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:

• 

  Buyer beware... - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By bocakin12 - April 13 - 7:32 am

  I fell in love with how pretty this car was immediately. It came with all the bells and whistles, and after years of driving a straight forward Focus, I had to have it. Even after reading the reviews on this site about how sketchy the Equinox could be, I thought "that wont be me." Ohhhh but it is. Two weeks after I bought it the check engine light was one, never to leave. The airbag light quickly followed. Followed by two brake jobs, the starter issue mentioned so many times by other users, and who knows what is next. Cannot wait to trade it in after paid off. Such a shame because it still is so pretty...

• 

  Regret this purchase GM - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dmt1968 - April 12 - 12:22 pm

  This is my second Malibu. I bought this one because I was so pleased with my 03. This 07 is a big let down. At only 52k miles, I have many problems. Gas gage doesnt work, Transmission slams and slips gears, Grinding noise in the front wheels (breaks are fine). Ive kept up on all of my scheduled maintances, and of course the power-tran warranty ran out at 5 yrs. I guess GM planned that out well. The dealer swears they cant find a thing wrong with the transmission, but I really dont think you should feel like someone rear ended you when you come to a stop. And, I hate that the transmission is a closed system, cant even check the fluid without taking it to a mechanic.

• 

  Not bad for the money - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By docsbw - April 11 - 1:31 pm

  This car hauls me up over a 9000 ft summit at 70 mph, granted it is singing for all its worth but it gets the job done. 32 mpg highway. Handles well. Has some cheap stuff like drink holder and hood release, gas cap and interior plastic parts. It was thousands cheaper than the stripped toyota and we have cruise, tilt power everything and on star. Overall its ok 3 out of 5. Has had some issues with front end and ate a set of tires in 20k miles. It is a inexpensive economy car, not a caddy. If I had the extra 4k I would buy the toyota but then you start getting into a lot more money higher payments etc for ECONOMY.

• 

  1996 Chevy Caprice 4.3 - 1996 Chevrolet Caprice
  By qshoulders - April 11 - 9:34 am

  I have owned my 96 Chevy Caprice for 3 years, I bought it with only 23,000 miles of it. As of right now it has 44,000 miles on it. The performance is great the ride is very smooth and comftontable. I have plans to own this car forever, and if someone have the opportunity to own one it would be a great buy. I drive it from FL to Miss every summer and it have been great to me on my road trips.

• 

  First and Last GM product! - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By old_yogi - April 10 - 7:11 pm

  My Equinox was delivered to my home (Fort Gratiot, MI) 8 March 2012. 9 March 2012 I drove it to Indianapolis, during the drive there the transmission would not downshift in time to stop the engine from lugging when going up a grade. I have been told that there will be new software to correct this problem in May 2012. while in Indianapolis the "Malfunction Light" came on, OnStar (another story) told me if I didnt get the vehicle in for service within one day that the warranty could be voided. I found a dealership on Saturday that informed me the "cam actuator" was defective and that the redesigned cam actuator was on backorder, backorder, and that I should not drive the Equinox any great dis

• 

  Transmission Trouble & Havent Made 1st Payment - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By notsogreat - April 10 - 6:26 pm

  I was so excited to get my new Equinox (6 cyl 2LT until 37 days and 1,800 miles later. The transmission is bad- at least so far the shift solenoids. We were told they had to order those parts first before they can tell if there is any additional damage to the transmission. If this doesnt fix it, they will begin replacing parts. Theyd dont have a clue when well get it back and Im worried it will be a lemon. With problems like this so soon, GM should be falling all over themselves to get us a new identical vehicle at no extra cost to us. At the very least, they should start with replacing the entire transmission and not just tinker around with it. Are we upset?? You bet....

• 

  Great Car! - 2011 Chevrolet HHR
  By gonzo79 - April 9 - 10:55 pm

  Wife and I bought this car about a year back. So far we use it for all of our trips and like the quiet ride. We now have 35k on it and it runs like a dream. Smooth auto trans and quite peppy for 2.2 - 4 cyl engine. We can get all the groceries, and all of our newborns equipment in the hatch. We get between 26.5-28mpg on average. Fun little car, we have enjoyed it so far. Wish they didnt discontinue them!

• 

  Dream Car - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By regularguynlr - April 9 - 10:19 am

  I bought my Vette 6 months ago, November 5th 2011. I have always wanted a Vette Convertible since I was a 6 year old boy and my brother gave me one as a toy! The car is a blast to drive, loads of power, will take a curve like she is on rails and makes me smile the whole time. The seats are not the best for comfort, the ride is a bit harsh over rough roads and the 6 speed manual takes some getting used too ( Still getting use to it!). But hey, did I say its a Corvette? And, people always stop me and say, "Beautiful car!" Long distances are a bit of a challenge on the ole bum, but at least its a Corvette!

• 

  2013 Malibu - 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
  By sipper1 - April 7 - 9:56 pm

  So far, we have owned the car for one week with one extended trip. MPG is what we expected, but when driving in the 55 mph zones, the mpg exceeds the EPA mileage. The quiet ride, smoothness, and overall comfort are quite impressive.

• 

  Worst Car, Absolute Junk - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By rmk711 - April 7 - 8:35 pm

  This is absolutely the worst car I have ever owned, or known anybody to have ever owned, worst mistake of my car buying life letting myself be sold into buying this car. Everything on the car breaks! This car company is paid for in part by my tax dollars and at this point I feel like I have not only been ripped off by GM, but also by the American government. GM needs to take responsibility for its poor product designs whether part of the NEW GM or the OLD GM, recall these cars and give me a refund of absurd amount of money I have had to pay for a poor excuse of a way to get to work and pay my tax dollars to support this country.