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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  good starter car - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By owensmommy2011 - August 19 - 7:48 pm

  Ive had this car for 3 years now. I dont have too many problems with it. But it is rather. Cheap. mine has only basic features radio only and manual windows/locks. however im glad that i can only lock the driver door from the outside. Im prone to locking the keys in the car. Since becoming a parent we have realized how small it really it. A car seat just squeezes in when rear facing. The smallnes of the car also concerns me when other idiot drivers dont see you around them. We are now looking to trade up to something bigger. Our gas milage itsnt great either.

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  Digusted with the Equinox - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cmesmile32 - August 19 - 5:12 pm

  My Equinox just rolled up 3000 miles, it has been in the shop more than it has been on the road. I bought this vehicle for the gas mileage, the window sticker said 32 mpg Hwy, the best I have gotten is 24mpg and I do not drive it hard. I keep getting the excuse from the dealer that there is a lot of ethanol in the gas, so I tried Shell Premium gas and it went to a whopping 26 mpg. The loud start up noise turned into the timing chain being changed, then the cam shaft automaters being changed........needless to say, I have contacted GM and am waiting to see what can be done. This vehicle stalled out on me in traffic and I do not feel safe in it.

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  Very Disappointed Equinox Owners - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By johnnygl - August 18 - 9:57 pm

  The shifting is very eratic and very rarely smooth. The shift between 2nd and 3rd is usually very hard. The hard shifting can lift my back off the seat. It is especially noticable during the first drive of the day even after warming the engine. We also started noticing a hesitation when accelerating between 0 and 20 mph. Then we noticed an abnormal fluttering or shuddering of the engine or transmission while driving in upper gears. This vehicles performance is worthy of a trade-in. To be quite honest, this car has caused my wife and I more anxiety and frustration than it is worth. It is in the shop for the 4th time and all the technicians can say is "we cant find any codes.

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  Aveo 2007 Electrical Problems - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By grams45 - August 18 - 9:00 pm

  I have a 2007 Chevy Aveo. Within the past four weeks, my car would not start after sitting overnight..I had it charged, and purchased a new battery. The very next day, the battery was dead...a new battery mind you. I took the battery back to the auto parts store and had it tested. I was told the battery was good. This had been going on for a week. So, I took my vehicle to the Chevy dealership and was told that I needed an alternator. A new alternator was installed. Since it the inception of the new one, the vehicle still continues to not start. I took the new battery back to the Auto parts store...I had it checked and it read good battery. I insisted on a new battery and received a new one installed. Again, the battery test and a systems test is reading with a 120A as suspect problem somewhere in the electrical system. Please tell me what I should be telling the chevy/GM technicans in order to make sure my car is being checked correctly.

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  Great so far!!! - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By greggrawe - August 18 - 3:17 pm

  We bought this van with 4,000 miles on it and 3 months old, it was a "Dealer Demo" and it had a sticker price of almost $30,000 and we paid $18,300 so we got a great deal on it! We now have 53,000 miles on it and had it for 3 years now, it drives like a champ! Never had a problem!! We did buy the extended warranty on it so we dont have to worry about repairs! In town we average about 19 - 21 mpg, and Highway we average anywhere from 27-30 and I think is great for this size. Better then our Lincoln Aviator that gets 9 mpg

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  Nice Truck !!! - 2011 Chevrolet Colorado
  By bonharbor - August 18 - 6:06 am

  1600 miles on it and quite satisfied so far. I pulled a small pop-up trailer less than 100 miles and I was very impressed by the trailering aspects of the vehicle. The gas mileage was 14.5 per gal on the round trip. In summary good value, good looking black truck.

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  What a car for the price - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By npalino - August 17 - 9:16 pm

  Ive had my malibu for almost a month now and its the best car I have ever owned! I read all these reviews before I purchased and they are spot on. The thing performs like a 6 cyl and gets better gas mileage than the crummy aveo I traded in. Styling is terrific! When I pulled up to my girls house she thought it was a BMW. Few things I would change. 1st is the headroom its not bad when sitting in the vehicle but I often hit my head while entering. 2nd is there are no handles inside for the passengers to hold. 3rd, the heated seat switch is on the seat in an awkward place. Other than that its perfect! Tight, quiet and fun to drive...big head turner too.$25,000 for luxury at its best!

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  Wife loves it - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By mike600 - August 17 - 6:06 pm

  we wanted to downsize into a better gas mileage car.. we choice the cruze for several reasons. we like what GM did, I love the leg room, we liked the spec on gas mileage, it had the heated leather seat opt, in which most of the smaller cars dont have (in the price range)... etc. It drives very nice on the highway.. two long trips so far. one 600 miles to Dallas, and one to southern Colorado... Maintains speed up hills.... to early to tell about the Build Qual and reliability so I gave it a 4... based off other GM cars I have owned... which have been 3.5s-4s

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  Very dependable - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By grannytaxi - August 17 - 5:25 pm

  We have had a 1999 Venture for 8 years and have only had one major expenditure with it. It has nearly 170,000 miles now. It runs like a top and is getting better gas mileage (20-26 mpg) than when we first got it.

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  Malibu 2009 - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By waistband - August 17 - 5:01 pm

  I bought this car in 2010 and havent looked back runs great not a glitch anywhere. the main reason for buying this car was gas milage. on hwy i get about 6.6/100 . i have 60.000 ks on the car the only thing i replaced were the front tires, had the brakes checked at the same time and there were only half worn. I did look at the fusion, but price wise the mailbu was cheaper.