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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  Mine is actually a 3.8 V6 - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By tracym1974 - January 2 - 10:37 pm

  I bought my Lumina in 2004 and just sold it. I never had a problem with this car. All I had to do to it was regular maintenance, oil change, brakes, plugs, other fluids. Well, I did have to replace the compressor after 6 yrs and a new battery. It drove smooth as silk. I always felt very safe in this car. Initially, I thought the car was nothing to look at but after driving it all these years..the looks didnt matter. I had two wrecks in this car and it bounced back everytime. I wish I didnt sell it. Bought it with 76,000miles on it and sold it with 206,000. It never left me stranded not once. I am looking for another one.

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  Proud of my 2003 Chevy Venture Minivan - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By keeley00 - January 2 - 12:15 pm

  I bought my van in Feb of 2006 with 130000 miles already on it. Im not sure how the previous owners maintained the van, but since I bought it I have changed the oil every 4000-5000 miles. I had to have the transmission rebuilt in 2007, but it now has 270000 miles on it and a daily driver still. The other issues I have had with this van has been the poor headlight vision and frequent blown headlight bulbs and turn signals due to leakage into the headlights. I am very pleased with this van overall and if I was in the market for another van I would buy this same one. Just an fyi from a venture owner.

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  Some flaws, but still a great first car! - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By lexxibaby - January 1 - 1:30 pm

  I bought this car almost 2 years ago, it had about 82K on it. Now Im at about 112K. The head gasket was broken when I bought it but I got that fixed at the dealer. 3 months later, my alternator broke, but that didnt take much! And I have had a few brake problems, but I love the drive and I got in a car accident a few days ago and nothing was severely ruined! Only my radiator and headlight, and small bend on the hood. Although I have metal bumpers, definitely dont get the plastic ones because thats what saved my car! There was a fuel pump problem, but that I only happened when I ran out of gas completely. Sounds like a lot, but I did go to the junk yard to get to parts so it was cheap!

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  Excellent road car, with great mileage - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By baghdaddy - January 1 - 5:43 am

  This Cruze is by far the best Chevrolet ever. An attractive car, built to be quiet and comfortable on the road, with a huge trunk, and gas mileage that continues to impress. Most of my driving is commuting into Washington, DC, and I have averaged 39.9 mpg, over the 5,200 miles I have driven this car since new.

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  Battery Memory - 2011 Chevrolet Volt
  By drydoc - December 31 - 9:11 pm

  In love, at first, several trips to the dealer during the first six weeks for "unexplained" engine error messages", almost made me invoke the "Lemon Law". Life settled down after a computer upgrade...until early in the 5th month that I owned the car. At that point, a full charge became less and less miles. I began at 38 - 40 miles ev per charge and now I am at best, 23 -24 miles ev. The Chevy Volt team and my local dealer state that it is the weather and the way that I drive it. First of all...the way I drive it should not change the battery capacity. Secondly, it is not even cold yet...average temp approx. 42 degrees. Thirdly, I charge it in a heated garage.

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  Cold Weather Issues - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By voltguy - December 28 - 11:39 pm

  This car has great potential and I really like it, but reconsider getting one if you live in an area with cold weather. When I first got the car in the first week in November I was getting the 35 miles GM claims. As it got colder I now only get 25 miles on a full charge. GM is telling me this is normal. At 25 miles, Im actually only getting about 17-20 since I have to run heat. I have been doing the math and with amount of electric it takes to charge for just 17-20 actual miles, it costs more than burring gas. The dealer has told me there is nothing they can do about the issue. I hope GM gets this issues fixed.

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  Avalanche LTZ - 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By yakfloater - December 28 - 1:12 pm

  Purchased this truck new in December of 08. Traded in my 04 Avalanche after putting on 130,000 miles. I am very pleased with the ride comfort and new styling, interior and exterior, compared to the 04. I have used this truck for freeway commuting for work and for towing a snowmobile trailer and camping trailer. The gas mileage in commute traffic on the freeway averages 16.5, towing the 5,000lb trailer = 9.5. Now at 54,000 miles the truck uses oil, 1qt per 1000miles and there are more rattles in the dash/interior than any vehicle I,ve ever owned. I,ve been back to the dealer 3 times to have the oil consumption issue resolved but GM doesnt have any fixes that seem to work.

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  junk from day one - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By tankzulla - December 28 - 4:30 am

  bought certified pre owned 2008 with 34k miles. 3 months in the ball join and control arm break replaced for free. november hits and snow falls car is uncontrollable in any snow or wet conditions even at 10 mph. 2 times car has flown across highway turning sideways almost crashed both times. i take it and the tires are worn to the medal on the inside of the tread out of pocket 250 for new ones with no explanation of why only the inside was worn down took it back out in the snow and lost it again. dealership has no solution and gm says its not awd thats why. when i could take my 95 turbo supra out and do better. such a pathetic company makes me sick any one else having this problem?

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  stay away - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ajcraighead - December 27 - 6:18 pm

  I picked up the 2012 Equinox in Oct of 2011, it was a down grade from the Toyota Tundra for me. This car I got for the fuel economy, well I do get better gas millage then with the Tundra and I thought was let’s buy American. Well that was a huge mistake. Sense I got this car 3 months ago I’ve been in the shop 6 times and they still can’t figure out what is going on with it. Each time I’ve taken it in, I’ve been there for 6-8 hours each time. Some engineer for Chevy decided to not include brackets or mounts for future add on’s. So now that I want to add factory fog lights on my 1LT I can’t. Thanks Chevy. I first got the 4 cylinder which had no pick up on inclines at all, plus just to get me into a car, they wanted to do an aftermarket sunroof. I brought that on back and they put me in the 6 cylinder, that one has no pick up either, but now I’m stuck. The engine is so computerized now there is no way to do anything on the car yourself. Bottom line I Hate This Car!!!!!!!!!

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  I Missed My Old Equinox - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By techygeek82 - December 27 - 9:56 am

  So for the past 3 years Ive been driving a truck, which I went to from a 2008 Equinox. I loved it and missed it all those years. Now that Im back in one, I have to say Chevy came a LONG way in their design. From the older models having a retro feel to the 2012s which have a more modern look. Im back in the vehicle I love.