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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  Pile of garbage. - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Tom Lamothe - March 31 - 9:47 pm

  I have owned this vehicle for about 18 months. It was purchased off of my parent who bought the vehicle new. In the first 3 years of them owning the vehicle, they had to have several things repairs: Drivers seat, fuel pump/timing chain and some other minor issues. When I bought the car off of them, it was as if a self-destruct button was pushed. Immediately we found rust on the bottom of the rear doors (at 38,000 miles). This was repaired by the dealership under warranty. Shortly after I noticed that the vehicle was losing oil quite rapidly and seemed down on power. After (no lie) 12 visits to dealerships (one of which I refused to deal with any further as they wanted me to drop the vehicle off for the entire day for an oil consumption test), to monitor the oil level, they finally agreed to rebuild the engine (45,000 miles) as well as fix a transmission leak. Upon vehicle inspection, they also "discovered" that the AC condenser was leaking and needed to be replaced and that the rear brakes were "metal on metal" and needed to be replaced. All told there was over $7,000 worth of work done. $700 to replace the condensor. I refused brake replacement, another story, but it turned out that there was more than half of the braking material left and no need whatsover to replace the pads or rotors as we were quoted. one year later and we are back at it. At 58,000 miles, the rear differential is now leaking. The vehicle is still under the mileage for the powertrain warranty but past the time limit by 4 months. This repair was quoted at 600-700 dollars to replace an axle seal. This vehicle is now being traded in as I cannot deal with the sheer level of crap that is the 2011 Equinox. To summarize, 2011 Equinox with a 2.4 L engine only having 58,000 miles has had the following major issues: 1. Burning over 2 quarts of oil per 1000 miles. (Engine rebuilt) 2. Fuel pump and timing chain replaced. 3. Rust repair 4. Transmission leak repair 5. AC condensor leak 6. Seat issue recall repair 7. Rear differential leaking. The other minor issues I have had include random electrical gremlins that cause the auto headlights to come on randomly in direct sunlight, slipping serpentine belt that causes dimming of interior lights on occasion. On the surface this is a great vehicle. The interior is spacious and comfortable, the outside is relatively unobjectionable, It has several higher end features like Satellite radio, heated seats, etc. but the build quality is abysmal. I would not recommend this vehicle to my worst enemy.

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  Mixed Feelings on the 2002 Z24 - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By weethecherokee - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Went from a 98 Ford Contour Sport to a 02 Z24 Sedan. Right away the poor quality of the interior was appearant. It is really plain. Road noise is pretty bad. Have had the car in the shop 4 times in 6 months. 1st time was the second week of ownership. The car is peppy compared to the contour, but the ride and handling pale in comparison. Not sure how the car will hold up over the long haul. Got the ext warranty to 75,000 just in case. The car has a nice sporty look from the outside. Also, the gas milage stinks for a 4 cyl!!! About 16-20 city & 23-26 hwy. I think the brakes will need to be replaced soon, after only 10k, they are getting soft.

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  Good looking, but made way too cheap - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Heidi - March 19 - 4:26 pm

  All my family works for GM, so of course thats what we all drive. I loved the way the Equinox looked when it first came out, but after I bought it Ive had nothing but problems. Ive had to take it in 4 different times to replace the stereo, the AC broke after only having it a couple of months and the dealership said it wasnt covered under warranty, plus my headlights went out at the same time. A brand new car should not have this many problems. American cars are being made way too cheap these days and my next car will be a Toyota or Nissan, since foreign cars are the only ones reliable anymore.

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  Bad Choice - 2005 Chevrolet Suburban
  By sweets - March 18 - 9:53 pm

  The Suburban has very poor inteior, every electronic component breaks. Dealer does not know why preset functions fail, mirrors do not work. Definitly buy Toyota for the price, unless you pay 21K like I did its not worth it. I guess they say you get what you pay for. No wonder GM is struggling.

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  2016 Checrolet Cruze - 2016 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Carol stilwell - March 17 - 3:02 pm

  I just bought a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze and am I sorry. The acceleration is sluggish and the seats are extremely uncomfortable.Im sorry I bought it. I wish I would have leased it so I could get rid of it in 3 years.

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  Ideal Rental Car - Not a car to own - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By solistide - March 15 - 3:13 am

  Probably the plainest, drabbest vehicle that can be called a "car", an ideal vehicle for a rental lot -- doesnt stand out. Drives like a log on wheels, changing lanes is arduous, odd ignition placement: hard to reach in this car, blocked by oversized steering wheel. Horn pressure points on the SIDES of the wheel instead of the CENTER, and out-of-the-way placement of the drive stick. Problems Ive had: ABS & brake system must be reset by dealer after any hard braking. Terrible handling, poorly designed seats, significant road and engine noise. But, it is also VERY safe, like putting an extremely heavy helmet on a babys head when he first learns to walk.

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  I hate my Malibu!!! - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By franco - March 2 - 12:53 am

  After a few months the problems began to occur. A/C switch is on intermittenly. Drivers side power window doesnt work in hot temperatures. Continous brake replacement ever 5000 miles. Valve cover gasket blew Battery died after 1st year The big one.....lost the rod bearings. This happened right after the warranty ended. A friend and I had to pull the engine and rebuild it ourselves. Oh, be rest assured that Ill never purchase another Chevrolet or domestic car again.

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  the exterior is terrible - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
  By Tod bryant - February 18 - 2:00 am

  the front end of this truck is awful hard to clean yet not very appealing the ford is so much better. a different front bumper would help. cheap looking wheels typical for a chevy. The rugged looks seems to be missing the powerful durmax is way over priced and doesnt offer has much horse power or torgue as the ford or dodge. interior is yet maybe a little behind the time. the dash looks the same as it always has you chevy owners know what im talking about it to plain and some spice would help check the new f-150 or dodge. The price WOW! the ford is lower priced by thousands. the ford is stronger built more powerful and better looking.

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  Auto Pilot - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By DaveH923 - February 12 - 5:06 pm

  This car has tried to kill my wife and I on several occassions. The cruise control kicks on when it wants. The car shuts off if it doesnt feel like running anymore and service doesnt see a problem with it. The alarm will unlock the car for no reason. The carpeting on the doors peeled off at 6000 miles! The gas gauge quit working twice. The dash lights come on when the car wants them to, not when you turn on the headlights. The car rattles worse than a city bus in the cold. Personally, I am fed up with American cars! This is the last American car I buy! You turned me off. My father warned me about GM. He was right. Never again!

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  Throttle Body failed 2 times in 3 years - 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By slamamama15 - January 27 - 8:10 am

  We purchased this truck brand new Oct 2009 with the heavy duty towing package Z71 4x4. We had to put a new engine in the truck Oct 2010, after that problems continued. Dec 2010 the throttle body failed as I was driving down the highway, Stablizer, engine light, traction, lights flashed, door locks when crazy and just stopped in the middle of the interstate. Yesterday 2.17.2013 it proceeded to do it again on the interstate. Second time in 50,000 miles we have had to replace the throttle body on our fairly new truck. We have other problems including 3 window motors, mirror, rough idling, & transamission rough when switching gears. All the work has bene done at the dealers