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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  1999 Suburban - OK, but could be better - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Helpsuburban - February 23 - 8:57 am

  My wife bought used in July 2007 from used car dealer. Looked good on lot, everything appeared to work. Dealer said transmission had already been replaced. As previous postings said - door locks and actuators not working properly. Would not start, could not find problem. After major tune-up restarted. Had to replace brakes. Serpentine belt broke. Its OK, but could be better for the money.

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  Some unexpected problems - 2000 Chevrolet Prizm
  By Danielle - February 22 - 6:41 pm

  This car was purchased new, but always burned engine oil too rapidly, and became quicker over time so I must carry oil with me. The front end alignment pulls to the right and noone can seem to fix it. 3 years ago (summer of 2005) A/C broke. I had to buy a new A/C unit which works so much better than the one the car originally came with. In November 2006 with just over 100,000 miles on the car, the catalytic converter went out - Major Bucks to fix this, and required for DMV renewal. After passing smog, only months later the check engine light is on again meaning I cannot register it this year unless it gets repaired again! Needless to say - time to buy a new car.

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  Electrical nightmare - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By mmscott - February 19 - 8:23 pm

  This truck is a lemon. The heater control has been replaced. The 4 wheel drive system has a new dash switch, transfer case switch and control module and it still puts itself into 4x4. I would not recommend a Chevrolet to anybody. Also the radio will not turn on at times. The display works but there is no audio.

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  Not too happy with it - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Carrie - February 11 - 7:05 pm

  I have had my Equinox for about a year and a half. When I first got it. I loved it! Now I cant wait to get rid of it. It just now has 25000 miles on it and it acts like it has over 100000 miles on it. I am taking it in to the dealership for service tomorrow. I have several issues that Chevy need to address. The fuel pump is making a loud "clunking" noise right after it is started. The drivers side window is not sealing porperly. The transmission is making terrible screeching noises and it doesnt like shifting into 3rd gear. Last year,chevy gave me a new set of tires because at 13,000 the tires were shot, but evenly worn. premature wearing. I have had the tires roated 2 times during that time.

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  Very Disappointed - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By GP - February 9 - 8:46 pm

  As much as I like the ride, comfort, power and gas mileage of this vehicle, its extremely unreliable. In the past 6 weeks, Ive had the vehicle in the shop 4 times (14 days total) for various problems that have required major work on the transmission and engine. I have had various other problems with the transmission and drivetrain in the past that the dealership has not been able to fix, or refused to fix under warranty. Am done buying GM products!

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  Unhappy - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By kevin - February 2 - 12:59 pm

  I bought this almost 2 years ago. Seats stain easy and dont like the noise the AWD makes. Going to need new tires. I have a couple of friends that have this and agree with me.

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  You have been warned..... - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Lemon - February 1 - 10:00 am

  This is a vehicle that has been in for service every nine and a half days since I picked it up. The problems range from a defective right front axle seal, to a severely leaking rear liftglass, to complete autotrac system failure, to the flooding of the drivers floor because the exterior seal was not tight enough. Counting the visit later this week for sticking steering wheel buttons, a mildew smell from the a/c, and parts that were replaced that now have to be replaced again, this vehicle has been out of my hands for almost twenty days in the six months of my ownership of it.

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  Silverado troubles - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By chrisb9 - February 1 - 10:00 am

  Love the style and comfort of the truck but have had several problems. Some minor, some not. All problems out of warranty. One of the dual horns went out, still not fixed. Parking brake would not engage,$65 repair. Air conditioning "Freon" tube rubbed on interior part casuing leak,$350 repair. Air conditioning vents not blowing out properly. Some vents barely blowing. Not repaired and afair to see how much to repair. Always down talked Fords but now have second thought about any america built vehicle.

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  BE WARY.... - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By dhamernik - January 26 - 3:44 pm

  I would be very wary of buying a used T-blazer. the reliability of them is to be questioned. I have spent $1500 in repairs this last year (not covered by warranty) & I still need another $1500. Part of that is the instrument panel that goes out between 40k-50k miles...

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  Whatever - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By R - January 22 - 2:26 pm

  I bought this new and have 55000 miles on it so far. Tires wear out faster on the front than the rear. It bucks the crosswinds a lot. It has a lot of front end noises and rattles going over rough pavement. Dealer says sway bar links could be the problem, Ill try replacing those, but I think its in the steering (knuckle)? Cant do better than 23 miles per gallon on hwy. Small gas tank. Knock on Wood.