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:

• 

  Price and performance - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By mcabuyer - June 11 - 7:54 am

  I wanted a "fun little car". Looked for a 5 speed, and all of the Ford dealers told me to buy one, to test drive one. I found a Cobalt sport litterally round the corner. It was the demo of a salesman we just bought an Impala from. He litterally threw me the keys, and told me to take it for a "thrashing". Lots of fun, and good mileage. handles like a race car, and if I keep my foot out of it, I get over 34 mpg. Im 53, and some kid in an Acura wanted to race, I laughed, and when the light turned green, I laughed. I blew him away. Only item I do not like, is the arm rest. cant get to the parking brake, and the design could be better. I cant imagine the performance of the turbo.

• 

  Worth the 24,000 out the door - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By chris - June 11 - 2:31 am

  Fun car. Love the old school exterior. Great on gas. Im an avid surfer and my 9,8" longboard fits in the car. Makes a forty year old family man feel like hes back in the neighborhood! For what I paid for it thers not a better car on the market.

• 

  2000 4 door Cavalier - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By sher - June 11 - 12:38 am

  I bought this car brand new. After 3 months the rods blew, the trunk broke, the dash has 6 cracks. Seats are very hard on back. Very noisy ride. Fan motor broke after 55,000 miles. Brakes squal even though they were fixed. CD player broke after 4 years old

• 

  HHR is the bestest car in life - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By HHR06 - June 10 - 10:46 pm

  I highly recommend HHR for good gas mileage and room for vacation get away. Great for road trips & long distance work. Way much better in snow than Chevy S-10 trucks. I will trade in for another HHR annually if I was a high roller!

• 

  Look elsewhere - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Joe - June 10 - 9:36 pm

  I bought this based on Chevys reputation. At 4000 miles the generator and fuse box fried. At 30000 the AC went, and the dealer seems unable to locate another one. When they find one they are going to have to special order seals. The front end will not stay aligned and the car is too noisy, especially in a wind. The standard transmission feels like it is grinding. The car is roomy and fun to drive, but it is not well built. My suggestion is to look at other sub-compacts.

• 

  Wish Id Known What I Know Now - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Michelle - June 10 - 9:20 pm

  I bought my Malibu brand new from the dealership and it has all the bells and whistles. Its been 3 years this month and Ive had the steering column replaced due to a recall(after taking it 2 times to have it checked before the recall). Ive had the 6 disc cd changer replaced because my disks were stuck in it, Ive had to buy touch up paint because the paint jobs so thin that any brush against an object scrapes to the grey plastic and now the batterys dead in my key fob & they have to order a whole kit to replace it!! Oh, & my sunroof rattles when its open. Im just afraid that when my factory warrantys up, Ill be up the creek with this car!

• 

  This is a great car - 1999 Chevrolet Metro
  By Brian - June 10 - 7:18 pm

  I love this little thing. Only had 25000 miles on it when I found it. Gets a staggering 53 miles to the gallon around town, and 47 at 65 on the freeway. No A/C crank windows and plunge locks. Great A to B.

• 

  Nothing to brag about - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By stallion78 - June 10 - 5:53 pm

  I have owned this car for over 2 years. The leather interior and amount of drink holders is nice but the cheap looking dash and stereo system is a bad combination with the nice seats. Mostly the SUV has not been giving me trouble but one problem has never been corrected and that is the braking system which has been locking up at the worst times. Glad I havent crashed into anyone yet.

• 

  Suburban K1500 4X4 - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By BourbonK1500 - June 10 - 5:30 pm

  I have mixed reviews on the Suburban. The 4x4 was a must, and has worked well, though i have been stuck. The Suburban is fast for its size and accelerates well, however it gets 10 mpg, and needs the 44 gallon tank, which now gosts about $200 to fill. Since my purchase at the end of 05 I have put 50k on the vehicle but had to replace the fuel pump, alternator, water pump, and the entire rear end, and (get this) 2 new transmissions. First replacement at 80k and one at 110k. Currenlty vehicle has 120k. Nice power locks, windows, leather seats, comfortable to drive and take on trips.

• 

  03 Trailblazer EXT LT 4WD - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By becky - June 10 - 5:15 pm

  We bought this SUV thinking it would get decent gas mileage and be great for the family. Space is nice and it is very comfortable but the gas mileage is horrible! We get about 11mpg in town and 12-13 on the highway! I havent even had it for 1 year and am looking to sell. If you are looking for something that even gets remotely good gas mileage dont by this car! We had everything looked at to see if there was some sort of problem that caused the bad mpg and everthing was good to go, just bad mileage!