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:

• 

  Good Quality - Built in Canada - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Preacher - July 28 - 10:53 am

  From day one, this car has performed extremely well. The fit and finished were good and remain so. I have now driven this vehicle over 116,000 km and repair bills have been almost non- existent. It did required a new battery after 90,000 km but with regular minimal maintenance, accompanied by regular Synthetic Amsoil oil changes and filters, I place it among one of the best cars I have ever owned. When the Lease expired, I bought the vehicle and it is everything I imagined an Oshawa built vehicle to be. Service at Park Lane Motors is excellent and customer oriented. I can hardly wait for the next generation of Impala to come off the Assembly Line hopefully built in Oshawa, Ontario.

• 

  Great gas mileage Key Stuck - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By bionicguru - July 27 - 9:45 am

  I easily get the 35 miles per US gallon stated in the heat of the summer but only about 30 mpg in winter. If you get the sport package the cheapest tires i could find were $166 each. My key did get stuck and would not come out. This was a bad solenoid in the shifter assembly and was covered under the powertrain warranty. If this happens to you You can remove the key by pushing the shifter all the way to the left and turning the key at the same time and the key will release.

• 

  Bad Purchase - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Barbara - July 25 - 2:54 pm

  Purchased this vehicle brand new and within 3 weeks the dealership had it for 3 weeks fixing a computer problem. Should have known a lemon but have it for 68,000 miles and it ran hot put 700 in I dont know what because 45 miles later I had to tow it to a dealership that told me $5,000 to repair I refused and called gm repeatedly and they told the dealership to fix it for 1000 had only a few days after they had it for a week the check engine came on and the power Windows messed up. I baby this car so no reason for all this trouble. Gm said it had high mileage that does not hold true for foreign cars t hat get hundreds of thousand miles. I will not purchase a gm car again and neither should you.

• 

  My First Car - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By SoCalMal - July 25 - 12:30 pm

  I bought this car brand new in 04 and Ill be the first to admit I didnt know how to take care of a vehicle. Every oil change was late and a cracked transmission pan later, 88,000+ miles later this gem is still running. The dashboard is weak, but the rest of the interior is decent. Its a bit of a noisy ride esp. if youre on the phone. Ive encounter no problems w/ the electrical components, but the transmission is starting to slip.

• 

  Good sedan for nearly any usage. - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By rsb90 - July 24 - 3:38 pm

  I have owned this car for almost two years now. It was my fathers car and he had purchased it new and neither him nor myself have had too much trouble with it. Its had one new battery, I recently had a tune up for it and put new brakes on it. It always has been good for trips and for having more people riding with me. I bought it with 80k miles on it and now it has 120k and I think it will last another 120k!

• 

  Best first car EVER - 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Jen - July 24 - 11:47 am

  Its the best car I could imagine for a first car. Its fun, and pretty economical, great for A to B driving, and as reliable as anything. The only damage to my car is my fault, and even after rolling off the road and down a hill there was practically no damage at all! ITS A TANK! But runs like any sporty little coupe you can find. The fuel economy says 20-26 but I actually get around 28, living and driving on back roads mostly, and highway. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. But anyways, it may not be the sexiest beast around, but its just as good if not better than one. I wish they still made them, if you ever find one and someone you know needs a great reliable and durable car-get it.

• 

  False EPA Statements - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rwelch - July 22 - 10:06 am

  My Equinox overall is a good auto, the EPA fuel mileage is very disappointing. I changed driving habits, & use pure gasoline with no ethanol, & still get around 21 MPG a far call from the 32 EPA & yes I have even drove it on a 1600 mile road trip. I think the 32 MPH is all HYPE or my auto may have a problem, If you own a equinox would you please let me know how your fuel mileage is doing? Thanks & sorry GM I think you overstated your EPA as a sale pitch to sale autos during the times of high fuel cost.

• 

  Just keeps running and running - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Danielle - July 21 - 5:26 pm

  This is my 9th year with my Malibu. Within the first few years of owning, I regretted every moment of purchasing this car. But 9 years later. Its the best vehicle I have ever owned. Front brakes, a gas sensor & an alternator have been the only problems that I have ever had. Yeah, I dont run the a/c during the summertime (too hard on the engine ~ sounds like the entire engine is going to fall out), and automatic car washes cause water to get in the tail lights (horrible engineering design). But, she starts without fail every day and for that, I love my Malibu. Anxious to get a 2009 though.

• 

  Loving this can get OLD. - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Burban - July 21 - 3:53 pm

  My dad leased this suburban 3 years ago. I am a 19 year old and i can honestly say that i love this truck. It has great pep when u need it. 5.3 L is exceptionally worthy of praise. Exhaust sounds great and its quiet on the highway. Decent gas mileage 14 city 20 highway. I love the cylinder shut off feature, i like to c how long i can stay in V4 mode. Heads up display on the instrument panel is awesome. Captain seats are a little uncomfortable after an hours ride. second Row is comfortable and 3rd row could use better seats. Overall great ride, decent mileage, so-so seats, and great cargo space behind the 3rd row.

• 

  Gave me some good years. - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Greg - July 21 - 3:05 pm

  But not sad to see it go. Just traded this car in for a new 2010 Mazda3. Honestly, I must have had a runt of the litter, because I have no idea how people are getting ~30 MPG out of this car. I was getting about 19 MPG (combined highway/city) pretty consistently out of it for the last 3-4 years, thats not great. The functional component themselves (engine, transmission, brakes, etc.) held up great over the long haul, but the interior comfort and cosmetics have broken down pretty bad over the life of the car. It was a good car, but it was time for it to go.