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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  Buyers Beware - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cedmond - February 8 - 9:58 pm

  Special ordered my Equinox LTZ in late 2009 and took delivery February 2010. Car has been in the shop 19 times. Had to have speakers replaced, timing chain, cam shaft acturators, cam shaft connectors, and new computer. Has also been in the shop 5 times for heating and cooling issues. I still freeze in the winter with heat on 85 and car doesnt cool in the summer, even on 62 degrees. Dealer has tried to fix 5 times and it still is not fixed. Finally. trading car with only 40,000 miles and 3 years old. All the problems started @ 9000 miles and has been nothing but problems ever since. Called GM and they dont really care. My first and last Chevy!

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  Cold blood car - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mgibby - February 1 - 8:11 pm

  In August 2011 I purchased my Equinox with only 145 miles. Fine until Jan 2012 (A nice Wisconsin morning at 15+ below zero). Driving on the interstate and the SUV started to chug and actually shut down while I was driving. My SUV would not go any faster than 5 mph. A few hrs later, I drove to the local gas station to do a test drive (Less than two miles). SUV seemed to be fine however, on the way back.. it started to chug again. At 4pm, I tried driving the SUV home... made it 7 miles and it did it again. Called the dealership and they found nothing. However, it is cold again (Jan 2013) here in WI and my car is doing a repeat performance. My SUV has been in/out of the shop the four times.

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  Phonics - 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
  By musicmitch - February 1 - 2:01 am

  The suspension is poor. It does not soak up bumps well, or handle potholes well, producing a very uncomfortable ride. Unless you are living in an area with beautifully paved streets and you drive on them all the time - this probably wont matter. And also suspension is designed poorly - unstable. The car jolts left and right when hitting rough pavement, making me wonder what happens if youre on the expressway going fast and you run into this. I think the car is accident prone. The 1.8 engine is noisy, lacks passing power, and wind/road noise is excessive. The 1.4Turbo option quiets the engine noise somewhat and increases torque, but does nothing about the excessive road noise caused by poor insulation. This car is built a little but like the old suvs. Thin and high, rather than long and wide. The center of gravity is too high and too narrow instead of being low and wide. Test drive one yourself and see if im right. On the plus, its much better than the car it replaces - The Aveo. So if you liked that car, youll love this one. Me, ill skip it. Now also think about this: this same 1.8 engine is being used in the much heavier chevy cruz LS also. So do you think you should avoid that trim line? If you decide on the cruz, opt for a higher model with the 1.4 turbo, but its also much more expensive.

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  TIMING BELT BROKE - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By rich200 - January 27 - 3:45 pm

  Many reviews of this car featured a broken timing belt. I have the same story, but it happened on the highway. Thankfully I was in the slow lane -- had I been in the fast lane I would have been killed. Standing on the side of a busy highway waiting for AAA is scary enough. Needed a new belt and top part of the engine. Total repair $2500, but four visits to the repair shop later I decided to junk the car and got $2500 from a dealer using figures from autotrader.com. No harm, no foul and now I have a brand new Honda Fit and vow never, ever to buy a Chevrolet product again.

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  Disappointing - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By warheart - January 25 - 3:02 pm

  I ordered a 2010 Camaro SS and kept it for just over 2 years. I had to convince myself that I liked the car, when I actually couldnt stand it. When people would ask me how I feel about it, Id mutter "eh its fun". But honestly, this thing drives like a clunker. Fast? Absolutely! But it handles like a bus with no visibility. Its advertised MPG is a longshot as well. Its really around 11-14. An additional sting came from the terrible internal options. Anyone that has driven a variety of sports cars can tell you the same thing, this isnt a real sports car. Ive since changed over to a much smaller, lighter, far superior (though slower) RWD vehicle that actually offers a driving experience.

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  Good car - Lousy people - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By woodybap - January 22 - 11:23 pm

  I am so [non-permissible content removed]! First the damn Volt is dead in my own driveway. Four months old and it goes feet up. No prob, I think, we have Onstar. Onstar tries about 3 times and then tells me that the car has apparently shut down due to some security glitch. The car needs to be towed to a dealership. Numerous calls between me and Roadside Assistance. They tell me that they can provide me with the number of their outfit that arranges loaner vehicles. Turns out that number is to a service that apparently does nothing more than provide the names of local rental car agencies. A glorified phone book, if you will. Heck, I could do better with Google. So the tow truck guy shows up. Has no clue

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  Rims - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By stacy1966 - January 20 - 2:40 pm

  I agree with the rims issue.Mine have made noise from the beginning so we had to take one off already and it was bent but still making a noise. am also very disappointed on the gas mileage.I cant seem to keep gas in it and I only drive around 10 miles daily. anyone else with this problem.

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  Disappointed - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By bigdaddy1959 - January 12 - 2:33 pm

  Like most people researching this car, I was shocked to see how many bad things were being said. I trusted Chevy and was happy to go with an American made vehicle. I bought my 2011 Equinox in 2010 and had no idea the torubles to come. Within two years, I had trouble with the censor, needed a new timing belt, high-tech water pump, spark plugs, engine needed to be cleaned, and trouble with traction. I could not believe the issues i encountered. It was a waist of time and money. In the end, I decided to go with a different car and lost out on $5,000.00. I wrote a letter to Chevy, hoping my voice would be heard. Lets see if Chevy is able to instill trust once more. Very disappointed.

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  Multiple Leakages - 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By sjeans - January 9 - 7:54 pm

  I purchased a 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe LT in August of 2009. Between December 2009 January 2013 besides having the left dash panel replaced, broken & peeling door handles replaced, a trans filler tube replaced that had broke, Iv had multiple leakages in this vehicle. The molding around the sunroof was rippled letting water in. The over head console has flooded twice, it leaked in the cargo area once, and as of Jan 2013 the front passenger side floorboard is saturated with water as I write this review. Beautiful vehicle, but poor quality for the money. I will never buy another Chevrolet again, disgusted with the quality of the vehicle and disgusted with Southern Chevrolet and their svc dept.

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  Dont Waste Your Time... - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By mikearcure - December 19 - 10:47 pm

  I bought this car in May 2011. I had just gotten into an accident, and I needed a cheap car fast. I liked the design and comfort of the car, but there were WAY too many problems with it. My previous car was a 97 Toyota Corolla and it had no problems whatsoever. A lot of parts broke on this car, and most things that did break broke multiple times. I had to get the starter fixed 3 times. The turn signals started to blink really fast and then stopped working completely 2 times. And the engine was constantly overheating. The heat and air conditioning was also very weak. I ended up getting rid of this car after 1 1/2 years due to it needing a new head gasket. Do NOT bother with this car!!