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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  This vehicle is dangerous - 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mark330 - December 5 - 9:13 am

  This is a 4-cyl, 6-spd, front wheel drive. Owned for 8 months, have put 15,500 miles on it. Ive been stranded twice due to break-downs, both times requiring a tow back to the dealer. The transmission has major problems, leads to the starter shorted and burned off, and fit and finish is so poor that road dust gathers in the cabin. The front wheel drive is fine on dry roads as long as you keep the traction control on. On wet or icy roads, the vehicle is down right dangerous. Without the traction control you slide all over the place, with the traction control the anti-spin engages and the vehicle will not move. All-wheel drive is obviously a most with this SUV.

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  May be last Chevy.. - 2012 Chevrolet Malibu
  By bigbearrc - December 1 - 10:24 am

  Downsized form a 2002 Impala to this for gas mileage. Big mistake. Impala averaged 28mpg. I am lucky to hit that using cruse control full time. Car is very underpowered. Almost dangerous to pass anyone. Car has great looks , but appears to be all flash and lost its basics. Stering while stopped acts like it lacks the power to steer car. Had for three months and want to replace. Will after getting some of the deprciation. Looking at 2013, it would appear GM knew this car was very deficient.

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  bad experience - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By the_master1 - November 27 - 9:59 am

  I traded my Honda Accord for 2011 Chevy Cruze 1LT with 17000 Mileage, convising my self that buying American brand would be the best decision! but i guess i was wrong. the problems with this care started 2nd week: noise in dash board, transmission shift very hard, I took the car to 4 GM dealer they all said it s normal " the transmission learning how you drive" really? I Drove to Detroit twice i meet with the head of customer service, and complain Dep but they did not do anything! this car is a trash and the new transmission that GM Praise is a joke! when the temperature drop below 30 you are screwed. after owning the car for 8 months (waisting money, time..) i traded to better quality.

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  disappointed - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By waithair1219 - November 19 - 11:23 am

  i purchased a new 2012 chevy sonic 5 miles my car sways all over the place at highway speeds dealer will not help me and i am talking with gm. i wouldnt recommend this car to anyone .i am so upset over this i am not hte only one with this problem they are posted all over the internet .this car should be recalled. the dealer i purchased the car from will not adress my concerns at all . this is an unsafe vehicle

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  Dont waiste your money on a Camaro! - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
  By cruize - November 16 - 5:14 pm

  3,000 miles = grinding noise while in motion. 3,500 miles = grinding noise fixed by dealer said it was parking brake engaging while in drive. 3,500 miles = Front Engine cover oil leaks 3,800 mile = Engine oil pan leaks I contacted Generl Motors and explain that this car is falling apart before 4,000 miles. Taylor at Technical Customer Service says thats why it comes with a warranty. All we can do is repair it when it occurs. After two weeks of phone tag GM offers to give me complimentary oil change. I need to return the headache to GM but according to them thats not possible so here it is less than 4,000 miles and car will be in shop for a week to try to fix 2 oil leaks. Acceptable?

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  Regret after regret - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By rkammer - November 7 - 1:07 pm

  This car was my first brand-new car purchase. The first weekend I had it, I had to take it back to the dealer because it had rained where I live and my entire trunk was soaking wet. The rear windshield had not been sealed and they had to replace the carpeting in my trunk and rear dash board. Since then, my now three year old car has been recalled 4 times. In my opinion, that is excessive. I wish I could get every penny back I spent on this car, and to top it off, customer service with GM has been terrible. This car has convinced me I will never buy any GM product ever again.

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  My Letter to General Motors Corporation 11/7/2012 - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By perplexed2007 - November 7 - 7:58 am

  Bought car new in Nov. 2006, nothing but problems, shouldve know something was wrong when I had to have oil pan gasket reoplaced 2x by 30k mi, after that, window motor, electrical problems, computer that controls windows failed, catalytic con.. before 50k, muffler, trans gears, wire from brakes to shifter 2x, and now the trans at 118k+, the dealersship is willing to cover the cost of the trans repair or replacement all but $500. Yeah to Dealership. I dont feel I should have to pay anything since Ive been knowing there was a problem with the trans bfore warranty expired. I Contacted chevy customer support and they are useless, they are not willing to cover the rest. I will never buy GMC

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  Do Not Recommend - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By rachelwww - November 6 - 6:47 pm

  I bought this car at 57000 miles. The timing belt broke at 79000, apparently timing belts in this car like to murder themselves and the cars engine in the process. with a price tag of $1500-2200 to fix. This problem came along with other repairs that should not have had to be done in accordance with annual maintenance on the car, such as the air intake replacement and replacing and fixing various other cheaply made parts, the repair costs for this car have nearly outweighed the cost of it in the first place. Also it took me a week to find the cupholder. NOT a user friendly vehicle.

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  Dissapointed! - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mrdubious1 - October 22 - 11:33 pm

  I have 7000 miles on my 2012 Equinox (6Cyl) and so far I am very dissapointed with it. The 6 speed transmission shifts unexpectedly while driving making the car feels as though its stalling. Acceleration is jerky and at time flat wont move when you need power. Power steering vibrates while parking and backing out of my garage as though your parking an 18 wheeler! and a pump noise coming from engine compartment on drivers side that sounds like a playing card in a bicycle wheel spoke. I cant wait to get rid of this piece of crap!

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  2010 Chevrolet Equinox - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rick2010chequ - October 11 - 12:14 pm

  If you are thinking about buying this car, dont. 32,700 miles I bought this used. Worst mistake of my life buying this car. I wish I could trade it for another. Not happy at all. The dash board vibrates and rattles. I have had this in for repair at the Chevy dealer since I first bought this car. I had a 1960 Chevy Impala and a 1976 Chevy Special and was happy with them for many years. Buyer beware...do not buy 2010 Chevrolet Equinox or you will be sorry. I wish I had read these reviews before I purchased this horrible car. You feel cheap in this car. You hear the road noise...horrible. Buying this car makes me feel like a complete idiot.