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 family sedan - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By jtemple5 - July 5 - 8:41 pm

  We bought this car used in 2012 with around 55K miles, and have only had a few minor issues which are to be expected. The front bench seat has helped when the kids friends are over, and the trunk space fits everything we needed it to for a long vacation. Excellent in all weather, great comfort, and a great value, it even survived a fairly serious accident and was able to be completely repaired - a great solid GM car like all my others have been!

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  Expensive leading PHEV w cramped interior - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By dm3 - July 5 - 3:04 pm

  Ground breaking plugin hybrid. Uses engine to extend the range of an otherwise all electric vehicle. Overall drives well. Good acceleration and handling. Comfortable amazingly quiet ride. Can use it all electric for typical commutes. However lots of compromises. Very high price due to dual drive trains. Interior cramped to due low ceiling for reduced drag, 4 passenger seating due to battery in the cabin. Electric range works for shorter trips, but on longer trips seems to simply improve gas mileage which still isnt as good as a Prius. Hoping next rev. will fix these issues.

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  Very Disappointed - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By uplander6 - July 5 - 12:40 pm

  I bought the Uplander for its size and assuming that a GM/Chevrolet would have easy maintenance/repair. First wake up came when I had to get the battery replaced. ABS light comes on frequently, even after repairs. The lock, and mirror adjustment dont work on the drivers side. Anti Theft system shut the car off several times. The engine light is on now. Ive gotten a total of 7 different codes. Some related to the transmission. Told by the mechanic I need to decide if I want to spend more money on this van. I drove an old Toyota van that was 10 yrs old before it had any issues. Were only at 126K miles with the Uplander. Just very disappointed in this vehicle.

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  Murray - 1995 Chevrolet Corsica
  By mustang14gt - July 4 - 1:08 pm

  Love this car! my family got him a year ago and was passed on to me for a graduation present. never left us stranded. I have owned him two weeks, and in the first week alone i put 1,000 miles on him. biggest repair so far was a lower control arm ($220). he needs some work, tires catalyt converter(he is very loud). beware!! if the brights are on and the switch snaps the brights wont turn off. power lock and horn just went out.(fuse?) and the ABS in one wheel doesnt work right all the time, but when it does work the brakes are fantastic. he is white,with red interior and has around 86,666 miles, he also has the 4cly which with 120bhp and 130pft find it adequate. the acceleration is spirited.

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  Costs are skyrocketing! Not reliable. - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jbug5 - July 3 - 7:34 pm

  Got my 2010 equinox in Nov 2010, new. I didnt have the engine problems early. However in the last year, I have been back to the dealer a number of times. We live far from work, so it already has 110,000 miles, that means no more warranty and more out of pocket costs. The latest item to go is my stereo. The stereo includes the navigation, clock, radio, iPod hookup, Bluetooth, backup camera. Cost from the dealer to replace $1300! Dealer suggested I get an after market radio...but couldnt tell me if all the other stuff would work. Probably trade it in very soon. My last car, 1997 Audi a4, just kept on going...engine finally gave up at 225,000 and after 13 years. Now thats reliability.

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  Reliable - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By tbguy1 - July 3 - 4:50 pm

  The only real problem in 150K miles Ive had was the fuel gage. If I compared this to all my other vehicles Ive owned, mostly Japanese, it is better, and waaaaay better than my Toyota. Reliability is my number one issue. I hate paying for and doing repairs. Chevrolet paid for half of the repair and I didnt even have to chase them down nor was the vehicle still under warranty at 75K miles. This was parts and labor coverage. But as for the vehicle I just love it. Period. Its everything I ever wanted in an SUV - my first SUV. If you buy a vehicle brand new be sure to get what you want. If its a Chevy it will last you many, many, many years so get all the goodies! and enjoy.

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  Miss my (quiet) 2009 Malibu LS - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By 2013malibu - July 3 - 11:09 am

  I agree that my 2013 is all around much improved on than my traded 2009 LS. I have to say I am let down since I was anticipating a quiet cabin ride as all the auto site reviewers have endorsed. Well, I am not experiencing the "quiet" in my new malibu. I have a annoying vibration/buzz that presents itself when in low gear/ between gears but faithfully dissapears when I accelerate. Didnt notice this during test drive otherwise I would of hung on to my 2009 Malibu!

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  oil consumption/transmission - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By buddy77 - July 3 - 9:29 am

  I had issues with my 2007 Suburban using oil also. I bought it preowned. The documentation for my repair states: oil consumption issue J1307 15.30 (I assume this is a bulletin from GM). The work order states, replaced all 8 pistons and ring sets with new head gaskets, intake, exhaust, found 5 scored push rods and replaced etc. Basically the engine was rebuilt at 88M miles but it was covered under warranty. NOW I just had to have the transmission rebuilt at 112M miles. No warranty for that. As crazy as it sounds my dream truck was a Suburban. This is the first one I have owned. It is basically a new truck now so I hope it lasts until I pay it off!!!

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  Good for the family of 5 - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By tabithaj - July 2 - 7:12 pm

  I have had mine since June, I bought it used with 33k miles on it. Its been amazing, we replaced our Chevy Equinox for the 3rd row and I have to say that I am really happy with it. No problems other than the dealer not fixing the breaks before the car was given to me like they said but I got it from AutoNation so I just took it to another dealer and they did it for free... I think they could have added a few more perks for the car, made the cup holders about an inch back from the AC plug and maybe put a few extra ones in the 2nd and third row but overall its a great car!!!!

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  Not what I expected! - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By algoma - June 29 - 6:33 pm

  Even the blind spot mirrors dont really help. The blind spots are still there, especially with the design in the back. If the back seat head rests arent in your blind spots, then its the blindness from not being able to see out the rear windows. There is also a hesitation with the engine when driving down the road. I wish I had my the van I traded this in for. I have driven earlier models of the Equinox before, and the blindspots arent an issue like they are with this model. Not happy with the gas mileage either. The interior isnt roomy when it comes the front seating area. If you drop something in between, you might as well forget about getting it back.