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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  Pretty Good - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By halfdemon - September 18 - 4:15 pm

  I have had a few issues here and there, got it for free, so all the repairs are good up-to 2,000 dollars. Small leak in A/C lines, repaired and filled for $75 at a Ford lot. I like the car, feels good, great gas mileage, and other than a/c and brakes no problems.

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  My baby - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By cobraswa818 - September 17 - 12:19 am

  I love my camaro ! 220,000 mile and its in hirrble conditions. Tell you the truth? dont buy this car if you want to spen money. Parts are expencive and gas sucks. Why do i still own it? because i love my camaro and i will own it and put more money then its worth because to me its worth so much more then any thing else.

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  I hate it! - 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By kaikai08 - September 16 - 1:58 pm

  I absolutely hate that car. I purchased the car on impulse in 2004, with 4 miles on it. Within a week, the radio went out. I have to admit, for years it did do its justice, however, the car has always been uncomfortable. It has a hard feel to the seats and the interior is extremely cheap looking. There is nothing fancy or spectacular about the design. Now, the car overheats, the A/C doesnt work unless im pressing the accel., I seriously think the transmission is going bad, the trunk pops open when it wants to (yes, thankfully at stop lights). To top it all off, the paint is fading. I had a black car, now its black with huge metallic spots. Its a mess, its ugly. "Hated It"

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  My Little Aveo - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By happy2bfree - September 15 - 8:22 am

  I just got my used 2004 Chevy Aveo this year. I love the car, just hope I never get into a wreck. You can lean on the outside and it dents in. Thats how thin or weak the metal is on the outside. Also... it has very poor pick up power on the highway. A little old lady gave me a dirty look as she passed me up on the highway. I love the space I have inside. Lots of headroom for me. Im 55" and the one thing I hate is my seatbelt still cuts me at the neck, and its in the lowest spot. Other than some miner things like that, and low pick up power up and down hills, and the fact it doesnt seem very strong in the body, I love the car. Made in S. Korea though. :(

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  An American car maker got it right - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By nyken - September 14 - 4:01 pm

  I was a little hesitant to buy an American car, but the Chevy Cruze proved to be an excellent choice. The build quality is excellent . I have 2,000 miles on the car and have had no problems at all. This is a peppy, very fun to drive car. It is also very comfortable and very quiet. I was amazed that on a recent trip, I averaged 43 MPG on the highway. This is way above the 38 MPG highway rating. To be sure, I checked the trip computer calculation with my own manual calculation and it was accurate. Around town with a mix of about 60% city and 40% highway driving, the MPG is in the mid 30s. This is almost the MPG that you would expect from a hybrid. I would highy recommend this car.

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  Suburban is dead at 137k - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By camperrc - September 14 - 2:53 am

  I bought this suburban with 123,000 Oct, 2007. Dec 29th 2009 fuel pump died 130,500. Jan 17th 2010134,000 head gasket rotted away. 137,752 cracked cyilinder. I paid 14,000 for a suburban to get me just over 14000 miles. Complete waste of money! Truck is worth 300 to 500 as it sits right now. The other autos (non GM) I have owned never had any of these problems and I drive most of my autos to 200,000 miles.

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  Starting problems - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mudskipper - September 13 - 7:34 pm

  I recently bought a 2005 Equinox. I looked for over a month and thought I got a good deal. Ive had it for a week and Im having starter problems. It turns over but takes a long time to start. This only happens about half the time. As Im reading reviews Im seeing this is a common problem. I would like to get it fixed while under warranty so Im curious to know what exactly the problem is. Seeing all of these bad reviews and potential problems I am now wondering if I was wrong in buying an Equinox. Any ideas on the starting problem?

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  Poor gas mileage - please do not disregard - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By robertlynnb - September 12 - 3:53 pm

  the macysmom9 review is exactly what we have found with our 4 cylinder Equinox. I actually took the car back to the dealer to see if there is some computer reprogramming they can do (they say there is not). Anyway, I just wanted people know that the car does not get anywhere close to the rated 32 mpg. Since the only reason I got the 4 cylinder was for the gas mileage, if I had it to do over, I wish I had gotten the 6 cylinder. I am very disappointed that Chevy can "game" the government tests to get high mpg numbers that most people will never achieve.

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  WHAT A JOKE...DO NOT BUY ONE - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By sickened3539 - September 12 - 8:26 am

  This car is probably the worst car I have purchased, and I have purchased some pretty bad cars. At a little over 1,000 miles it decided to randomly stall while driving! The cam shaft actuators have been replaced THREE times and it still doesnt work. The thing sounds like a diesel semi when you turn it on, has replaced the oil pump. And since I purchased it, it has been in the shop SIX times and is currently there again and has been there for over a week and still unable to be repaired. Chevys customer service is a joke and they refuse to do anything about it except to continue to repair the UNSAFE vehicle. DO NOT BUY ONE!

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  Great car with great features - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By jseejr - September 11 - 1:36 pm

  I was never a fan of Chevy products except their trucks until now. I looked at a Chevy Cruze and really fell in love. So many great options and fully loaded for under 23K. This car easily averages over 30mpg with a mix of city and highway driving. Can be as high as 44 mpg with a lot of highway driving, even at 75mph. Chevy really did great with this car and hope they keep it up for the future!