Chevrolet Car & Truck Reviews: Silverado, Malibu, Impala, Aveo & Corvette

Capsule History: Chevrolet Camaro LS1

By Jack Baruth
June 12, 2009

Though the Mustang and Camaro will forever be linked in the public imagination as "ponycars", the truth is that only twice in history has the Camaro been explicitly aimed at the Mustang. The first time, of course, was at its introduction; the Mustang had caught the General napping and the first-gen Camaro was a simple "me-too" response to that success, as craven in its copying as the Russian faux-Concorde that would debut two years later.

Capsule History: Chevrolet Camaro LS1 continued »

Posted in Car Reviews | Chevrolet | 61 comments

Review: 2009 Chevrolet HHR 2LT

By Eric Stepans
May 12, 2009

Driving the Chevrolet HHR sent your humble author into a massive 1980s flashback; no drugs required. The Japanese car supply/demand imbalance during Paula Abdul’s Laker Girl days meant any Japanese model could find a market, regardless of merit. One of the least meretricious was the Isuzu I-Mark; a car so relentlessly non-descript that boredom was primary safety hazard while driving one. Twenty years later, that particular strain of car flu, automobilis mediocritas, has mutated and infected the Chevrolet HHR, turning it into one of the dullest transportation appliances of the twenty-first century.

Review: 2009 Chevrolet HHR 2LT continued »

rating summary and performance review: 2009 Chevrolet HHR 2LT

Posted in Car Reviews | Chevrolet | 65 comments

Review: 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid

By Robert Farago
April 3, 2009

Ten. My local Chevy dealer has ten Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrids on his lot. At $56K. Each. That ain't right. GM was going bankrupt when they unleashed this beast. They should have said screw it; let's show those sanctimonious greenies who's King of the World (Ma). Let's peg the price of the Tahoe Hybrid to the Toyota Prius and run ads saying Yippie Ki Yay, Motherfucker. Have one last line of four-wheeled blow before everything goes to Hell. Instead, once again, GM walked away from a terrific vehicle in pursuit of the Next Big Thing. You heard me: the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid is a technological marvel that rocks. Deal.

Review: 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid continued »

rating summary and performance review: 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid

Posted in Car Reviews | Chevrolet | 68 comments

Yankee Econo-Car Comparo: 1st Place: 2009 Chevrolet Malibu

By William C Montgomery
March 6, 2009

The General's Chevrolet Malibu LS won this competition versus the Chrysler Sebring LX and Ford Fusion S because it's a complete car with no manifest weaknesses. For less than $18K, I could have driven away from the Chevy dealership in the only vehicle capable of going head to head with the very best entry level cars in its class. In a prior competition, I compared the Honda Accord LX, Toyota Camry (base model), Nissan Altima 2.5 and Mazda Mazda6i Sport. Neither the dismally shameful Sebring nor the uninspired Fusion compares well to even the weakest of these Japanese models. On the other hand, this Malibu fully deserves serious consideration by cost conscious consumers.

Yankee Econo-Car Comparo: 1st Place: 2009 Chevrolet Malibu continued »

Yankee Econo-Car Comparo: 1st Place: 2009 Chevrolet Malibu

Posted in Car Reviews | Chevrolet | 107 comments

Review: 2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer LT

By Sajeev Mehta
January 26, 2009

The Chevy TrailBlazer is the butt of many a joke, or outright Internet flame. And while many iterations of the GMT-360 platform are brand corrosive, unholy degradations of once-proud marques, the Bowtie Brand’s version remains a working mom’s utility vehicle. As one of our Best and Brightest once told me, buying a vehicle for its engine alone is totally acceptable. With that in mind, have I got a deal for you!

