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 car - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By tmhires - October 27 - 1:04 pm

  My mom bought this car in 98 used with 17+k and it now has 248759 on the OD i change the oil every 3000mils and check the tranny fluid every few oil changesits been to NY and IN many times and never had anything go wrong but once in the winter when i went to IN the starter went out but hey it was the OE part it came with so no worries there i would tell ppl to buy one love it

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  Bulletproof - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By breannarae - October 26 - 6:17 pm

  I have to agree with Jason2012, I think the real problem you all are experiencing is operator error. My 05 Cobalt Coupe rides, handles, preforms and is more reliable than a lot of new cars my friends own. I have an extremely bad back and long trips in the car never irritate it, I find the seats very comfy. The suspension is unreal, it has nearly 150,000km on it and still runs like new. Never had any problems with it, but I always maintain it. I worked at a GM Dealer for quite a while and these cars dont often have problems. They have a bulletproof drivetrain. You could have this car for 300 000 km + if you maintain it. I just wish I had and upgraded model with more options than base.

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  great looking exterior but wouldnt buy again... - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By wolfmagic7 - October 25 - 6:00 pm

  wife loved it but is easily impressed. ive driven this car for 1 year now and bought it after describing the testdrive as "adequate" to her and the salesman. when i feel different, i will change my review. we bought it from dealer near end of 3 year warranty and the first issue to fix was excess wind noise due to thin metal and windows. it was heaviest in its class so seemed safer against larger vehicles, but feels paper thin. closing doors sounds tinny. poor mileage way never ever coming close to ratings is biggest issue with it.

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  Good car, but some shortcomings - 2012 Chevrolet Malibu
  By brownco4 - October 25 - 2:10 pm

  PROS - Fun to drive (acceleration, handling, seat comfort) I like the power moon roof. Quiet ride and nice, roomy trunk. CONS - Tilt steering wheel is too low (even when it and the seats are adjusted). Mileage on my Buick LeSabre is better than this Malibu. Finally, the trunk release works, but the lifters do not lift, opening it unlike any other car Ive ever had.

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  Great vehicle so far - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mcclane - October 25 - 12:51 pm

  We bought our equinox new 4000 miles ago and it has been all we hoped it would be. I read a lot of good reviews on it so we decided to take the plunge and buy one. We wanted a bigger vehicle without giving up a lot of mpg. We have the 4 cylinder LT model and average over 29 mpg. The majority of our miles have been highway but on the highway we get between 30 and 31 mpg. Im 62" and its comfortable to take on longer trips. The moving backseat is also fantastic. We have it up the majority of the time to add to the storage and all the way back when we have friends in the back. They have more then enough room (as did I when I tried it out in the back once). Overall, very happy.

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  Dissapointed! - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mrdubious1 - October 22 - 11:33 pm

  I have 7000 miles on my 2012 Equinox (6Cyl) and so far I am very dissapointed with it. The 6 speed transmission shifts unexpectedly while driving making the car feels as though its stalling. Acceleration is jerky and at time flat wont move when you need power. Power steering vibrates while parking and backing out of my garage as though your parking an 18 wheeler! and a pump noise coming from engine compartment on drivers side that sounds like a playing card in a bicycle wheel spoke. I cant wait to get rid of this piece of crap!

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  Best Car ive ever had - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By miwemiwe - October 19 - 3:42 pm

  I bought my TB in 2004 and it had 80k miles, was a rebuilt and now in 2012 it has 160k miles. Awesome car, barely brakes down other than ussual battery and tire replacelement. The only thing i notices thats begining to break down is the window power but to do date its been awesome car with fog lights still working.

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  My best car yet... - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By templetonpeck - October 17 - 3:01 pm

  Bought my 05 Impala in January of 2006, it was used with 17k miles. As of now, it has 198k miles. Sad to say, those miles are starting to show. Theres a lot of nickle and dime stuff going out (windows roll down, but not up, gauges get stuck, and other things), but shes been a good car for 6+ years and 175k miles. Its time to hand it off to the kids for their school car. If youre looking for a status symbol, the Impala isnt it. If youre looking for a good solid car that will get you to point A to point B, it gets the job done.

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  my first car - 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
  By hockeystud99 - October 15 - 10:07 pm

  Well i got my 1998 3.8l camaro for my 16th birthday, and have been driving it hard ever since. While i really wish i had the money to afford the z28 model, or a pontiac trans am, i am extremely happy with the performance of this car. For a v6, this car puts up numbers that you cant argue with. This thing will leave comparable v6 mustangs in the dust, and will AT LEAST keep up with the mustang gts from around this year. While its no ls1, the 3.8 in this camaro pulls very hard, and has great acceleration, and is a thrill to drive every time you are behind the wheel. With performance like this from the base model, i can barely imagine what it would be like to drive a v8 camaro.

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  Great car! - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By hannam - October 14 - 9:30 pm

  I drove this car for almost a year before someone ran a red light and totaled it. Looks great for the price, easy to drive and great for a first car! I bought it with 90k and drove it to 100k. I did have a few issues with it. The backseat was really difficult to access. If you buy with the original radio, be aware that installing a new radio could put you in the $200-300 range as the system is connected to many other things in the car (like the beeps for when your car door is open). AC went out around 94,000 miles. The lights below around the gearshift went out, and I had to hit the gearshift to make them come back on. All in all, Im still happy with the purchase and sad to lose it.