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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  Great Chevrolet SUV - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Trailways - May 21 - 7:21 pm

  Well I purchased this vehicle for my Mother for a Mothers Day gift. My Mother wanted this vehicle since 2005. However the 2007 model was the best to buy yet. The StabiliTrak™ is standard on the 2007 model which is great for handling the vehicle on highway ramps and other tight turns. My Mother has said that it drives very smoothly and has great handling with the StabiliTrak™ feature. However my Mother has complained about the wide turns and the location of the hand brake. Otherwise its a great investment.

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  Great American Made - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Terry - Indianapolis - May 21 - 12:40 pm

  We shopped all the competition. Honda, Toyota, Kia, Nissan, Hyundai and others. We were most impressed by the Chevy. Price, features and after 6 months Quality! We have never had one problem. The vehicile is comfortable and has many options the imports missed and the ride is better! The fuel economy improved after 3,000 miles and the vehicile is superb on fit an finish. We have owned everything from all US made to Japan and European Imports and this car rocks! Easy entry & exit, flat floor, performance and quality have us thinking the US car makers are passing the imports and no premium price & we dont deal attitude of the imports.

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  Love this little car - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By rlbellinger - May 21 - 10:10 am

  I just love this little car. It is so fun to drive. The gas mileage is a little less then I thought it would be, but I get about 30 in overall driving. It has lots of leg and head room. It feels as if you are sitting in a real chair and has good interior styling-flashy dashboard and stereo knobs, etc. It has a lot of little extras.

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  Looks cool, but thats about it. - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By Scott - May 21 - 10:07 am

  This is a cool looking truck because of the big tires and how high it sits. However, I have had this car for about a year and have spent over $5,000 in repairs. The whole front end needed to be replaced, body fell apart rapidly, and truck makes all kinds of funny noises. Truck look very nice when it was purchased, now I am almost embarressed to drive it.

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  WOW!!! - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Ecotec02Cav - May 21 - 10:00 am

  Went from a 1997 Grand AM Se with a 2.4 to a 02 Cavalier LS Sport Coupe WOW!! Really like the new Ecotec Engine, Only prob I have is, I bought black, and its a pretty color when its clean, but man is it a pain to KEEP clean lol Sweeet Car LOVE IT!!

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  Cheaply made lemon - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Washingtonian - May 21 - 9:08 am

  At 4 yrs. old this car has developed a number of problems that a car its age should not have. The entire serpentine belt has slipped off and the car periodically stalls when stopped. The trunk latch also broke, a problem the dealership tells me is very common in in the Cavalier. Weve also had smaller annoying problems -- a buzz in the ventilation system, a CD player that skips incessantly, and a fuse issue that causes lights to burn out quickly. Aside from the reliability issue, the car is poorly designed. Sun visors droop low across the windshield over time, the seats are uncomfortable, the cup holders block the climate control, and the roof pillars are in the drivers line of sight.

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  2003 S-10 LS 2 dr - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By bdjr-s10 - May 21 - 4:15 am

  Bought brand new in June 2003, excellent value at time of purchase. Initially was a temporary replacement for my daily driver that needed transmission repair and planned to sell after 2 years of use but was extremely satisfied with overall performance, average 24-25 mpg and cheap maintenance. No breakdowns in 4 years, 50k miles that I held off selling and may just keep until another great deal comes along.

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  Very good vehicle for the money - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Brad - May 21 - 12:02 am

  I am a first time SUV owner. I test drove the Toyota Rav4, Ford Escape and Honda CVR. This was the most car for the money. Lots of safety features and the drivers information center is very useful. Have had lots of compliments on the style of this vehicle. I would recommend it without hesitation.

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  It just wouldnt die - 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Rick - May 20 - 6:23 pm

  I bought this car in January of 2000. It was my first brand new car. It was cheap, had a CD player, and was a stick...good enough for me. Despite the "sporty" look that I never really made friends with. 7.5 years, 135,000 miles and one minor fender bender later, the car had so few problems that I was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to die. It wasnt until about 5 years after I bought the car that I read about how much of a death trap it was, though, so I lucked out by not getting an any serious accidents. People sitting in the backseat are basically unprotected in case of a bad crash, but since its so cramped back there who would want to sit there anyway?

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  No complaints here - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By MB - May 20 - 12:39 am

  Personally, I have not had any issues with the truck other than the original battery leaking out acid from the positive terminal after 6 years of use. I never drive off road, and do not push it into 4WD situations, since I know this little 2WD would get stuck. I still have two of the 4 original tires with some tread left. I have taken it easy on the transmission and only rarely haul something heavy in the bed. Maybe Im one of the few lucky ones, but by not abusing this truck and keeping it maintained it has given me no problems and has been amazingly reliable.