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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  best four door on the market - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By eriebuckeye - November 5 - 8:12 am

  i have 24k miles on it and it drives like a dream. i get 38 mpg hwy and about 28 city. big trunk space. i also own a cadillac cts and this rides even better than it.

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  Next time I buy a Toyota - 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By elkhornsun - November 4 - 3:37 pm

  I purchased my 1998 Tahoe coming off a lease with 28K miles. At 32K I found that the rotors needed to be replaced and that Chevrolet had put undersized rotors on its trucks up until 1998, and corrected the problem in 1998. Stopping distance is 50% greater than average for the Tahoe even with no passengers and no load and not pulling a trailer. I bought it to tow a trailer but with the terrible brakes I have avoided using it for this purpose. Can only use a proprietary CD player which costs 4x as much and mine broke within a year. In first 100k miles I had to replace the breaks twice, rotors once, manifold gasket, fuel injectors, AC compressor, idler, and the front tie rods.

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  Happy Sofar with the 2012 Equinox - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By valed4313 - November 4 - 2:50 pm

  Overall Im quite satisfied with my purchase. Nice to have leather seats when its 13 degrees in the mornings. And we really love the remote start. I went all out with features on this vehicle and Im not at all sorry that I did.

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  Amazing Machine - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By dpvolt - November 3 - 3:09 pm

  I have driven the car for four weeks and put on 700 miles. Fantastic machine very impressive technology. Nice finish on outside and inside. I have a 26 mile commute to and from my work. The only gasoline used the entire time was "maintenance mode" where the engine runs for two minutes every month (0.1 gal), even if you are all electric. I am metering the electricity used for charging the car which is averaging 7.5 kWh/day-- saving me about $3 a day. Driving without stops for fuel and not sending bucks to Exxon or the Middle East is a good feeling too. Many criticize the car based on price, but I see this car as showing that there is still impressive technological moxie in the U.S.

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  poor mileage and runs poorly - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By robgrv - November 2 - 10:01 pm

  The car ran great when new, now has 4500 miles on it and it starts to shake/missing when it lugs down in gear. Dealer said nothing was wrong so taking it to another dealer. This morning it made a grinding noise when I started it. Junk

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  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rumblev - November 2 - 8:45 pm

  I was dying for an Equinox and nearly bought a 2010 and boy I am glad I didnt! There is a huge comfort difference! I was worried about backseat space for my 9 and 5 year old but there is more room than I imagined and the trunk space is more than I need as well. The driver and passenger is beyond comfortable and I love the touchscreen radio and the controls on the wheel. My husband couldnt understand why I wanted one but now he loves it too! Gas for me so far was what I did in a 2005 toyota corolla ce. To me its a great vehicle inside and out! I dont think I have ever ridden in a more comfy vehicle. I will try to post when I have put more miles on it (so far 400)

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  extremely dissapointed - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By annie53 - November 2 - 8:33 pm

  This was my first brand new car. I was so excited, since my husband bought a 2004 Aveo and was getting a solid 40 mpg. Then, I bought my 2008. From the first week when I wound up with the new tire gauge light lit up. "Really, couldnt they have checked the tires before I picked it up?!?!?" Constant issues with the tire light. Too cold in the morning, lites up, too warm in the afternoon, lites up, and several trips to the dealer when they say nothing is wrong. No matter what I or my husband drove could not get more than 24 mpg in it. Again the dealer said nothing was wrong with it. First set of tires (in both Aveos) needed before 6000 miles. GM put the cheapest garbage they could.

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  The Cavalier That Could - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By roo93 - November 2 - 4:30 pm

  I bought my cavalier on 4/28/10 w/ 85,xxx miles on it. Was prior salvage. I bought it for $4k. Initially, I was very concerned it would break down or something, or if it was just going to die on my way back home. But I fell in love with this car. Not one problem out of it, and I drove it till it had 100,000miles on it. Had two things go bad: A ratchet thing on my muffler that had fallen off from going down my gfs bumpy driveway($25) & tires. Now, it was in a wreck 4 days ago from me hitting a deer. Just want to say, the seatbelt and airbags saved my life. Its a very well built car. And I went to the salvage yard to look at my car, as soon as I put the key in, it started right up. Reliable

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  NC Volt - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By ncvolt - November 2 - 10:09 am

  Waited until I used my first gallon of gas to write this review. My daily commute is about 32 miles round trip I also have the ability to charge the vehicle while at work. Traveled 620 miles on my first gallon. The car is expensive and over priced even with the tax credit, BUT it is fun to drive (has become a game to keep my efficiency rate high under all conditions) and I haven’t looked at the price of gas in over 3 weeks! Just beginning to get cold here and have seen a reduction in the range but not an issue getting to and from work. Without the ability to charge at work, I would be at the outer edge of the range under these conditions to fully maximize the technology. So far it has performed as promised and has been a great purchase. Clearly the price point will keep it from many folks but as it comes down over time many more will have the ability to enjoy this wonderful vehicle!

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  Baby is just two days old - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By richardnbaton - November 1 - 12:15 pm

  My second day driving it to work. Loved it from the start. Quiet. First day I got 41.3 miles on battery. I didnt use any ac/heat or radio. On the way home got 54 miles on 1.2 gallons of gas. I drove 50 mph on the frontage road (no stops). My efficiency reach 97%. When I got back on the interstate I went upto 65. Second day, I ran the heater for a little while, this was before I realized that Fan Only put out enough heat. Made it to work with 38.6 miles on battery and .36 gals of gas. The car drive is excellent. The interior is sharp and rich. No cheap plastic parts. The Energy ball makes it like a game to drive.