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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  Best Buy for the Money - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Kevin - June 1 - 4:25 pm

  We been driving this car for about a month and each day we love it more and more. Gets great gas milage, handles great, and when you need to move the turbo kicks in. Plenty of room inside for a small car. Im 6 ft tall, 210lbs and there is plenty of knee and head room. We have two younger kids and they love it.

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  Great performance for the money - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By fos4snt - June 1 - 11:46 am

  I was looking for a car with good gas mileage and enough room inside for my 12 year old son who is now 511 1/2" tall. He needs room to grow over the next 3-4 years of anticipated ownership and is supposed to end up about 66" tall! We checked out a variety of cars in the similar class, with fuel efficiency & cabin size being the #1 priorities. Not only does the Aveo offer ample headroom and decent leg space for a compact car, but its paying for itself! The reduced insurance cost, improved gas mileage and decent styling led us to this car. Our former car was an Xterra, and there is as much interior cabin space in this tiny Aveo as we had before - but more then twice the MPGs.

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  2001 Chevrolet Lumina 4 Dr STD Sedan - 2001 Chevrolet Lumina
  By frank - June 1 - 8:23 am

  Purchase the car in Feb 2002 with 25k miles and still driving it 2008 with 90k miles. Overall good value for the price. Intake manifold gasket needed replaced and couple of check engine light problems are the only issues.

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  Chevy Truck-Built to last! - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Keith - June 1 - 12:30 am

  I purchased my truck used as I needed alternate transportation for days when my Harley-Davidson may be a less than intelligent choice. I live in S. Florida and we get plenty of rain, and as they say, when it rains it pours. I have owned my truck for over a year and tire replacement and routine maintenance is all that has been required. I did choose to upgrade the stereo system as I love my tunes. Like my bike, as far as customizing goes all it takes is a vision that fits you and your wallet. I have found that I put more miles on the truck than the bike and I love to ride, but it is a very comfortable in all situations. I could have bought a cheaper truck but I feel you get what you pay for!

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  2008 Much Improved - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Christine Cavadini - May 31 - 1:02 pm

  This is my second Equinox. I previously leased a 2006 AWD LT. I recently bought the 2008 because of great dealer incentives. This one has much better handling, fewer blind spots, and a excellent, comfortable ride. I like the standard OnStar, which I used to have in my leased Trailblazers (3 of them). The gas mileage is excellent (25-26mpg hwy) even though Im still in the process of breaking it in. I get a lot of compliments on it and it looks very sharp in black. I also got the remote start and it is awesome (cheap add-on, too). I looked a lot of vehicles and am so glad I bought this one.

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  Great vehicle - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
  By Jay - May 31 - 8:06 am

  This is the best SUV in this price range. If you compare it to SUVs in the MSRP range there are others that are better. If you compare it to vehicles in with the average transaction price, you’ll be hard pressed to find another vehicle with the features, power, and even quality. The new GM strategy to reduce the price to levels close to the actual transaction price will put this vehicle in categories that it will win customers when they do side to side comparisons. In the past, most consumers compared the vehicle to others in the same MSRP range and this vehicle didnt compare favorably. For example the one I bought I would have selected another at $31K. But no others compared at $25K

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  Nice family car - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Anita - May 31 - 8:04 am

  Havent had any real problems. I have had my car for three years and the only thing I have had to do is oil changes and get new tires. Although my check engine light is on (not sure why) I bought my car with only 36,000miles on it and am just getting ready to do a tune up on it. Reliable car.

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  Not great, not bad - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jhunter - May 30 - 9:23 pm

  Ive had this truck for 6 years now - 122,000 miles. Not a horrible truck but had problems right from the beginning. Interior air flow "gate" made noises when set to 100% dash flow. Clunking noises developed in steering/front suspension when turning sharp corners. Then the instrument panel gages started failing (water temp and oil pressure). Had it checked out - it was the gauges. Now getting the "wipers wont turn off" problem that GM trucks have had since 1994. Poor elec design with no desire from GM to fix. Funny that GM issued a recall for the tailgate cable but wont fix or do a recall for problems that cost real money such as these. This is probably my LAST GM product.

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  Great car, great price - 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By P - May 30 - 6:40 pm

  This was my first new car and has served me very well over the last 10 years. I use it exclusively for driving to work and put very few miles on it. For the most part no complaints. The battery post corroded from the inside after 10 years, cant beat that. CD broke after 9, but radio still works fine. Drivers window motor and A/C stopped working after 8 years. The A/C is something under the dash that is way too much to spend on a 10 year old car and the window motor, switch and relay has been replaced numerous times and it still doesnt work. Car always starts and still get 27 mpg average after 10 years. Great pick up for a 4 cyl. Most reliable car Ive ever had.

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  Great Car - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By lemairechad - May 30 - 10:00 am

  Me and my wife test drove this car and fell in love with it from the get go.My son loves the dvd in the back, which makes driving that much more less stressfull. With the wireless headphones that come with the care my son puts on the headset and just pays no mind.The driving control is great! And outstanding gas mileage!!! Plenty of room in the back for a vacation.