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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  So many flaws - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By kitkat9376 - August 15 - 5:36 pm

  Our Uplander has a malfunction in the sliding door that cannot be resolved, despite the best efforts of various mechanics at the Chevrolet dealership. The car often fails to turn over when trying to turn it on. The car is fine on the surface, but leaves much to be desired as far as being a quality vehicle. To correct some of the Uplanders problems the dealership sold us "computer upgrades" which did nothing and cost around $90 each.

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  Would not recomend this vehicle - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By M Hoffert - August 14 - 9:42 pm

  In 2007 we bought a 2004 Chevy Aveo LS used with around 55000 miles. At 65000 miles the timing belt broke causing major damage to the valves, guides, and pistons. At that time it seemed the only place parts could be obtained or a different engine was thru a GM dealership. A different engine was cost prohibitive. After sitting a year and two months I started working on it this week. In the process of repair I wanted to install a new transmission input shaft seal(automatic). The local parts stores said it was a GM item. Upon contacting my GM dealer they said you have to buy the whole case to get the seal. Cost around $1000. Chevys wonder, owners nightmare.

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  2007 hhr - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By ford - August 12 - 3:04 pm

  I have had my HHR since November 2008 bought it used with 32,000 miles came with 12,000 bumper to bumper warranty from chevy. The dealership will lie to keep from doing anything under warranty. My wipers have quit repeatedly during rain storms. I make an appointment to get it seen to and they lie and say they checked it out but didnt. I have two recalls for my car but the dealership wont even schedule me to get the repairs done. says I dont really need them. the car did not come with runnerboards or mud flaps so every time you drive anywhere near gravel it flies up the side of my car and skins the paint in front of the back door and the warranty doesnt take care of that either

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  No Good.. - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Brydman - August 10 - 1:46 pm

  Where to start..for starters my cobalt was one of the many GM vehicles that suffered from a poor A/C system. It develops mold on the evaporator and theres nothing I can do. Even after a expensive cleaning the smell comes back after a month...its so horrible like Old musty shoes. I have 65,000 on it and for about a month it has been stopping abruptly when going under 15mph(signs of fuel filter going). So of course Im looking for another vehicle but with a resale of a mere $4000 its going to be awhile. Do yourself a favor....do not purchase a cobalt.

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  A little disappointed - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Nell - August 10 - 10:20 am

  Front headrests are VERY uncomfortable. The 2nd row (bench seating) can be moved forward and back, we thought this was great until we realized the the track it runs on creates a little crevice on the floor. Weve lost kids DS games in there not to mention the "stuff" that is getting stuck in there. Also when moving the seat to get to third row, it crushes the mat on the floor, it does not accommodate for that - bad design. The car drives great on the highway but does not shift down very smoothly making city driving a little jerky. We almost bought the Ford Flex and are having buyers remorse. Traverse still kinda looks like our old van on the outside.

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  2008 Impala dissapionting - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By carl - August 8 - 6:46 am

  Avid Chevy lover, drag racer, car collector. Traded my 03 Impala LS last week, for a new 08 LS. great sales staff, not pushy. first impressions of car, very good.Quick test drive, made the deal, thinking that I was replacing the same ol car with a new one. Wrong! The fuel mileage is better, there is poor erganomics to the car. Cup holders are awkwardly placed in the center console. the seats are hard, unable to adjust properly for comfort. The car handles poorly at high speeds, rocks and pitches in the corners. The biggest dissapointments is the sound system. It sounds like a cheap 50 dollar knock off from K-mart.The car reaks of cheap! GM has lost its way again! Im getting rid of it!

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  decent used car - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By David C. - August 7 - 9:44 pm

  Bought it used for my teenage daughter last year and its been good basic transportation for her. It has plenty of pep to get out into traffic (but not too much for a teenager!) and gets pretty good mileage if driven conservatively. However, it suffers from typical mediocre GM quality/design problems : sometimes the A/C doesnt work, sometimes the info display (radio, clock, mileage, etc.) goes black, cheap plastic parts are breaking, brake pads needed replacing, one strut is going bad, CDs get stuck in the CD player, etc. Pretty much what Id expect from a 4- year old GM.

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  coffin - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By linda sheppard - August 7 - 6:43 am

  As soon as the HHR came out I wanted one. The old saying be careful of what you wish for you might get it sure applies to this. Loved the looks of the HHR. But it feels like you are in a coffin. I have only had Mine three weeks, am still driving my ford focus(2001) Will try to sell the HHr and buy something else. Im an older lady who should have taken more time. will buy another focus as soon as I can sell this. Please take time to really get the feel of this vehicle before buying.

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  Warning: Airbag Sensor Problems! - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By PAW483 - August 6 - 11:05 pm

  We bought our Chevy Traverse LTZ on January 2, 2009. We bought this because it was very similar to our Cadillac SRX which was also fully loaded (and it actually has a real 3rd row!). We did some research and found that the safety rating was perfect and the airbag system was top of the line. We wanted this to be our family vehicle. However, within two weeks of our purchase we made a cross country trip to Chicago for a family members funeral (I dont fly and always drive.) Thats when I first notice our "CHECK AIRBAG SYSTEM" warning light came on. Well, to make a long story short. This problem has happened 5 times and they have made repair attempts and the problem still occurs. (See Below).

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  radiator problems - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By philipmd - August 6 - 6:46 pm

  Radiator leaks on the 10th month was replaced under warranty. On the 25th month at 23ooo miles, again the radiator leaks. It will no longer be covered with warranty according to the dealer bec. I had my vehicle serviced by another autoshop since I relocated. What a great headache. Avoid this Chevrolet aveo sedan.