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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  chevy impala 2011 - 2011 Chevrolet Impala
  By wgarcia - July 25 - 4:10 pm

  got one back on june 17, 2011 put 2,350 miles on it great so far. this car is great on long trips and short ones i got the lt

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  Great Pick-Up - 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By kevin_in_sales - July 25 - 8:48 am

  Just knocker over 30K on mine. Based on the Suburban platform, this is a great truck for those that need the occasional hauling space and have the need for 5 passengers. The ability to lock up or hide what in the back is great for us city dwellers. This is a great highway vehicle.

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  Bumping and jerking - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By equinoxnono - July 24 - 9:11 pm

  I decide to check out the reviews on the Equinox after my wife purchased one this year. Shes had what seems to be a common and on going problem with this truck. The jerking during acceleration. We have had several tune up(The dealer said that was the problem) to NO availe. Now its more of a bigger problem than I ever thought. I decide to just ask an Equinox owner out of the blue. So I went to the local truck stop and wait for the 1st Equinox to arrive and it didnt take long. About 6 min later one pulled up and I asked the driver about any problems. Well guess what, they were having the same problem. So, I think this is a recall Item. But because the Equinox is one of there bests

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  Very Poor Visibility - 2011 Chevrolet Impala
  By jedgejr - July 24 - 8:18 pm

  This car disappointed me with the visibility when backing up and changing lanes. The back window is small for a sedan and the head rests blocked half of the window and they could not be dropped. The center head rest actually blocks the headlights of any car that is behind you at night. There is also a bad blind spot between the rearview and right side view mirror when you are trying to change lanes. The back windows are also small. The air vents are also a very poor design. You have two controls for up/down and left/right. Ive seen so many other cars that allow you to change the airflow direction with less complication. It is a distraction when you are driving.

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  transmission and chiller blew in 3 months - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rugbymom - July 24 - 4:53 am

  we bought used with 42K on car and first "chiller" went, 2 weeks in shop then transmission totally blew out, 3 weeks in shop. In both cases parts not available or stuck in Canada long delayed repairs. Both under warranty but what else is going to go? Dont buy the 2008, problems coming....will buy non American now, keep trying but reliability and repairs a repeat problem with American cars Chevy, GM in particular.

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  Too many problems - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By fedup26 - July 23 - 6:05 pm

  With 89K miles, I have replaced: head gasket, power window motor & switches, tail lights, transmission cable, computer chip, engine mount. In addition, the latch for the glove compartment is broken, the sliding side door does not work. Also, the piece holding the power window motor has deteriorated. Can easily be replaced at a cost of $700 by ordering the part from Canada. Now, Im looking at worst case senario a rebuilt engine (not going to happen), best case senario another $1500 bill. I wil follow my kids advice - get a new car. I will never purchase another GM product.

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  Ms Coras Big Red and Funky Impala - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By mscorab - July 23 - 6:02 pm

  2yrs and, 50k miles I took my car in because in the middle of winter I had no heat and my tranny started to slip. The heat problem was fixed. To this day Im still having problem with my transmission. I bought this car new off the showcase floor. The manual says their should be no problem before 150k miles. Over and over again I have bought Chevy cars, brand new and used, but this is the last one. They were not willing to check my tranny, without charging for flush, (about $175), if thats what it needs. My car is still under warranty! I have spent thousands of dollars with them. NO MORE! I am surprised, sad, and mad.

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  Gas Mileage and 4 cylinder engine performance - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By 58tr3 - July 22 - 5:55 pm

  I traded a 350 hp hemi dodge truck on the 180 hp AWD LT2 Equinox. While there there is a big difference in engine performance between the two vehicles, the Equinox 4 banger is still quite peppy. I read that others have said the car is slow from a dead start and that is true unless you really give the throttle a good mash. More throttle produces much more response. My biggest gripe is that 3,780 lb, 180 hp engine is averaging only 21.5 mpg. The 6,000+ lb, 350 hp hemi multidisplacement engine was not far behind this with 18-19 mpg. My wifes Jeep Liberty V6 averages more than the Equinox. Although fun to drive, I am disappointed in the gas mileage.

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  Put almost 4000 miles on and its rocking and rolling!! - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By carrocks - July 22 - 1:02 am

  Just got this car 2 weeks ago and put almost 4000 miles on it. Always hated small cars do to rough driving feel and there usually very noisy. Was scared to go with the cruze for that reason but totally blew me away when i test drove it how quite and smooth it drove! The handling by far is the best in any compact car and beats most midsize cars iv driven. Interior is nice and roomy and trunk is extremely spacious. bought it love and love it feel like i made the best decision of my life. One complaint though wish it was a little faster does seem slow at times when pushing from start but better then other compacts i have driven in the past.

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  Great car but for the Noxious Fumes that enter when stopping - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By sailor1 - July 21 - 10:23 pm

  Love the vehicle. Very Comfortable. Mileage well its so so. 15 city and 19 Hwy (OK 20 going downhill on a long mountain highway). Nice amenities. Like it a heck of a lot better than my Honda Pilot that it replaced. Now for the negative. For some strange reason that the dealer cant figure out, when the AC is on Fresh Air coming in, and you come to a stop, you get noxious Sulfer like, or propane like smells coming into the passenger compartment. Doesnt happen when AC is on Recirculate. Ive seen similar complaints on the Chevrolet Traverse Forum.