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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  Nightmare engine issues - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mcgerm - August 26 - 11:37 pm

  You may want to read some of the experiences of 2011 buyers who are having problems with the 4-cyl engine making noises at startup and stalling. Check out the Edmunds town hall messages. GM has not been so good about getting a solid fix for the 2011′s as best as I can tell from the posts. Maybe they have gotten in front of the issues with the 2012 but I have not been able to find any press releases or statements saying they have. If I had read the Edmunds board before buying my Equinox 3 months ago I would be avoiding the nightmare I am in now.

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  What a fun car with great MPG for the money! - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By vetteguy999 - August 25 - 8:53 pm

  Bought a 2011 Chevy Cruze in June at Daniels Long Chevy and I love the car! It is fun to drive and great gas mileage and for the money you cant find anything nicer that is American made! Best part of it all was my salesman Mike Smith! He made my car buying experience one of the best i have ever had! Thanks to Mike and the Chevy Cruze, im a happy camper!

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  GMs Volvo? - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By thkpic - August 25 - 6:37 pm

  Has enouph character to challenge a mid-size while dominating the B-segment. With a moderately raked side profile, swooping tail lights and corporate grill theres enouph design oomph to keep you interested either at the grocery store or in the showroom. Get inside and the quite cabin spanks you with sophistication while trying to detract you from the few hard plastics scattered about. The center consoles easy straight forward layout makes changing the channel, locking the doors or plugging in a IPOD childs play.

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  I love it, but... - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By alexissunshine - August 25 - 1:22 pm

  I do love my Malibu - it was a gift, but its just eating all my money. I got in in February 11 with 115k miles and by August 11 it has 123k, and Ive put in almost $1,000 to keep it running. I just blame the water pump/serpentine belt on the age and the control arm on our terrible roads, but its kicking my butt. I do love my Ali though :) Its not a terrible car but I just dont have the money for the upkeep.

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  Cool little Chevy - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By lilchevy - August 24 - 9:32 pm

  I do have to say that this is the first Chevy Ive owned and I like it very well. My father is retired from GM and put me onto the Cruze and it has been a great value. Gets pretty good gas mileage,looks good, and the OnStar/XM radio freakn rocks! I got the LS base model and hey for the money the car is really nice. The interior is laid out very well and the trunk space is more than I expected plus the ride quality is freakn awsome. Im glad i bought it!

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  Love my 2012 Chevy Cruise - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By shells_dell - August 23 - 7:47 pm

  I have owned Suvs for the last 8 years. All ended up being total gas guzzlers and many had terrible blind spots. I decided to go with a smaller car, Hubby and I walked around the car lot and I fell in love with this car. Sleek, has an excellent crash safety test. Has 8 interior airbags. Gets 42 hwy miles, 38 city. i have the red color and looks very sharp.

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  ECO Mode is a bit squirrelly - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By pawcoboss - August 22 - 3:42 pm

  Just bought a 4 cylinder Equinox. Have less than 500 miles on it. Good looks, great value, very comfortable, not going to win any races. Mileage claims I knew going in were significantly overstated but thats O.K. 30 years ago I bought a 1981 Cadillac Eldorado with the V-8-6-4 engine. State of the art technology @ the time. The only trouble was that the car seemed to be driving you rather than you driving it since it would decide when to run on 8 or 6 or 4 cylinders. A real technical flop for GM as it was discontinued after one year. Driving the new Equinox in the ECO mode reminded me of this- shifting into 5th or 6th gear and slow to respond on the downshift. Ive since turned it off.

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  chevy-- bring back the metro - 2001 Chevrolet Metro
  By nigelbrain - August 22 - 12:16 pm

  when it was around it got the best gas mileage and a superior epa rating. i still drive my 2001 chevy metro but wish they had made the hatchback in their last year. the 3 cylinder engine gave me 48 mpg- my current sedan is 37mpg. bring back the metro. make it even smaller with a choice of electric or 3 cylinder gas engine. make it bare bones and affordable for students and the working poor caregivers like me. make a hatchback and a micro mini van version.

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  Worth the price - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By lanehalli - August 22 - 11:08 am

  I recently purchased a Chevy Equinox base model with the Bluetooth package the only added feature. After nearly 800 miles, I am very happy with my purchase. The Equinox delivers fine performance (even the 4 cylinder moves enough with its smart 6speed transmission). The car steers, brakes and handles with superior results. As for gas mileage, I get around 16 mpg around the city, but 31-32 on moving highways, so I am satisfied. I would think a driver would get around 20 mph around a normal suburban town as the Equinox uses tons of gas starting and stopping in city traffic. The standard features the car is equipped with are more than adequate, as I love the Onstar Navigation and blue-tooth.

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  Excellent Performance/MPG Balance - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By 5th_mazda - August 19 - 10:49 pm

  This car is really fun to drive. We have the six speed and it really excellerates through each shift especially just above 3000 rpm when you can feel the turbo come on. We have also been pleased with the local driving gas mile of 33-34mpg but I was looking forward to see what we would get taking daughter to college. Just got back and were very pleased! Fully loaded on trip down averaging 65-70mph on first tank 39.6mpg, second tank ave 75-78mph got 36.4 and then on way back with just two of us on first tank ave 75-78 40.8mpg and second tank ave 65-68mph 43.2mpg. I think this is great for a car that is not a hybred and does not look like a hybred! US owned and made - nice job!