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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  Will never own another chevorlet car.... - 2010 Chevrolet Impala
  By shadowslake - October 24 - 12:16 pm

  2010 LS Impala. Had the car from new. It has 43k miles on it. The vent in the AC that switches from hot to cold has been replaced twice in a year. The inlinement is expensive adding $100 to the cost because of design. The transmition died last week (warenty) but still.... 43k miles... really? The gass millage sucks too.

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  Chevy bought me over with this car - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By mvozz888 - October 24 - 10:48 am

  First of all I would like to say that I find it disappointing to read negative reviews on such a marvelous car. Anyone experiencing major engine or trans. issues has probably not serviced their vehicle at regular reccomended intervals. The 2.2 liter ecotec engine is incredibly economical, though it could use a few more horses. Before i purchased this car from my father, it had been used every day as a company car. My father is a salesman who is on the road daily with considerable amounts of extra cargo weight added. He was putting 500+ miles on it weekly. This car has had no issues with engine, transmission, torque conv, etc. It currently has 105,432 miles and still runs strong.

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  New Equinox LS is a real value - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mfj949e - October 24 - 7:58 am

  In general the 2012 Equinox LS seems to be a great small SUV for the price. With only 1,000 miles on the vehicle I really appreciate the comfortable seats and tight ride. Of course time will tell. The only negative is the somewhat disappointing fuel mileage. I was able to squeeze 29 mpg on a road trip and thats 3 mpg less than the EPA/GM calculated highway mileage. Other than that this SUV seems to be all that it claims to be.

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  Expen$$$$ive repairs imminent, traded it in - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By steve395 - October 23 - 2:12 pm

  I purchased a 2006 Impala in 2007. I was originally drawn to its style, power, comfort, very quiet ride, etc. I got a good price for it because it was a former rental. I bought it with 28,000 miles and traded it in at 99,600. In between that time it was pretty reliable. Right after the warranty ran out, I had problems with the steering system popping.I began to notice other problems at 75,000. The paint had the durability of nail polish. The drivers side visor hung down. I never could get the brakes to stop pulsating despite changing rotors. Random warning lights came on. Finally - no heat at idle. Head gaskets. Dealer wanted $1,900 to fix.

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  2012 Volt - Climb the Mountains, Enjoy the Turns - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By just_a_guy - October 23 - 2:04 pm

  I am EXTREMELY happy with the Volt. Lots of power up the hills. I live in the Colorado mountains and climb BIG "HILLS" every day and despite a great test drive, I was a little concerned (if an electric car had a problem it seems logical to me that the problems would be in climbing the mountains). I am over my concerns! The pick-up and power on the hills is great. Driving this car feels a little like a sports car. I think that the distribution of the battery adds weight (down low) which it turns, adds stability and handling. At present, I am at just less than 300 mpg. In summary, a SUPER BIG A+++++ to CHEVROLET AND THE VOLT. My first Chevy after 35 years of driving, and it’s a good one!!!

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  Chevy building good cars again. - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By teachweber - October 22 - 3:25 pm

  A solid, tight car/truckette. Handling better than my MiniCooper S except for turning radius but then that should be obvious. My fuel mileage hovers around 28/29 mpg while my little truckette is faster than most V-8s I owned nothing but Chevys until I was 35 years old. Then strayed for 20 years. Back again with this great little truck. Love retro and this vehicle is true to that while being very reliable.

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  Dont do it - Dont buy this vehicle - - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By massrambler - October 22 - 4:28 am

  My transmission broke with 35600 miles. The cluch seemed to slip between the engine and the transmission causing the rpms to go to over 7,000. The car has been in the shop for 15 days and the mechanics do not have a clue as to what to do. I should have realized how terrible a purchse this was when I felt how underpowered that car is. After all you have a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder enging trying to haul around a 5,000 pound lump of metal. I got 300,000 miles with my old Jeep Cherokee and I have only gotten 35,600 miles on this thing before it broke down. This was a very unwise financial decision to get this Equinox.

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  I Dont Know What to Do Love and Hate Relationship - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By contemplating - October 20 - 7:18 pm

  Ok here is the deal, love my car its great for tall people but I have been having problems! First had to replace an electrical problem with the key ignition which cost $530. Car has several leaks when it rains replaced that too, battery keeps draining had to fix the a/c another $150 and now again the a/c is not wanting to turn on and the power windows dont want to work and I keep having the check engine light on, I do not know what is wrong with it and I am tired of fixing it, almost reach half of what the car was worth when I originally got it and that was back in June 2011!! Im lost....

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  best car Ive ever owned awesome gas mileage - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By drinder - October 20 - 11:15 am

  I been driving this car for two years now and I cannot find one thing I dislike about it. It exterior in red is awesome, modern and has a sense of power to it. The interior is spacious, utilitarian and upscale. The four cylinder engine is barely noticeable. The mobility is great as well. The gas mileage is everything advertised, I drove from California to texas and from texas to georgia this year, both trips over 1200 miles and averaged 29-30 mpg. the gas mileage actually was higher except for texas highways speed limit of 80mph. also to note that the first leg of the i had a payload of 600lbs + 2 people and the second trip I had a payload of 800lbs and 2 people.

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  New wheels - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By kiki24 - October 20 - 11:06 am

  i am a very pleased driver and owner of my fab new car that is perfect for me!!! its sleek and cool and cute just like me ). and i love my dealer that sold me the car. mike c at barbabrino nissan in wallingford, ct