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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  Im a HUGE Chevy fan but.... - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By megg1 - July 10 - 8:43 pm

  Dont buy! Stabilitrack light always on, if you slam on breaks to avoid an accident, stabilitrack goes "off". Service traction control light constanly is on. "Leather" on driver side seat is cracked front to back. I drive alone, yet both sun visor mirror covers have broken off($300 each to replace) Engine light likes to pop on. Spark plugs were touching "metal" and engine chugged @ 45 w out fail. No good samaritan here steering will be impossible, brakes will be hard as a rock. "Tire pressure" light comes on frequently even after filled w air no air leakage. Poooor gas effeciency. (Worse if spark plugs go out) Back windshield fluid has never worked! Cant count on fast pick up ha joke!

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  Great Suv - 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
  By jgot - July 10 - 3:29 am

  We bought our 2003 ls suburban after dumping our horrible 1996 Ford Windstar van. The suburban had about 30k miles on it. It now has 120k miles on it and we have had no major problems with the vehicle at all. We love this truck. The gas milage is actually not bad we get around 18mpg.

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  Expensive to own - 2003 Chevrolet Venture
  By gunner29 - July 9 - 1:45 pm

  We have owned this van for over 4 years and are finally selling it. It is reliable as far as driving is concerned but expensive to own. The rear brake lights are always burning out. We have also had to replace the windshield wiper motor twice, the ball joints, the rear shocks and springs, and now the rear load leveler is broken. It is also starting to rust out all along the bottom. The gas mileage is okay if you do a lot of highway driving. Use synthetic oil for oil changes. We have put on over 130,000 kilometers since we have bought this vehicle (90% highway) and this van has not broke down once while driving. We do most of our driving with the van loaded with family gear.

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  Very dependable and great on gas! - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By amack1 - July 8 - 2:43 pm

  I love my little Aveo, I bought it brand new in April of 2007 and the only things Ive had to do where get the valve cover replaced (under warranty), change a relay switch which cost me less than $20, wheel bearings at 60k and regular maintenance. Ive used mobil 1 in my car since the day I brought it home, literally and Ive had no problems! It is fun to drive, the easiest 5 speed I swear, I just changed the brakes for the 1st time at 90k miles. (you dont use much with a stick). It has been very reliable and great on gas, i usually get 35-37 mpg, never under 32mpg. If you treat it right, it will return the favor!

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  BEST CROSSOVER - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By gmrocks256 - July 7 - 3:57 pm

  very smooth ride, quiet tried many others like ford, Toyota and nothing was compared to the value i was receiving from the traverse

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  Great Bang for the Buck - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By muthagoose - July 6 - 8:49 pm

  Traded in 2004 Saturn VUE AWD to make room for 3rd carseat and needed 3rd row. Also test drove Acadia,Enclave,Explorer,Pilot, and Highlander. Narrowed our choice between Highlander and Traverse. Both had very good ride and comfort, but Traverse won out primarily on room behind 3rd row (could not fit golf bag or stroller in Highlander if 3rd row up). Insisted on 2nd row captains chairs for easier access to 3rd row (Pilot does not have this option). Would recommend captains chairs if you plan on puting carseats in 2nd row, otherwise access to third row difficult. Almost have 1K miles on it and love it. Great get up & go when I need to pass someone. Very Happy so far.

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  Amazing - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By bubikon - July 6 - 8:13 pm

  OK, it is not a vehicle to be reviewed like all others, i.e. zero to 60, handling, Corinthian leather, etc. It is just a completely different concept of driving a car. The thrill exists because it uses virtually no gasoline, unless you drive over 40 miles. Even then it seemlessly transfers to a 35 mpg Chevrolet. But the fun is keeping it in electric and Chevrolet has a wonderful panoply of buttons and dials for your pleasure to fiddle your way to quiet, electric bliss. The average person fills up about every month, and now I get 15 mpg in everyday use. This is the perfect car for the two car commuter family. Fit and finish are adequate and the style is Prius modern, but who cares.

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  more fun to look at than to drive! - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By camarra - July 6 - 9:36 am

  I rented this car for 10 days and put 1400 miles on it. I found it extremely comfortable to drive, however, the visibility issue is really bad and it was good that this model came with a backup camera! I didnt feel that the acceleration was all that impressive but it did have a lot of get up and go. I felt that the interior was fairly well laid out, but hard to get used to - I would have had to use the manual to figure out many of the features and Im pretty computer literate. I dont particularly like the holographic speedometer display which reads out your current speed in the windshield in front of you. I dont know, for instance, if theres a way to turn this off.

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  Poor pick up on 4Cyl but what do you expect when it has a 5k pound vehicle to carry! - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jrt_banks - July 5 - 11:22 pm

  I purchased my 2011 Equinox May 25. So far, I LOVE IT! **Im knocking on wood through this whole post too** I bought a black one with the cloth interior. I already have put 3k miles on it. 2 weeks after I bought the car we went on vacation to Hilton Head SC from Ohio. roughly 690 miles each way. I filled the tank 2 times but it only took us a tank and a half (if even) to get all the way there! On the way back I filled it one and a half times and was still on the second tank for almost a week! I think you just have to break the car in to get the gas mileage expected. Down there we avr. 27mpg (lots of mnts) and on the way back i was up to 31mpg. Pick up is stalled, But its 4cyl wat do u expect

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  Disappointing Gas Mileage (not as advertised) - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By gibby9 - July 4 - 4:07 pm

  My wife and I purchased this vehicle largely due to the advertised 28Cty41Hwy mpg (CDA Transport rating). I immediately noticed a large discrepancy and contacted GM who advised me of a normal 6000 mile break-in period. After several subsequent contacts with GM and trips to the dealership (no trouble indicators), there have been only slight improvements. After 18000 miles I am getting only approx. 75% of advertised mpg. GM rep stated that a 10-15% discrepancy is "normal" and basically admitted that the rating was likely unattainable except in ideal conditions. Why then does GM advertise the rating if it knows it to be false?. After reading numerous reviews, poor mileage is a common complaint!