Review: 2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer LT continued »

rating summary and performance review: 2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer LT

Posted in Car Reviews | Chevrolet | 74 comments

Review: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z51

By Jonny Lieberman
January 16, 2009

Jamming along with the cruise control set at 100 mph and the instant fuel economy reading 23 mpg, you start wondering: how General Motors can be in any sort of trouble? The bright yellow Corvette Z51 is beyond calm, cool and collected at this three digit speed. The tachometer’s barely indicating 1,700 rpm. And get a load of these beautiful gauges. I’ve seen chintzier dials on Tag Heuers. You know what? Forget the instrument cluster. It’s all about the heads up display. Which not only indicates speed, but rpm, temp, pressure and... Wait a second-- why does one speedometer read 100 mph and the other 99 mph? And why are there three different rattles buzzing in my right ear? And what is that smell?

Review: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z51 continued »

rating summary and performance review: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z51

Posted in Car Reviews | Chevrolet | 103 comments

America v Germany: Second Place - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette

By William C Montgomery
December 29, 2008

“Screw you, Steve McQueen and your fancy Mustang! I wanna 'Vette!” I shouted (to no one) while tearing a rift in the space-time continuum through the peaceful pastoral Texas countryside. Clearly, I was imbibing heartily from a bottle of Chateau Corvette, vintage 2008. But I forgot myself. And my objectivity. I was there to perform a head-to-head comparison between said ’08 Chevy hardtop and an ’08 BMW 335i. Unlikely rivals, to be sure. But both are answers to the same question spoken in the quintessential voice of their respective source countries, America and Germany. Both are powerful sports cars designed to appeal to aging upper middle class drivers that can afford to treat themselves to something sporty and nice, just not too expensive. In this case, both cars were available at CarMax for just under $40K.

America v Germany: Second Place - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette continued »

America v Germany: Second Place - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette

Posted in Car Reviews | Chevrolet | 80 comments

Comparo: Chevrolet HHR SS vs. Dodge Caliber SRT-4

By Matthew Neundorf
November 21, 2008

In 1976, Volkswagen introduced the world to the Rabbit GTi. The German pocket rocket defined a whole new class for entry-level lead foots. The DNA was simple; a lightweight, nimble chassis coupled with a high-revving fuel efficient motor, a couple of doors and a lift-gate at the back. The hot-hatch was born. Since then, grace has been replaced by grunt. Two hundred horsepower is the starting line. The Mazdaspeed 3, new GTi, and MINI Cooper S lead the way from across the ponds. Stateside, the Dodge Caliber SRT-4 and Chevrolet HHR SS bring more mass and muscle to the party. They may be a two-door stretch to the original definition, but hot and hatched they are. So are either of the latter two worth your money?

Comparo: Chevrolet HHR SS vs. Dodge Caliber SRT-4 continued »

Posted in Car Reviews | Chevrolet | Dodge | 39 comments

Review: 2009 Chevy Cobalt SS Coupe

By Michael Karesh
October 20, 2008

Many cars are so middle-of-the-road in so many ways that nothing about them, good or bad, is memorable. You know they're out there, somewhere, carrying on in quiet servitude. Some of them even have sport packages and/or sports appearance packages in a failed attempt to lift them above the mundane. And then there’s the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, a vehicle from the same school that somehow manages to rise above its station in life. If only just.

Review: 2009 Chevy Cobalt SS Coupe continued »

rating summary and performance review: 2009 Chevy Cobalt SS Coupe

Posted in Car Reviews | Chevrolet | 70 comments

2009 Chevy Traverse vs. 2009 Ford Flex

By Michael Karesh
October 3, 2008

With the full-size SUV market all but dead, General Motors and Ford are counting on large crossovers (and a few pennies from Washington) to keep them afloat. Sure, small cars are all the rage, but some people need space for six-plus people and their luggage— and will not buy anything with uncool sliding doors. Also, while large crossovers aren’t as profitable as large SUVs were in the 1990s, they are far more profitable than a Cobalt or Focus. The Chevrolet Traverse and Ford Flex recently arrived at dealers. Which is more likely to save its maker’s bacon?