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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  Been OK - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By P51DMustang - May 14 - 12:50 am

  Ive had this for 6 months heard about wind noise, but except for engine noise mine has no wind noise. Overall this seems so far to be a good SUV. It goes very well in snow and ice. Stops well too.

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  Dont buy - poor gas mileage - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Tim in Maryland - May 11 - 6:14 am

  I have been driving this car for 3 months now. I average 22.5 MPG in mostly suburban driving, with a roundtrip distance to work of 20 miles each day. I also use it to deliver papers in every morning, which takes about 30 minutes. I use to do the same routine in a Honda Civic which had a larger engine and got 30 MPG. So I am very disapointed with the fuel economy. Even open road driving you can watch that gas gauge visibly drop. You cannot lock the driver side door except by using the key - this is a pain when you have bundles to carry and/or its raining.

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  i keep it cuz its paid for - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By big jim - May 9 - 9:52 pm

  Bought in 2000,4 months later transmission broke. Did fine until 02 when the alternator went out, 03 fuel pump, 05 new rotors and window motor, seat adjust handle broke, ball joints went bad, yada yada yada. Overall decent a-b car but I dont trust it for long trips. Now has 143,000 miles and the engine is still pretty good just the overall integrity of it is not so good. But like I said its paid for and stil running so ill run it till it dies since I wouldnt get what its worth trading in or selling it.

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  2nd Astro Van - 2004 Chevrolet Astro
  By Nancy - May 8 - 6:30 pm

  The first one I bought was a 1995, drove it 109,000 miles, the transfer case went, replaced it for $2300 then traded it for a 2004 model. It is now 2008 and I have 51,000 miles and need a new transfer case. Both vehicles had electrical problems with the check engine soon light, numerous brake repairs and each needed idler arms and torsion bars. I love the van tho and today when my mechanic told me to junk it because I needed a transfer case and a brake hub and a speed sensor, I said no. But, now, I need to find a more reliable vehicle that will carry and do all the family stuff that my van does.

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  Bad luck with truck ! - 1995 Chevrolet S-10
  By Elijah Sowers - May 8 - 5:10 pm

  I bought my truck new in 95 maybe 14 miles on it after 4years every thing fell apart. 38,000 miles through bearing comes apart around 40,000 miles antifreeze starts leaking down the side fo the block. the head bolts broke off in the engine causing the leal 48,000 miles starter falls off both starter bolts broke off in engine. The only good thing I can say about this truck is it looks sharp. I a piece of junk with nice looking body I will never buy chevy or GM again.

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  My Last GM Product - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By soind - May 8 - 11:10 am

  This van started falling apart at about 50000 miles. Door handles breaking, DVD player quit working, backup sensors quit working, seat side plastic plate broke to name a few. It now has 105,000 miles on it and I took it to the dealer with a list of things I would like to have repaired and asked them to give the van a good once over for problems. The total came up to roughly $5,000. The good ol manifold gakset needed replaced, new shocks and struts, new brakes and rotors, a new computer, new plugs and wires and they wanted $183 dollars to fix the cheap plastic seat side plate. Im going to have the stuff repaired, but not by those crooks. My 1997 Nissan Quest has 206,000 miles. Hmmm.

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  Not bad for a Mini Van - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Rhody Girl - May 7 - 9:55 am

  My husband and I bought this vehicle after having our first child. I liked it becaues it wasnt so Mini-Van- ish. Loved the equiptment included with the LT line, leather, DVD player sliding doors etc. going on 3 1/2 years of owning this the only problems reported are brakes, I travel 300 miles a week for work, before I reached 13k we had to replace the brakes and rotors 3 times. I think it was more of the dealerships fault than it was the car itself. Gas mileage is horrible. Even given the fact of how much the car is driven, it still is just horrible. Other than that, its a good transistion for anyone whos not just ready for a mini- van, it doesnt make you feel like you are in one.

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  Worst new vehicle purchase Ive made - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By kokomoan - May 5 - 7:04 pm

  I had the vehicle in for warranty work 11 times. Electrical problems since early on that the dealership said they couldnt find replaced 5 headlamps, 4 brake lamps, and the majority of interior lights while still under warranty. Other items replaced: power window motor, heater control switch, rails for front seat. Today I took it to get u-joints replaced, third front end alignment, rear brake shoes. Mgr said these "shoes" were most expensive he has seen! He said all parts for it are high. Watch out if you need front rotors replaced make inquiry!) gas mileage 13/15.(4 cyl, sticker said 18/25) At present, pwr windows, locks, mirror control, 5 int lights, 3 ext lights not working. 62K miles

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  (Not So) Proud Owner - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Will - May 4 - 12:16 am

  I am the (not so) proud owner of what I thought was a nice used car. Bought this with 47,000k fully loaded, which isnt bad for a 2006, only to discover transmission problems two weeks and 300 miles after purchasing. I like the car, but am disgusted with its performance. It slams into gear from park and hesitates to get into first, often jerking into first gear. Was told the car had a warranty when purchasing only for the dealer to have no record of the warranty. Lucky me for purchasing a car out of warranty. After dealing with the Chevy dealer (seller) and GM, I can say the two have lost a longtime and formerly loyal GM customer. NEVER AGAIN!

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  The honeymoon is over - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By packrfan4 - May 3 - 7:58 pm

  My wife and I bought our Nox used in 06 with less than 10k miles. Initially we were pretty pleased with it, but as weve put some miles on it, were not such big fans anymore (and it only has 38k miles on it). The turning radius is very big. Pulling into parking places is more difficult than it should be. The cupholders that slide out of the console are very flimsy and interfere with the parking brake lever. Lastly, at 21k miles the drive shaft snapped during normal highway driving and had to be replaced. The V6 engine is pretty peppy and I really like the exterior styling. The sliding rear seat is a great design, but those things cant overcome some of the items I mentioned above.