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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  What a great car! - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Salgeek - June 18 - 7:50 am

  Elegant sheet metal, graceful interior, & silky powertrain. Exceptionally quiet, smooth and comfortable on the road. Outstanding design. Exemplary in every respect.

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  Love my Equinox - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mikey - June 18 - 12:29 am

  For the money it is the best midsize crossover vehicle period. Easy entry exit. I have a bad lower back. Great view when driving. Very comfortable. A lot of room. Great engine, transmission, brakes. Prefer old style steering. Electric steering is kind of numb, vague. Not good road feel like traditional steering. Would like to see 6 speed automatic and engine with more horsepower and torque. I get a lot of compliments. Mine is ruby red.

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  Overall Excellent car - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By cruzinca - June 17 - 11:41 pm

  I have had this for 3 weeks now and have been dong siginificant driving. I do a long commute and have logged about 1200 miles already. The car feels solid and quiet. handling feel very precise with minimal body roll, even at higher speeds. I am now averaging about 32.8 mpg (about 0.4 more than the computer is indicating). My last car was an 04 Maxima and I noticed lower gas mileage during the break in period so not totally unexpected. Mine is the LS model although it did come with an Auto transmission and bluetooth. Bluetooth works great and integrates nicely with the audio system. Really love this car and is still more than I expected.

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  Good little SUV - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Dman - June 17 - 8:37 pm

  I own the ZR2 off road package Blazer. I would have to say its the best looking compact SUV ever made and its the LS so it has the nice over head screen and a power seat and power door locks and power windows and a alarm. I havent owned it for too long but it runs fine and it has over 107,000 miles on it

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  1st time Tracker - 2003 Chevrolet Tracker
  By 1st time Tracker - June 17 - 3:40 pm

  I bought this car for my daughter and we both love it! The gas mileage is OK compared to Jeep Liberty and really fun to drive. Cheap to insure compared to others. This thing really goes!

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  1999 Malibu - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Lacy - June 17 - 2:23 pm

  Bought mine used 2 years ago. I am coming up on 100,000 miles and have had no serious problems yet. The brakes are going to need to be changed soon (now) and I have replaced one headlight bulb and a Serpentine belt that was on there when I bought it and snapped because It was too small in the first place. I like that it is so roomy but I think the design is quite ugly. I have a feeling that I will be running into a ton of problems in a few thousand more miles, despite the fact that I take excellent care of the car. *crosses fingers*

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  Impressed by Chevrolet. Its about time! - 2001 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Zuniga - June 17 - 11:16 am

  I was woried at first about owning an SUV and its reliability from Chvey. All I can say is wo. !I love this SUV! No problems what so ever that set me back. Very reliable. Great size, comfort, and can haul no problem.

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  My Impala LTZ - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By T.Scott - June 17 - 10:45 am

  I leased my LTZ in March of 2007. I love almost everything about it, the only problems that I have is a persistent knocking sound in the rear of the car, and the suspension is a tad soft for my driving habits (which was fixed for the 2008MY with the FE3 suspension). Comfortable cruiser on the highway, which is important for me given my commute. Great car overall I get a lot of positive comments from random people about how nice it looks.

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  Great car for the money - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By M Gomez - June 17 - 10:09 am

  I have over 130,000 miles on my Cavalier. Overall its a really good car. I have had to replace driver side window motor twice but other than brake pad replacements and routine oil changes and a new gas cap, no other repairs have been required.

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  Shes the Best - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By laura - June 17 - 9:22 am

  I love my little baby. This was a great investment and I havent been sorry even 1 day. My husband is 62" and I am 53" and we are both happy with the roomyness as well as how she handles. I get between 35 and 40 to the gallon and we love her at the pump. We love her so much we call her Cherry. I pet her behind the mirrors till she purrs each night(just kidding) I plan to buy another one next year I just hope that they keep them as great as this one.