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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  2011 Equinox 6 cylnder - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By vlies - April 30 - 7:32 pm

  I was very unhappy to bring my car in, it showed on the car computer that it back fired on all cylinders by they were not able to determine why. Why have the computer code if it doesnt tell you the reason. This is the second time this Equinox has been in for problems with similar issues in the last year, it only has 24,000 miles on it. If this coninues, it will likely be the last GM vehicle that I buy again, and it has 20 years since I purchased an american company car. It makes me sad to give up on the American Auto industry. They should have simply tried some things such as new spark plugs, fuel flush, retiminig the car, whatever. I felt that would have been at least some action. The prop

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  Poor performace - 2013 Chevrolet Impala
  By wolfdoctor - April 28 - 5:19 am

  After 800 miles, I can honestly say Im ready to get rid of this car. When the car is cold, the acceleration can only be described as herky-jerky and the car loses power when I turn right. The gas mileage is also poor - about 17 mpg. I havent had the time to take it into the shop, because it would have to stay there all day long. Terrible car.

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  poor fuel milage/ok vehical - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By fordmaster73 - April 27 - 1:46 pm

  My wife and I bought our 04 suburban with the Z71 package. at first we loved this vehicle (and still really like it). but we feel the fuel mileage is horrible! It left us stranded 30 miles in the wilderness after a camping trip with no phone services when the ground wire to the ECM (computer) broke. It cost us $400 at a dealer to fix a wire and re-flash the computer. the battery and alternator also needed replaced but I was OK with that considering its age and mileage. just figured it was normal maintenance. the brakes have always felt week even after replacing them and flushing the old fluid out. the power of the 5.3L I feel is undersized for this size of vehicle.

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  Not horrible, but not great - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By lovethepudge - April 18 - 2:19 pm

  Lets just say that thankfully my dad knows his way around cars or this review could be much worse. I bought my 2004 Chevy Aveo in 2008 with 95,000 miles, it’s now at 116,000 miles. In the 4.5 years that I have owned it, we have replaced the gas cap, the catalytic converter, one of the pulleys just broke and the serpentine belt came off. (thankfully it wasn’t the timing belt) I had the timing belt replaced right after I bought it in 2008. All new tires, replaced rotors (causing the front end to shake when I hit the brakes, nothing major). New muffler in 2011. The transmission sticks when it gets too cold outside. (It’s been doing that for a few years now).

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  Something GM got right. - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By jghs16 - April 14 - 9:53 am

  I have owned hondas since 01. Decided to trade one in for a lease on a cruze. The cockpit is nice. Was overwhelmed at first by the technology. Automatic shifts smooth even though I miss my stick already. I wish the arm rest wasnt so useless. Cupholders are too small also. Both pluss from my honda civic. The quietness of the cabin is welcoming. I can see fine but sometimes I think the view could be better. Seats are kozy. Trunk is fine. Radio sounds great. Overall I am pleased with the lease. Glad I did give GM another try. Gas mileage isnt too far off from my honda either.

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  mixed feelings - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By ifyousayso - April 8 - 8:23 pm

  I bought the car certified used with 28,000 miles 2 mos after warped rotors. dealership w/ plenty of "warranty" says rotors arent covered (bumper to bumper??). After market rotors hadnt come out yet so I had them turned. 1500 miles later warped again. I also noticed uneven tire wear. Took it in to have alignment checked dealer told me it was to GM spec. Took it to a local tire shop which informed me GM spec (at that time) was very broad. ie. Properly aligned didnt mean it was optimized for tire life. I had them align and put on a set of tires. 65000 miles later no uneven wear. clear coat started peeling from spoiler 2000 miles after warranty on paint was up. see Fav Features.

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  Putrid backup camera - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By fairportion - April 8 - 7:35 am

  Wow, big screen display for camera.Finally, my wife has a car w/a camera. Hah! The camera is too dark to see when backing from a garage and then, apparently, it adjusts to the light and is better. Hmmmm? By then I guess you could run over 3 tricycles and a shovel. Likewise, at night, the camera is virtually useless. There is insufficient light from backup lights to illuminate the area you need to see. This thing should be recalled and fixed. NOW! Conversely, my Kia Soul camera works very well in all the same situations. So much for Yankee ingenuity and the $Billion bailout (oh yeah, my 2013 Equinox was made in Canada).Secondly, the luggage space is laughable compared to our RAV4s.

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  Not Impressed - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By sepilyons - April 4 - 12:13 pm

  I thought I had spent pleanty of time researching vehicles before purchasing (1 year) apparently not. Bought the car in Aug 2012 with about 20K miles on it, there are now about 34K on it, and Im now beggining to notice strange noises. When the car is turned on and not moving the hood seems to vibrate very loud, and after about 10 min of running it sounds like its going to die. Also there is now a thump type noise under my feet similar to a ball rolling around when I break or accelerate. I know all cars have issues but I guess I didnt expect problems in under a year or ownership. Now Im stuck in a car for the next 6 years that Im not 100% happy with! Kinda sucks!

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  2010 Equinox Problems with A/C and Shift - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By 2010equinox1 - March 31 - 7:22 pm

  Bought 2010 Equinox new...(now has 36,600 miles) had no problems while it was under warranty with the exception of the tire monitoring system. Then, received a notice from Chevrolet about the software update required for the engine oil monitor. Took it in a little over a week ago. Since then the A/C does not cool and the shifter started sticking...in Drive and can only move to the Neutral position (strange coincidence...huhhh???). Can turn off...but, the key cannot be removed from the ignition. After 30 minutes of wiggling the shifter...finally got it into Park and could then remove key. Easter Sunday weekend... everything was closed so could not get it fixed...had to cancel trip. :(

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  Traverse........What a piece of - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By xroads - March 29 - 7:20 am

  If you are looking for a good dependable vehicle, dont think about a Traverse. Bought a brand new off the lot 2011 Traverse in the fall of 2010. Right of the beginning there were problems. The on-star had a broken wire that had to go back to the dealer. Then, two different computers went out in the first 20K, then at 30K the transfer case went out. Now it is out of warranty and the front wheel bearing has gone out, and the radio buttons are going bad. Gas mileage? Dont even think you are going to get close to what they advertise. We average right at 17mpg, with lots of hwy driving. Just about to 60K miles, and we are due to replace the second set of tires. dont buy!