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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  Good little car - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By A decent car - October 12 - 2:00 am

  This little ecotec engine rocks. It can outrun most comparable cars on the market in its stock form. (we know because a lot of younger people want to race it for some reason). It is a basic little car with a lot of power. We have never have had a problem with it in 15,000 miles.

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  Good car for the price - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Gohia - October 12 - 2:00 am

  Bought the Impala with 32,000 miles on it have had to replace the tires which is normal with any car with currently now in Oct. of 2010 78,000 miles on it. Runs pretty smooth I am about to get the brakes replaced so that will be the first costly maintenance. Other than that no real complaints.

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  Great overall car with some flaws - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Chad - October 11 - 2:00 am

  C6 LS3 Corvettes are arguably the best sports car value for the money. No other manufacturer can give you the performance, reliability, comfort, fuel economy, design and value that Chevrolet provides. Ive owned my Vette for ~ 1 yr and cant be happier with the experiences thus far. The car has unbelievable amounts of HP and torque. The ride is quite comfortable too on par with most sports sedans / coupes. The interior is a little sub par when taking into consideration the MSRP when new, but Id recommend not purchasing new if you want to save some considerable money. The seats are a little flimsy, but for daily driving or simply cruising, the seats are more than adequate.

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  Not What I Thought it Would Be - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Rockin Royce W. - October 11 - 2:00 am

  I mostly bought this car because of the cool retro style, but it kind of goes downhill from there. Theres lots of cheap plastic all throughout the interior..everything rattles and buzzes. Wheels are noisy. So- called "chrome" on door handles is starting to peel off like tin foil. No where to put trash. Lame design for window controls (all in the center of the console, not on the doors themselves). Glove box barely big enough to store a map and a couple of fast-food napkins. Cloth interior stains extremely easily, even from water.

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  Headrests stopped me from purchasing - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Laura Grantham - October 11 - 2:00 am

  I thought I had found the perfect vehicle to replace my 2003 Suburban. Not towing anymore so I could get by with a smaller vehicle and have been shopping around. I drove the Traverse today and it is beautiful and rated 5* in the crash tests. Also a smooth and quiet ride. Problem is I simply cannot stand the headrest. They only adjust up and down and need to be moved back because they push the drivers and passengers head forward in an uncomfortable position. Its the same on the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia, which are built on the same platform. GM, fix this problem and you will have a star on your hands, otherwise youll have unhappy customers and lose sales.

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  Good little truck - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By tom - October 9 - 2:00 am

  Bought the truck from the original owner, Found out the little motor is suppose to get 22 mpg, Im getting 14 right now with 63k on it. other then the annoying secondary air Injector tripping the check engine light constantly, the lack of power, lack of fuel economy, and being on the third. 3rd door handle (now an aluminum one from ebay) im very pleased with the truck. As soon as i find out whats up with the gas mileage

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  Good choice for the price - 2009 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Robot - October 9 - 2:00 am

  Have owned since new for 18 months mileage is good on highway general comfort is as good as any in price/vehicle type category. @ complaints: 1. Road noise on highway is higher than expected. 2. The lack of a dash mounted rear hatch release control is annoying. Its a very roomy and functional SUV in its class.

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  A Great First Car, Easy Manual - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By redschecter - October 9 - 2:00 am

  I got this car back in May as my first car. I had to learn how to drive stick, but this car was easy to learn on. This car is fun and comfortable to drive and, in my opinion, looks much nicer than any other vehicle in this price range. Im only 511" and I hit my head on the ceiling while sitting in the back but who cares, I wont ever have to sit back there, shes mine. The biggest issue Ive had so far was with the dashboard, after six weeks it started rattling loudly. My local dealer said the problem was with the original design of the dashboard, which causes it to warp, and they improvised a solution. Of course, the repair was free. A dash-mat will make the interior look much nicer.

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  Not like they used to be - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By lou - October 8 - 2:00 am

  This is my 2nd Tahoe. The 2009 has been taken back to the dealership 4 times in one year. 4 wheel drive failed 3 times and airbag system needed to be fixed. Cheaper materials than older models.

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  PAINT CANNOT BE MATCHED - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By JEN WELLS - October 8 - 2:00 am

  I got a small door ding on my passengers door.I took my car to Young Chevrolet to have fixed.I was told the paint would be matched and it would look like showroom floor quality. 9 Paint jobs later it cannot be matched. Not only does the paint not match I have a deep scratch on one of my side window, swirl marks on my striping and the rest of the paint. They refuse to do anything else. Including replacing the damaged glass or stripes.I also have paint chips .