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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  Still breaking in - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Greg - April 22 - 12:13 pm

  My Cobalt LS sedan has 4 speed automatic. Pickup is smooth. The whole car is so quiet inside its scary. Some change from my 86 Aries. The bucket seats are very firm, but supportive - great for my back. The ride is much stiffer than that of the Aries, but the Cobalt takes curves much better. I dont like not being able to tell where the front end of the car is, so theres some tension getting into tight places. Because of the rear headrests, visibility when backing up is a bit of a chore. The power steering is nice, with enough feel to it, but because the steering wheel is small, it takes more cranking when parking. Heavy city driving gives 18mpg, same as the Aries. I hope this improves.

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  BAD - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Jen - April 22 - 11:19 am

  Out of the 6 months I have owned this van, it has been in the shop 5 times. Since I bought it certified used thinking I was getting a deal, the lemon law does not apply and I am stuck with it because of the low resale and trade in value. My advice, choose another van. The cheaper price is not worth it. I will never buy another Chevy.

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  Very disappointing - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Steve-o - April 22 - 8:40 am

  Ive never had more problems with a car than this one. My Cavalier has had one thing go wrong after the other. Its never been abused, the oil has been changed every 3,000 miles and its not even driven that much. I only have one more year of payments, but Ive decided to trade it in for something other than a GM. Maybe I just got a lemon. For those who are about to buy one, beware. The Cavalier is a cheap car and its one of those things where you get what you pay for. I guess its back to imports for me.

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  Good so far - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By AmyF - April 22 - 4:43 am

  Weve had our HHR now one month, and we like it so far. Roomy for the kids, and I like not having to bend over when putting my 2 yr old in his car seat. Ive been slowly getting used to the design of the windshield (kinda small) and I keep forgetting where my window controls are, and Im a little surprised at the lack of console storage... there is none! Theres the small storage bin in the dash, but I dont have anywhere to put CDs, kleenex, and other "junk"...maybe thats a good thing as my husband would prob say. Okay mpg, but not where we want it yet. We plan to change to synthetic oil and a K&N Air filter when the oil needs changed. All in all, we love the car so far. Very sporty!

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  worst car ever - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By * - April 21 - 10:15 pm

  Cd player doesnt work. The stick is hard to move and sometimes doesnt go into park and has to be shoved. Dashboard rattles. Mileage does not show up half of the time. Passenger side window does not go up, therefore it never goes down. Air conditioner wires cracked. Im sure Im forgetting things but I just cant remember everything wrong with this car. This is the worst car known to mankind, probably getting rid of it during the summer.

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  Rattle trap after 8 years - 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By mkbangs - April 21 - 9:42 pm

  I bought this car brand new and had no complaints for about 8 years. Then it began to rattle me silly at idle in drive. I tried everything. New motor mounts, insulation, new plugs and wires. I finally had to get rid of it. I paid a good price for it and I enjoyed it most of the time. I wont buy another Chevy though because of it. It was like the minute it was paid off it was done. Also the auto door locks quit working on the driver side and the passenger window stopped working correctly and neither were electric.

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  to many probelms - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By fgsmith - April 21 - 4:55 pm

  Has had 4 sets of headlights in 2 yrs. 2 full sets of tires. Needs serpentine belt @ 40,000 these problems are not resolved ignition coil replaced @ 20,000 miles. New sunroof @less than 5000 mp3 player didnt last six months. Struts @ 20,000 miles. Gear shift assembly @ 15,000. Car dies in traffic @times other times wont start a lot of problems seem to be electrical in origin. Other mechanics say the car has been wrecked. I bought it new. The car only has 40,000 on it now. Gas mileage not as good as advertised also had crank sensor replaced @ 15,000.

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  Paddle shifter - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By David Gordon - April 21 - 4:14 pm

  This car is fantastic. This is our second Corvette and we like them so much we kept our 2001 for me and this one is hers. I am ussually a M-6 guy but this A-6 is plenty quick. The paddle shifters are way too slow and if you pull down instead of up you will overrev the engine quick. I think they are worthless and should have just left the selecter on the floor. We bought the crystle red metalic vette and it is georgous.

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  Piece of junk! - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By juliep83 - April 21 - 2:57 pm

  I have had my 05 trailblazer for almost 2 years and nothing but problems! Aside from all the mechanical problems, the wind noise around the Windows is terrible, gas mileage is less than the sticker says, interior is made very cheap, inside of the rear doors are rusting, rear wiper hinge has broke many times, tires wear unevenly. Ive always had a Chevy but never again! My advice is dont but a trailblazer! Oh and their trade in value is terrible!

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  Regret buying - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Sean - April 21 - 2:05 pm

  Car runs well, no problem under the hood but its built crappy. After a while car rattles on highway when pushing on brake. This car is not reliable. I bought this car Feb of 2008 and traded it in for a brand new Scion tc this month. Car is not worth it.