dash console broke at around the same time. It cost a lot of money on maintenance and is not worth your money, even GM wont stand behind this piece of junk!

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  Very UNHAPPY - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By UnHappy - March 19 - 3:29 pm

  I got my used 2006 Chevy Malibu in June of 2007. Since then I have had the POWER STEERING fixed a total of 4 times and the problem still occurs. I could be in the middle of driving and the power steering signal will display on my LCD screen and my wheel will lock up on me in the middle of the road. Its very scary and I am tired of getting it fixed and CHEVY is not fixing it. I go it fixed last month, Feb 2009 and now the problem is back a month later. I am not a happy customer.

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  After 1 year and 25000 miles - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Mole man - March 19 - 7:53 am

  After my first year in the new Silverado I can say I am very pleased. As this is a business truck and I spend a lot of time in it. the ride is fantastic. The 4x4 cant be beat. Great interior although it is lacking in cup holders and storage space. Only one problem so far and that is the stereo. Once the Serious radio was turned off I noticed the radio volume fluctuates horribly as the radio struggles to pick up the digital radio transmission. This is not due to the auto volume adjust option. Just poor radio design. It is so bad that if I dont have a CD to listen to, the radio is turned off. Wished it had a non-satellite radio. Back to dealership 3x on this issue.