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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  Overall view. - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Robert Poole - September 10 - 6:31 pm

  I read all reviews. The sluggish start problems I corrected with a computer module reprogram. As for A/C compressor problem my vehicles is noisy also. I will install an aftermarket model compressor. Other than that I have no complaints. I drive all GM products and recognize some short comings. My vehicle has 45000 mi. and uses no oil between 8000 mi changes. Mileage is 25 on average city/hwy mix, I run 70 on interstate. I am a mechanic aircraft and car. I can overcome small problems. Thats my perspective.

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  My equinox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Jared - September 10 - 3:05 pm

  I see many complaints of the equinox. I have owned mine for 7 yrs now bought it with 35000 mls now has 156000. I havent had to do any major maintenance on it til now having to replace the head gasket. I put almost 700 mls a week on it and have had nothing but being happy with its performance and reliability. My wife also feels the same. So whether it be ppl not performing their own at home maintenance of a vehicle, changing its oil and just learning their vehicle with its sound and handling and knowing when something is wrong is their fault. I love my Equinox and would not hesitate to buy another

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  t - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By Travis Frankhouser - September 8 - 1:59 pm

  I currently have an 02 v6 s10 with 173k miles on all stock drivetrain. I used this truck for work and towing and beat the living piss out of it. Changed the oil once a year. Never changed the tranny fluid, antifreeze, rear end oil, or greased anything. just ran the hell out of it. Nothing major broke but the fuel pump and the distributor broke 3 times. But still one tough truck

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  Our new little one. - 2015 Chevrolet Trax
  By Lou Caldwell - September 7 - 12:09 pm

  Traded in Chevy Equinox 2LT but wanted smaller suv, now, no kids, etc. This does the job. Surprised with responsiveness of small engine but turbo does the job very well. Passing a car or interstate entrance much better that the 4 cyl Equinox. Good mileage but not much better than Equinox on highway. But much better in-town. Disappointed with one sun visors. They dont extend to cover the whole window when positioned on either driver or passenger side windows. Only covers half. Miss the power lift gate. Not an option on Trax.

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  Am I missing somethinh - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By Unhappy - September 6 - 1:54 pm

  OK so I filled up my tank and it was fine within 4 days.just last night I got it to half a tank went to the store and post office all within 10 miles and 2 bars were gone. I am NOT pleased with the gas milage.

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  Bullet Proof!!! - 2001 Chevrolet Camaro
  By theZman - September 4 - 8:13 pm

  My car (2001 Z28) has been very reliable from day one. Bought it new fully loaded and now has about 92k miles, I hope I didnt jinx it. I think as long as it continues to receive proper maintainance, this beauty will continue to run strong for eons. Its truly a looker and Ive been asked many times if I want to sell it and the answer is always no. Too bad I cant post a pic here to show her off.

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  Short people beware - 2015 Chevrolet Trax
  By Phyllis Mitchell - September 2 - 12:41 pm

  Just recently purchased the vehicle, so cant say a whole lot about it at this point. But the one thing I have noticed is the liftgate is not made for short people. I am only 51" and to close the lift I have to jump up to reach it. I am an elderly person and that is hard for me to do. Have almost fallen a couple of times. GM needs to modify that with a pull down strap that is easily accessible. Checked with the dealership to see what could possibly be done to correct the problem and they did have a suggestion as to how to fix it, but it requires drilling a hole in the lift and my husband isnt comfortable that not knowing what he may drill into. And of course the service department "might" do it for a charge. The only other thing I have noticed to date is the rear seat head rest blocks part of the view when looking through the rear view mirror. Not good if you are traveling the interstate or 4 lane highway. Other than that, I really like the vehicle. Well worth the cost.

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  2013 Malibu - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Tanya - August 30 - 10:46 pm

  I just got my 2013 Malibu I really like the car but I only had it a week & its overheating already gotta take it 2 get fixed asap

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  very old car, but very cheap and minor repairs . - 2001 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Chuck Dulin - August 30 - 12:48 am

  cheap and effective. This car will be the train that just keeps on going.

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  A 12 year review - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Jason - August 26 - 6:57 pm

  I bought my Malibu in 2003 when the transmission in my old Grand Prix started to go. It was a rental previously, and I knew this going in. I will say though, despite its faults, I have a hard time saying the car is complete junk, because my kids (ages 9-11) rode in it when they were babies. I will start with what I believe to be the minor faults, but they can cost: 1. 15 inch tires are getting hard to come by now, and being FWD, it eats up tires quick, if not rotated properly. 2. It only uses the front disc brakes for stopping, thus eats brake pads fast. The drums are only used for parking brake. That said, I will now go into the more expensive repairs I have had: 1. Fuel pump went out 5 years ago, driving down the road. 2. The starter has a safety switch, that will go bad in time, and require replacement, unless yu know how to bypass it, which I did. 3. The biggest....the head gaskets from the factory, are junk and a ticking time bomb. He manifold gaskets are plastic and will crack in time. You will start to lose oil and coolant once they do. I overheated the car 2 winters ago, causing the heads to warp, which required mill work, than changed the gaskets with Fel-Pro gaskets, use regular coolant, and since than, the car drives almost like new. It was a complete PITA to get the top half off and put back together. Just beware that if you have one, and are approaching 150k miles, you have a time bomb on your hands. I recommend flushing the cooling system, to help slow down erosion of the gaskets. Total time and money, we spent 4 days, and around $400 to fix. 4. The fan sensor, which turns the electric fan on and off, went bad, which caused my overheating problem. Would have cost $500 for a new one, but rigged a wire and toggle switch, and it now works. I just have to remember to shut it off, or I will have a dead battery. Interior: Not much, very basic, which I like. Over the years, the arm rest on the drivers door has developed a hole, a couple holes in the driver seat, and the headliner is starting to droop some. All in all, I would have to say that through it all, I should have considered more when buying a car, but I cant complain 100%, because after some work and money put in it, it still runs. Would I recommend it to anyone else? No, especially for anyone wanting a car that lasts a while. The only reason we put money into it, is because we couldnt afford to buy a new vehicle. After the first of the year, the Malibu will be retired to a local driving car only, and one used for a backup, as I will hopefully have a new vehicle.