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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  Eeks and knocks (its real name) - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By thedetailguy - July 11 - 11:34 pm

  Burned oil from day one. Never saw more than 22.5mpg out of this, Eco mode or not. Timing chain replaced at 20,000 miles along with 8 total (half of the valves). Driver seat lumbar broke not once but twice. Made a weird pop noise when warming up from exhaust area, alternator seemed too weak for the car, high pressure fuel pump, pistons and rings replaced at 38,200 miles, car sold back to dealer after this replacement at 10 miles later. Couldnt be happier to be out of that hell hole. Two engine tear downs at less than 4 years of age and 40,000 miles s. wow! No more Chevy for us!

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  good luck with this truck - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By judyh66 - July 11 - 6:36 pm

  This truck was a money pit. Check engine light tortured me daily. I spent so much money (thousands) of dollars trying to get rid of this light. Then the abs light and brake light came on and lit up my dash for 3 yrs. Nobody could fix it. They would turn off the light with their machines and I would drive around the block and theres the lights right back on. After 18k I traded it in for 4k and just got the nightmare out of my life. Will never buy another one.

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  Last Chevy for me - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rondh - July 7 - 9:10 pm

  Chevy sold me a car with a known & unresolved problem with the torque converter clutch. Not mentioned before the sale or the sale would not have occurred. I wont go into all the drama, but Chevy and the dealer sold a new car that needs the transmission dropped and would not replace a chipped chrome wheel, valued at over $700, that I did not cause. I have since traded this very poor example of Chevy quality, and yes, I took a real beating on the trade.

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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.

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  Poor Reliability Packaged in Comfortable Riding Vehicle - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By goldilocks2 - June 24 - 6:08 am

  Purchased brand new 2010 Chevy Equinox LT2 in March 2010. I had no problems with the car until 47,000 miles and then began to experience same engine problems reported by many owners on the Edmunds.com 2010 Chevrolet Equinox forum discussion: Rough sounding engine, threatening to stall when driving less than 20 mph or was idling. Dealer service center replaced drivetrain under warranty and air conditioner compressor. At 62,000 miles, needed 2nd drive train, so new dealer service center replaced engine. Now engine appears to work, but windshield wiper transmission blew at 69,000 miles, and actuator in air/heat unit needs replaced. This car is poor quality, but good ride. It is a money pit.

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  disappointed - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By indyguy13 - June 9 - 10:29 pm

  I bought a 2013 Sonic LS sedan in late Feb., 2013. 3,400 miles on it. The steering feels loose, especially at highway speeds. Wanders in the lane and you constantly have to correct. Took it back to Chev. dealers 3 times and they said nothing was wrong. Ive owned/driven many small cars and never had this issue before. The heater takes a long time to warm up. No engine temperature gauge. Poor visibility. Rough ride. Idles rough. Must use synthetic oil (Dexos). Transmission not smooth. Very cheap, ugly upholstery. MyLink sound system but no CD player. Want to buy American? This has a Hungarian engine, Korean tires, and Chinese spare tire. Buy something else, not a Sonic.

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  Front end problems - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By charliedog2 - May 23 - 4:31 pm

  Purchased the Traverse new in December 2010. In June 2011 at 24,000 kms, both front struts and shocks along with other misc. items replaced under warranty. Now at 48,000 kms, the struts and mounts are completely warn out and need to be replaced. The warranty went off 5 months ago at age 3.The vehicle is only 3.4 years old and on second rebuild of front end. My wife drives this vehicle in the city and on the Hwy. It has seen no gravel and is basically a kid, dog, and grocery hauler. We are very disappointed with this vehicle. The Fuel economy is no where near what they promised. Going down hill with the wind at your rear you may get 21 mpg. No more Chevy Products for this family.

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  No armrest padding - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By pocprotec - April 21 - 3:13 pm

  My 2009 Chevrolet Malibu hybrid has no armrest padding from the manufacturer. As a result, I have bursitis on one elbow. It also has Onstar but there is no compass in the car.

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  Worst Vehicle I ever bought! Avoid at all costs! - 2008 Chevrolet Colorado
  By runnscore - April 18 - 8:00 pm

  I bought my 2008 Chevrolet Colorado used from the dealer with 36,000 miles. Unfortunately I did not purchase the extended warranty. From day 1 I had problems with cold start hesitations. Spent lots of money at the dealership to fix with no luck. I had the truck for 2 years and every 4 months the battery would just die. The dealership could not figure out this problem either. I also had two seperate problems with the a/c just stop working. The last straw was when the trucks battery died when my pregnant wife was driving the truck and I was out of town. Avoid this truck. I am so much happier with my Toyota.

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  Never again - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
  By rbyrer - April 8 - 10:42 am

  (Wont Buy Another Chevy) because Last year I bought a "new" 2012 Camaro. Kept it for a year, didnt like it much and went to trade it in at another car brand dealership. They ask me how it had been wrecked. I told them I bought it new and it had not been wrecked. As it turns out Carfax said it had been wrecked before I bought the car, checked the vin code, it was correct. They had sold me what I thought was a new car which had been wrecked. Went back to the GM dealer, the service manager said they did not know it had been wrecked and refused to do anything about it. I called GM to complain and get something done about it. They sided with the dealer! Maher Chevrolet, ST Pete, Fl.