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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  High Mileage Winner - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Tony - February 25 - 11:57 pm

  Malibu purchased brand new with 205 miles. With regular maintenance and now high mileage motor oil it has been outstanding vehicle. While under warranty I have had to have the head gasket replaced and the catalytic converter due to coolant leakage. The dealership did forget to grease spark plug when replacing em and it cost them to repair their mistake for a fused spark plug. It has stranded me only once in all 265K miles when a main pulley froze causing the serpentine belt to break I had replaced two weeks earlier. Head gaskets have been the main issue and took advantage of having the timing belt chained twice so far.

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  The "chancey" first year - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By raboyd - February 25 - 10:40 pm

  We loved driving this car (one of the very first of the new model year) from the moment we bought it, it was a head- turner for months. This was our first GM product in 2 decades, even our base model was attractive and well equipped. The silver Impala was reliable and nimble and boy would the new (at that time) 3.5 liter V-6 scoot. This was certainly not your 80s Chevrolet metallic paint either! I had never driven anything quite like it and the base price was $1000 cheaper than the previous year. The kids, always named our cars, "Jenny", "Tootsie" and "Geraldine" based on the first experiences it was no surprise when the kids came up with the very different: "Rocket".

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  Ups and Downs - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By trafficgoo - February 25 - 5:30 pm

  Well, the car was great to begin with until we started having problems. Ive had the car 7 months now and Im on my 3rd problem. Had a fuel pump problem, the rear door hatch stopped working so you couldnt get the hatch open. No key entry on the hatch itself, stupid idea, and now problems with the turn signals. Im ready to dump it.

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  Prizm Cuts Through Clutter - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Andrew - February 25 - 3:24 pm

  This is a wonderful automobile because I get 42 mpg highway and a little city combined. The seats are a little uncomfortable, but my car has 113000 miles on it and it drives like a brand new car. Would deff recommend to a friend! I guess you could say im one of "the 9/10 ppl who would recommend Prizm to a friend". Prizm definitely "cuts through the clutter". In the mid 1990s I was "getting to know Geo" through the Geo Storm. Well, the Geo, or excuse me Chevrolet Prizm has my vote as one of the top cars of 2001. I hope I never smash my car. I am obsessed with Prizm. Prizm is good. I will buy a first generation Prizm (92 and older) second generation (93-97) Prizm also with my 01 Prizm

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  Better all the time! - 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Bob Christie - February 25 - 11:31 am

  With almost 160,000 miles on this SUV, I know I should be looking to replace it, but it still runs so good, Im hesitating to let it go. I bought it with 50K miles on it and went to AMSOIL lube in the tranny and crankcase shortly after. It still burns no oil (20K between changes)and the gas mileage is now pushing 20 mpg on the highway. Its been awesome. At 70, Ive had lots of cars in my lifetime, and this has been one of the best.

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  Great all around vehicle - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Kaye - February 25 - 10:48 am

  The was a great vehicle very roomy and comfortable. Had a few factory problems but they were fixed at the dealership.

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  No room it the back - 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Kaye - February 25 - 10:43 am

  This has always been a dream vehicle until we bought it. The vehicle is very comfortable except the backseat which is very uncomfortable and no room. There is no extras it is only basic inside.

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  2002 Trailblazer gets rated ! - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Cmcjay - February 25 - 10:00 am

  Although the vehicle is a recent purchase for us, we seem to like it quite a bit. We did however, have a problem with the way they tie in the optioin packages. For instance, we wanted the sunroof but not the Onstar. They came as a package. We were unable to get the sunroof without having to pay the extra $965.00 for Onstar. Seems like a conspiracy.

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  Its OK, not great - 1995 Chevrolet Beretta
  By shado - February 25 - 9:37 am

  Now, Ive had mine for about 4 months and compared to my first car and my second car the Beretta is a family car, yes, even the z26. All my other cars are faster off the line and down the track. The only good thing I can say about the Beretta is that it does get good mileage for a V6 and it does get me from point a to point b with out any problems. I would get this car for a young driver but not for the thrill seeker

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  2006 HHR 2TL - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By normal19 - February 25 - 1:20 am

  This is the first FWD 4 cylinder car I have ever purchased. Not disappointed at all. My wife drives 80% of the time on HWY. I drive other 20% of time hard. Love the way it handles on turns (FWD). Theres no such thing as too much HP. But not disappointed either by 173 HP. So far 50,000 miles and have been to dealer very few times.