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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  40+ MPG - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By gjc866 - September 4 - 9:07 am

  Fantastic car..consistantly get 32+ in the city w/ AC on and well over 40 MPG on the highway. Drive the car reasonably, as its meant to be - its not a sports or performance car so it shouldnt be driven as such - keep the cruise on the highway at 70-75 MPG and youll be suprised. Yes the Aveo can go 90+ MPH if it needs to. No problems at all with car at 13500 - Many compliments on LT Sedan. Well worth the money. No complaints at all except the cup holders!

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  hate this truck - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By frank - September 4 - 6:54 am

  This is my third new tahoe and will be my last.Traded in 03lt that was the best .I listened to the so called experts who said 07 was a big improvement.It is not.I got 99miles and had to return to dealer for service.Seats are like sitting on a pile of bricks.All the creature comforts are gone.No more folding arm rests,cargo net,change holder,etc,etc,

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  Cant beat these Tahoes! - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By anniston - September 3 - 8:37 pm

  I travel all around the Southeast for my job, so I need a big, comfortable car that I love to drive. The Tahoe fit that perfectly. I have always driven Chevrolets and Buicks, my wife always drove a Toyota. When I got this Tahoe LT in 2004, my wife was sitting in a Black Z71 the next month, so I drive a 2004 and she drives a 2005. It really turned her into a Chevy lover! Like I said I travel and have 91k miles on it, but I hate to sell it. I dont like the new ones, so Im going to buy a low mile 2006 whenever I hit 100k. No major issues with repairs except the AC compressor at 80k, but it was covered under my extended warranty.

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  Terrified for when the warranty runs out - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Lee - September 3 - 7:40 pm

  Purchased this car 3 years ago with 40,000 miles, now its at 80,000. The experience has been miserable. When the car is running well, it can be a fun car to drive but it is still only a middle-of-the-road commuter with nothing noteworthy or outstanding. The shifting is notchy and the electric throttle leaves the revs hanging too high for too long to shift quickly. The 1.4T is very sluggish in low RPMs, especially accelerating from a stop. This becomes much more prominent in warm weather. Ive driven manual vehicles my entire life and have still stalled this car several times, even in stop-and-go traffic, simply because there is no power to accelerate. GM states in the owners manual that the car can run on 87 octane fuel, but from my experience anything above 70 degrees requires at least 89 octane. Even with conservative driving, freeway speeds (70mph) will return, at best, 32mpg. The only time Ive come even close to 40mpg is on two-lane roads keeping to 60mph or below. This is very disappointing for the Eco trim. The steering is reasonably responsive but the electric power steering really does remove all feedback. In all, I would say the strongest feature is the exterior styling, which GM really nailed in my opinion. Reliability has been abysmal, unfortunately. In my time of ownership, the car has been serviced three times for climate control issues, including a recurring noise that involved the removal of the dash multiple times. The blend door also had to be replaced due to binding. The 1.4T (Im not sure about the 1.8) has two PCV valves, one of which is built into the valve cover and is not removable without replacing the valve cover. This is a horrible setup, but I had it replaced under warranty. The plastic intake manifold was also replaced at this time as it was cracked, most likely due to excess pressure from the bad PCV valve. At around 70,000 miles the turbo had to be replaced due to a bad bypass valve that was preventing the turbo from building boost. At 75,000, I had to replace the water inlet valve because the plastic valves GM used tend to crack. I discovered this after I found a puddle of coolant in my garage. I am very worried about the experience after the warranty runs out this summer. I am constantly wondering what will break next or need addressing. There are numerous other small quality-control issues that Ive just learned to live with over the years. I am currently about $4,000 underwater on the loan due to insane depreciation and a too-high initial purchase price (GM certified pre-owned, all Cruzes in our area were similar quality, mileage and price). I prefer to do all of my own work and, prior to owning this car, historically I have performed all of my own maintenance, large and small. GM has tried to make their new cars as difficult to work on as possible for the average shade-tree or indy mechanic so I suspect that once the warranty is up I will still be going back to the dealer every 6 months for a 4-figure repair. I cannot wait until the day this car is paid off. It will be going up for sale that same afternoon, provided it is still running by that point.

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  Great Reliable Transportation - 1999 Chevrolet Lumina
  By luminalover - September 3 - 12:03 pm

  The Chevy Lumina is a great example of a reliable and well built American Automobile. It has decent power and fuel mileage. Even with 129,00 miles, it runs like a car with 50,000. Very solid and very safe. Paint still shines like new. Body does not dent easily. Interior is not fancy, but it holds up very well. Even has keyless entry on a 1999.

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  Love my Monte! - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By D and M Ahart - September 3 - 8:40 am

  We have had this car 2 years now and its been a pleasure to own and drive. Only problem weve had with it is the Tire Pressure Monitors malfunctioning. Otherwise, nop problems. A very solid feel this car has. It hugs the road and handles great in all weather conditions. The 3.9L engine provides plenty of power on the highways, which is our main type of driving. The fuel economy isnt all that bad, but i didnt purchase this car with fuel economy in mind. For what we paid for it, we got much more car than we would have gotten from any Japanese import of the same price. I love my Monte, and its sad to see the MC nameplate disappear, probably for good, unfortunately.

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  Overall satisfied - 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Bob Gaul - September 3 - 6:48 am

  The only problem I have is with the A/C. The vents cannot be aimed at the driver. This is a major design fault which is still a problem in the 06 & 07 models. The dealer claims they cannot be fixed.

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  Chose an Equinox over a Santa Fe - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By dwzemens - September 3 - 5:13 am

  Having recent bad luck with a Saturn I swore the next car would be foreign. We looked long and hard at the Santa Fe and the Forester. A friend told me to give the new Equinox a look and I might be surprised. I expected the worst. The Equinox knocked my socks off. Beautiful car, much more attractive than the other two. Nicer interior. Very cool looking dash board. The ride is nice and quiet, but its a bit rough on bumpy pavement. So far, 300 miles in, things look good. City mileage looks exactly at 22mpg, which is the EPA standard. Hoping to get 28mpg on the highway as I really dont think 32mpg is attainable in the real world.

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  So far so good - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Andy - September 3 - 3:00 am

  14k on it so far and runs great, Wife puts 130 miles a day on it going back and forth to work. Has not had a single issue. It handled very well through the Wisconsin winter. You had to work hard to make the tires slip, the traction and stability control really worked. Gas mileage average is about 27 so far. Very comfortable and roomy, I can take the wife and kids on a long trip in peace and quit. They all fall asleep!

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  Worth Every Penny - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By davisnet - September 3 - 2:40 am

  This truck is truly an awesome and versatile truck. A little soft in the suspension but that can be changed easily. Comfortable to ride in front seats or rear Easily fits 5 tall adults. Beefy and stout when compared to most other full-size trucks on the road. Easy to drive for my wife but yet still enough power for my lead foot.