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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  gm never again - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By unhappy777 - November 15 - 2:02 am

  its funny, when I read about the problems people have with this car, I just smile and nod, cause I have them too. Way too many of them, after 80k, rattling everywhere, cracked dash, water pump needed changed(expensive), now strut mounts need to be changed, cause of horrific squeeking, at highway speeds the driver door makes a noise as if the window wasnt all the way up, a/c had to be repaired, ..... Im afraid to drive this car, whats going to break next? And this car isnt that old yet.

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  chevy tracker roller - 2004 Chevrolet Tracker
  By patti houston - November 13 - 11:25 am

  i did not enjoy the chevy tracker i purchased . the gas mileage was not good and the brakes sucked on gravel roads . needless to say the day i rolled my tracker in to a ditch , it was totaled . the trackers are way too light in the rear end , especially on gravel roads .

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  car is the pits - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By rodney - November 11 - 11:48 am

  Cant buy parts in Texas. Too compact . Rough riding.

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  Cant Recommend.. engine died @ 1,400 miles - 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Mark Dyviniak - October 22 - 11:08 am

  Bought a new 2018 Equinox as my wife very much liked her 2010 Equinox (even though we had a TON of engine issues with the vehicle). Being a loyal GM customer (at the time of decision), went ahead and purchased a new 2018 Equinox. Decided to keep our 2010 Equinox for our college-bound daughter. Regarding the 2018 Equinox purchase decision, since the vehicle had been completely redesigned, we figured the engine issues on the vehicle had been fixed. Well, no! With only 1,400 miles on it, the car died as we were on the highway driving to a family reunion. Once the vehicle was examined by the dealership, they informed that it needed a new engine (under warranty, of course). Couldnt believe it. That was the first of two factors that turned our GM loyalty upside down. The second factor was one month later.. the engine died on our 2010 Equinox. Now, that vehicle only had 45K miles on it - but because of the age, GM advised we would have to pay 80% of the $7,500 engine replacement cost. Shocked, challenged the decision all the way up the GM chain. Pointed them to our GM loyalty, as we had 3 Chevys in our garage and weve purchased 3 new Chevys from GM dealerships in the past 8 years (model years 2010, 2015, 2018). GM didnt care. As such, determined that were done with GM. Just cannot remain loyal to a company that is not producing a quality product (no car should need a new engine @ 45K miles) and, when an issue arises, they dont stand behind their product. Loyalty is earned. GM doesnt seem to get that. In the meantime, with our experience, cannot recommend the 2018 Equinox to anyone.

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  Very Unreliable - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Todd P. - October 21 - 2:00 am

  Bought w/ 50,000 miles from private seller and had all maintenance records from the dealership where purchased. At 73,000 miles had intake replaced by dealer and at 75,000 had to have engine replaced. During this time have had to replace ALL automatic door locks, rear light, emissions sensor, and rear door catch. This has been a money pit since purchased. I love the room but the quality is awful. Chevrolet and the dealership refused to help on the engine even after a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. I am trading for a Toyota tomorrow and will never own a GM product again. Good luck to anyone who purchases one of these vehicles.

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  Do more than a 5 minute test drive! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Mike & Sharon - October 14 - 5:10 pm

  We have always been Chevy fans, but learned the hard way that a 5 minute test drive doesnt always give a clear picture of a vehicles space, comfort, or ride. The seats are so hard they are terrible for any drive longer than 1 hour. There is no place to put anything, even your purse, except for at your feet, which is a small enough space as it is. The ride in the back seats is like a truck-bumpy. The gas mileage is terrible! Our bigger, roomier mini van gets better mileage than the Nox. This averages 19--and the gas tank is far too small for this mileage, you have to fill up every 230 miles or so. It is overall so bad, we are going to take it in the shorts and trade it in!

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  NO GOOD - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Jp - October 14 - 2:00 am

  The same day that we bought this BLAZER we had to bring it back to the dealer because it was shaking. Wheels were balanced but it was still unstable. After bringing it to the dealer several times, about a year later the dealer did find out a rim was not round. It was replaced and for a while driving it was more stable, but not for too long. Now the dealer is saying the tires are out of spec & worn out. I went to Tires Plus & at least two other mechanics and the tires have threads for at least 20k more miles. The dealer fixed problems with the A/C & 4x4. IÂ’m thinking about taken court action for the wheels.

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  Real everyday driving experience - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Luke Pryor - October 6 - 4:14 pm

  Here is the Good; Very quite ride and smooth ride, very nice steering wheel, leather wrap is great quality, has lots of wide space in the interior of the cabin, Great step up in the back bumper to get into the bed of the truck, great for what is was built for which is hauling, exterior is very handsome, good looking truck. Here is the Bad; electronic steering always going out, vibrates at about 50mph, the side view mirrors are too small, back seat feels cheap and are like sitting on cardboard, not enough leg room, the whole cabin feels cheap, feels claustrophobic inside, I think the dash board and the instrument panel looks like a cartoon character design it, the whole dash looks dated and its a new interior, front seats are not that comfortable on long distance, only 18" wheels on an off road vehicle really , gas sucks on this truck I am only averaging 13.7mpg and I dont have a heavy foot, I think the doors where you rest your arm is too narrow and the center arm rest has that useless plastic thing down the center of it where you rest your arm is just stupid, no vents for the back seat, the roof in the inside cabin slopes down into your visual site which makes the truck look cramped poor design, it does not feel like a truck, it feels like a short in height car, they need to make the truck more tall than wide. not enough ground clearance sits to low to the ground, the windshield needs to be 2-3 inches more in height. I am sorry but the new design does not save on fuel like the claim, Ford and Ram do a much better job on the interior and more user friendly and more ergonomic for driver and passengers, the back tail gate does not lock when you use keyless entry system, this is just stupid, in the center of the dash where you touch screen is they have 115volt down at the bottom and you cannot see it, they door handles are lit up, but not enough to make any difference, this is a miss. and a few recalls already and I have not had it a year yet. I will be trade this in for something else (Ram or Ford or Jeep).

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  Last GM vehicle - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By disappointed - October 2 - 9:20 pm

  At 11,000 miles it needed a new wheel bearing. At 16,000 the caliper on the same wheel assembly literally fell off. There is a trough where the recessed windshield wipers rest. It looks nice but is ridiculous if you live where it snows. The washer outlets are also in this trough rather than on the hood aimed at the windshield so they are useless when it snows. Snow packs tight into that trough, and it has to be dug out constantly. Too many blind spots to list. The drink holders are a joke, one is on the floor, 2 others are on a cheap slide out from the center console, and there is no way they hold anything other than a standard size cup. It has a very poor resale value.

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  4,000 miles - 5 times in shop - 2004 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Steve Beavers - September 29 - 2:00 am

  Today I get pulled over for no brake lights, I dont know now if they ever worked? Very poor fit and finish, doors dont close properly, just all around cheap material and construction. I will never buy a GM product again, nor let a family member.