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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  Power for the Daily Drive - 2006 Chevrolet Corvette
  By deacon - April 26 - 12:37 am

  Car has had no problems other than the removable roof panel that GM replaced at no charge. The car gets abour 23 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the freeway with comfort, power, and style. It has handled the dust and heat of the Arizona summers (the A?C works very quickly even in 110 degrees). Great daily driver.

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  Excellent Car - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Charlene - April 25 - 8:37 pm

  This car has been great to me. I bought it used with 21,000 miles on it. It used to be a rental, and I am amazed it hasnt had any problems. My dad really talked the price down for me because it used to be a rental. I got it for an amazing price. It nows has 91,000 miles on it and Ive only need to do regular maitenance. I get approx. 35 miles on the freeway and 30 in town/freeway. Ive replaced the brakes and tires, but no problems other then that. It has been a great car and I couldnt have asked for anything better. Ive heard some bad things about owning a Chevy, but I dont have anything negative to say about mine. Maybe I just lucked out.

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  Front Brakes - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Don McWhirter - April 25 - 4:43 pm

  We like driving this HHR. It hasnt given us problems execpt for front rotors. They were turned twice and finally replace at 15000 miles. Not good prefomance when the Rav4 we traded in hadnt been touched in 60000miles. The dealer screws you around saying the rotors are still within tolerance even though when theyre turned they warp faster next time. GM doesnt seem to want to admit they have a problem.

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  Chevy on top - 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By tmacmvp1 - April 25 - 4:33 pm

  I bought my Tahoe about 3 years ago in a as-is condition. It had 80k miles on it at the time. It now has 130k miles. Im telling you, when Im driving this truck I feel like the king of the road. Its 5.7 engine chugs the gas but trully delivers when need to. Only problem I had was a bad fuel pump. It had problems turning on when the motor was cold. little by little it got worst until finally I replaced it. cost me $255 with labor (got a deal). Other than that it is comfortable and very roomy! Im 19 so that actually comes really in handy on the weekends lol. Just being a teenager sorry for the comment. Very good design and reliable at the same time.

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  Pluses outweigh minuses - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Ed Yancey - April 25 - 4:25 pm

  Vehicle looks great. Sonama Red Metalic with silver pinstripes. Performance is outstanding and the vehicle gets a lot of looks and positive comments. Heated leather seats are a big plus. Love the Pioneer sound system and the sunroof. Did not really plan on getting the sport as looked at the lower end models, but glad purchased this model instead. Only problem so far was in-dash cd player. It would just quit playing discs at certain times. Once ignition switch was turned off for a few minutes the cd player would work again. Sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for just a few songs. Tried different discs and same problem. Dealership replaced the radio/cd player now works fine.

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  Great Car! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By JT - April 25 - 9:47 am

  I got a great deal on this car and I love it! This car is great in the snow, if you know how to drive in the snow. It is also very fun to drive, not too sporty, not to grandma-esque. It is comfortable and reliable. I can fit my cross-country skis in the trunk if I fold down the back seat.

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  Chevy, make another! - 2002 Chevrolet Astro
  By Jason - April 25 - 9:32 am

  We purchased our 02 because we owned a 91 & my wife loved being up higher than a typical minivan. It was barely used when we bought it & it had everything we wanted. The biggest improvement over the older one was the rear dutch doors. Its a system that makes complete sense. The adjustability of the bench seats is tremendous, allowing ample leg room for an adult in the back if neccessary. Try having an adult in the back of a Caravan they may decide to walk! The only thing I needed to change was the factory rims & tires looked really soft for such a tough truck (and it is a truck!). We love our Astro van and plan on keeping it for years to come

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  1998 Ls 4x4 Blazer - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Caleb V - April 25 - 1:51 am

  I have owned my Blazer over a year, when I bought it, it needed a starter, changed that myself, around 77,000 the water pump barley started to leak, had that changed, other than that only standard maintainece including oil changes, trans flush, cooling flush, sterring linkage lubrication, breaks and rotors,and performance parts. Flowmaster exhaust, K&N intake. its a great truck and I love driving it. I plan on driving it till it dies (a long way off yet, at 80000 mi ). I also do some off roading, including trail riding and mudding and its never got me stuck or let me down yet. The large v6 could put out a little more horse power though, however I wouldnt want to sacrifice fuel economy

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  Best truck yet! - 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By jplrad - April 24 - 10:06 pm

  I traded in my 2001 GMC Sierra 1500HD 4WD for this vehicle and I am very impressed. Chevy really did there homework. I got the 6.0L 4WD LTZ w/chrome pkg. (ie. loaded). It drives like a sedan with no problem getting into regular parking spaces. There was no way I could take my old truck where parking was a concern. It is quiet but with plenty of power. Extremely comfortable with a silky smooth ride. Midgate and side coolers are very functional. I did not have to buy an additional bedliner and fiberglass cap. No problem putting tall things in the back. This ride is smoother than my Corvette and much more refined than any other truck out there!

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  Mark of excellence is back - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By FRANK R - April 24 - 9:32 pm

  Great American cruiser, not small but not too big, fit and finish is perfect. Purchased used with 14,000 miles ex rental car and still no rattles leaks. Prefer the previous body style however the quality of this car is impressive.