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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  Fun car - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Darkboi13 - September 20 - 9:05 pm

  Ive had my HHR for over a year and still love it like the day I bought it. Its reliable, great gas mileage, and its fun to drive. I like the cargo net option and the fold down seats. Ive packed a lot of my belongings with the back seats down. The optional ipod jack is great as well for long drives.

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  Poor Mileage - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Craig L. - September 20 - 7:39 pm

  I traded in my 03 Impala with 3.8 liter engine for this supposedly more fuel efficient model. The old Impala got 30 mpg on the hiway and averaged around 24. This new engine is getting 18.5 mpg on my commute and if babied on the hi-way will get 26 mpg. Also, if you decelerate and then want to accelerate quickly, there is about a 1 second hesitation before the throttle will do much. Really heart stopping in heavy rush hour traffic. Disappointed that this smaller car, with an engine that shuts off half of the cylinders to save fuel, turns in worse performance and way worse fuel economy than the old 3.8 liter engine. Also, OnStar should be an option only. Why pay for it if you dont want

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  Absolutely Unbeleiveable! - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By rb2 - September 20 - 5:59 pm

  This was the 2nd vehicle I have picked out myself. I covered the Southeast since 76 and have extensively driven over 24 different cars of which 18 were brand new, Ive never had one from any car co that can even approach the level my expectations were surpassed by this one! Everything works! Had to replace the carrying ability of my prior Taurus SW, I learned from a rental just how cavernous this monster trunk is. It held all my parts, tool and test equipment with much room to spare. My first road trip over 100 miles rated 32.5 mpg and rising. Wife slept 250 mi in quiet comfort from KY.

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  Like a Caddy only bigger! - 2002 Chevrolet Suburban
  By shoerswife - September 20 - 12:58 pm

  I bought my Burb last October from my husbands sister. I previously drove a 96 Buick Roadmaster. The Buick got 30 mpg and the Burb gets 15-18. I had to get up off the road because I was tired of the other cars headlights in my eyes. I am 5-2". I now can see ahead of the cars in front of me to see whats happening in traffic. The comfort is great with the heated leather seats and in the winter, the pushbutton auto 4WD is great! This truck feels like a car and handles solid. No trouble yet with repairs and although it has 260,000km it still feels tight. Love the room and attention to the details for passengers in the back. Loved the Buick, but love this even more. Suburban forever!

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  SS review - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By wcslivik - September 19 - 6:02 pm

  Love the performance. It will beat just about any car on the road. Extermely nice to get in and out of traffic. I get so many comments about the ride. I am averaging 21 mpg, but I ramp on it a bit too. Im sure I could sqeeze 23 mpg average if I drive concervative. I love the mufflers, they arnt exactly flowmaster, but arent the stock Silverodo mufflers where you cant hear anything. Its perfect. The stereo is amazing. The only problem Ive had with it is the AC outlets lost power, but other than that its an amazing car.

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  Great Car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Madcatz - September 19 - 4:08 pm

  2.2L with 5-speed manual transmission. Great car, Ive had no problems with it yet at 32k miles. I could not say enough about the awesome gas mileage I get out of it. I average 400 miles per tank of gas, usually about 420 miles, and have gone over 450 miles on one tank before. Gets about 39-40mpg at 50-55mph. But being as a manual transmission, gas stinks in traffic jams. A/C works great, it gets cold really fast. Heater warms up very quick in the winter.

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  Bought in 2005 - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Mike J - September 19 - 2:43 pm

  Bought this car for my daughter in late 2005. She went on to something else in 2006 so Ive driven this car since then. No problems. This is a bottom end car for Chevrolet and I expected more issues. I see others that are beat to death but still run so I expect mine to run for a long time. This car will put a 6 cylinder older Mustang down without breaking a sweat and still get 25-26 mpg!

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  Do not purchase one - 2005 Chevrolet Classic
  By Kelly - September 19 - 2:40 pm

  I purchased my car thinking I would save on gas being I had previously driven a truck. The car had to get the struts replaced, the pads have been replaced twice and Im not even over 60,000 miles. Additionally, I keep having little things go wrong that add up and get frustrating. The check engine light goes on almost monthly now and I a to replace fuses on a regular basis. Also, the interior carpeting stinks. There is a gap on the passenger side that looks tacky. Another problem with the car is the ventilation speeds arent consistent. When I turn the vent on high it blows hard, however if I have it on speed 1-3 I can feel nothing and it is frustrating.

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  Happy - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Happy - September 19 - 7:33 am

  This is an excellent vehicle. I use it to tow a boat and it does so with ease! it even tows in 4-cylinder mode! My fuel economy is great, I get 24-25 highway and 17 city. (the trick is not to accelerate quickly and try to keep under 3500 rpm) Interior fit and finish is a huge step for GM, though nothing compared to BMW, but still is an interior worth buying. The exterior is beautiful and visibility is improved greatly. It doesent feel as big as it is when driving. Overall, an excellent vehicle. Dont buy any oter SUV.

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  A very decent used 4x4 - 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By eric james - September 19 - 6:00 am

  Ive only owned my 95 tahoe a few months. I wanted to upgrade from my old rusty 91 GMC Jimmy with 240,000 miles. I got it way less than what the dealer wanted. $2,800. I had cash and he was ready to take it. Only 138,000 miles and it runs perfect. I did have to replace all 4 tires and the front shocks but I expected that from test driving it. Never drove it in snow yet but in mud from hard rain it went right through it, plenty of interior room and comfortable. I did replace the original 245/75-16 tires with 265/75-16 tires. A little wider and about 1 1/4 inch taller. I gained a mile a gallon from that. Its really a great vehicle for its age. Plenty of room inside and to work under the hood if repairs were needed. I love the standard 350 engine. Plenty of power and its the most common engine ever to replace or buy parts for.