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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  not bad - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By thisguy3 - September 5 - 2:14 pm

  Recived this car with 95000 miles from family member, and have a mostly possitive experience. The V6 has plenty of low end torque, so much that we used to use it as a pickup for lumber and things, steering has very good feel for a minivan, although is a bit heavy at low speeds, and is fairly comfortable.

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  Please help me! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By elizabeth3578 - September 5 - 12:35 pm

  I bought my car in april 2012. its an 05 chevy equinox. ive had it for 5 months now and it has been in the shop 5 times. The first time was the day after i got it for an alignment. The second time was because my brakes would fail, not stop and vibrate/jerk. I would have to push really hard on the brake to actually stop. the abs light would come on and my traction control would turn off. the car would be out of control and not stop. I took it to one of DTs shops and they supposeably fixed it. not even a week later, the brakes wouldnt work and the abs light/traction control light came on. i took it back to the shop and this time the people at the shop were jerks. said nothing was wrong and to basically drive until i crash it or dont drive at all. left the shop drove approximately 2 miles the abs light/traction control light came on. took it right back. they said oh there is a problem. they replaced the abs sensor. got it back a week later and they said it was fixed. once again right when it got out it drove fine but not even a week later the brakes would not work. i got fed up with DT that i went a month without doing anything. the car was getting so bad that i took it to a different shop. they replaced the abs sensor again. got it back still the same problem. took it back they changed the driver side hub assembly. got it out was okay then week later back in the shop. this time it was the brake module sensor or something like that. got it back about three weeks ago and still having the same problem but its worse now. i cant tell you how many times ive almost been in a accident its ridiculous. what can i do? can anyone help me figure out how to get rid of this car?

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  Short lived value - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By 29karma13 - September 5 - 11:59 am

  This is one of those "seems to good to be true" kind of deals. When you purchase the deal just seems to be really good for what you get. But as soon as that warranty runs out... that is when you start paying for the car. At 36,000 miles it only has a 7.000 trade in value even if in mint condition. At 37,000 miles it is broke down in the middle of nowhere and even the onstar is unable to work to call for help. ( yes just 1000 miles after the warranty is out). I have put several sets of tires on this and had it aligned countless times because there is a problem that GM will not recognize with the suspension system. The people at goodyear told me that the impala is their best customers!

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  a believer - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
  By woodstock8 - September 4 - 8:20 pm

  The avalanche of accolades/thumbs up from bystanders & motorists, young & old, guy or girl, are telling. This is America (Canadians helped) at its best. People respect the SS b/c they think its sexy, fast - & theyd be half right. What they dont know is how comfortable the ride is even on 20"s (better than my Toureg/C class), how easy it is to drive in town, how stable it is at freeway speeds & how comfortable/roomy this interior is (headroom not withstanding). The white stripe package on black pops, but few cars under 100k elicit the positive vibes this Super Skunk is getting. Doesnt handle w/ the immediacy of a 997 I test drove, but is much more relaxing to drive.

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  6 Month Update - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By cruzefan1 - September 4 - 3:56 pm

  I purchased my 2012 Chevy Cruze Eco automatic on 3/2/2012 so I thought I would give a 6 month update. So far I have had no reliability issues. The car is fairly quiet and rides smooth for a small car. The interior is very roomy and more upscale then some of the competition. I have been avg. 35-36 mpg with 75% highway and 25% city driving. There are a few things that could be improved, being very minor. The first being to make the center consel a little larger and a bigger arm rest. Second would be a little more legroom for larger adults in the backseat. Finally, the transmission seems to be a little sleepy and searching for gears.

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  Money Pit!!!! - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By hummers - September 3 - 11:23 pm

  We bought this vehicle used with 60,000 miles almost 2 years ago. Since it was used, we went ahead and got the extended warranty from the dealership. we had to replace the plugs for the car chargers, we had to replace the heated seat sensors twice w/in 2 weeks, the ignition cylinder had to be replaced so that the car would stop cutting in and out. Then just after the warranty expired, we were told the routers needed to be replaced, but in order to do so the entire brake system had to be done. Weve had a slight power steering leak, and today while driving down a country road the transmission went out!! Ahhh, stay away from this money pit. Not worth the problems and money

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  not a good car - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By louie1954 - September 3 - 10:38 am

  I got this car new I only have 12000 miles on it and i have complained from the first 500 miles that the car has a shake between 15 and 20 miles per hour. This has been addressed to the maintenance people at Ray Dennison with no satisfaction This is not normal per the maintenance people. I am now experiencing other things like a rumble when I accelerate. This car has been very disappointing I will never buy another probably never another chevy poor gas mileage

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  So Many Problems - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By allexwags - September 2 - 10:16 pm

  I have an 03 cavi with 130,000 miles. There are so many things wrong with it Im not sure where to start.. I bought it used a year ago. The speedometer doesnt function at all, the whole dashboard doesnt function when it is hot outside. It burns through a quart of oil every week or so. Smokes out the muffler when I press on the gas after stopping, which is now held on to my car via tape. Cracked belt. Air only works when it wants to. I hate this car. There are so many things wrong with it & I cant even save up money to buy a new one because it needs so much maintenance.

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  The best in large SUVs - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By quickjack - September 1 - 6:58 am

  I had my Suburban for 2 years, and during that time racked up 25,000 miles without issue. Aside from being one of the most reliable vehicles I have had, it was also the most comfortable, more so than my Jaguar or Cadillac. I averaged 15 mpg city and 19 highway. I used it as a tow vehicle at times, where it pulled a 4000lb car plus trailer without breaking a sweat, even managing 14 mpg on the freeway doing it. The big truck was deceptively easy to drive, even in the worst of weather. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a large people mover.

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  Piece of Crap - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By jnnfr39 - September 1 - 4:02 am

  Bought this 2004 trailblazer with 40,000 miles on it 2 years ago. Looked fine inside and out. Have had nothing but problems since I drove it off the lot. From power window motor burning out ( $175 to replace just the motor) to main electronic control panel melting down under the passenger seat directly under my childs car seat,to serious motor problems and all this before I even have 100,000 miles on it. All in all its in the shop more often than not and I usually walk out with a $300 to $500 repair bill. No my mechanic is not a thief. The latest repair is going to be well over $1000. THe check engine light is on all the time and I am absolutely sick of this vechicle. What a dissapointment.