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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  What Idiot Re-Designed this [violative content deleted] - 2009 Chevrolet Impala
  By takeabreak - July 4 - 12:25 pm

  My dad has a 2005 Impala, with a V-6. It gets better gas mileage than the 2009, has more head room, has more shoulder room, more room through out the vehicle, I can clean the windshield in his, but this piece of junk. The rook line is lower, I bump my head while driving, entering or exiting the vehicle on the door seal area. I am only 6ft tall. With the stupid roof line being lower, objects, people and vehicles disappear behind the center review mirror when corenering.

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  Love My Yellow Cav - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By kimmy03cav - July 1 - 10:39 am

  I love my little Cavalier. It has gotten me from A to B everyday since day one in 2003 when I drove it off the lot. When I first brought her home, I had numerous little problems, bad wiring harnesses that blew my blinkers out weekly, rusty roters that caused a pulsation, blew my speakers too but, In 8 years the only major problem was a fuel pump after owning it for 7 years and 110k. Its peppy for a 4 cly. 2.2 automatic. Best car ever! I lover it and I dont want to sell her but I need room for little ones.

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  My1st American Truck - 2004 Chevrolet SSR
  By my2004ssr - June 30 - 10:22 pm

  I purchased my 2004 ssr in 2010 with only 1,600 miles.. with only adding 8k miles, i had to replace the windsheild wiper motor, gas tank, and coolant fans. A total of $7,000.. This will be my LAST american Vechical !!

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  The worst car since the Yugo - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By damonmabry - June 30 - 6:20 pm

  We have had nothing but trouble with this car since we bought it in 2008. The cruise control stopped working (again), it gets horrible gas mileage, overheats, the odd sized tires are expensive and wear out fast because it wont stay aligned, horrible road noise, and half the time I press the gas pedal and nothing happens, this car is three years old and it runs like a 30 year old car. I doubt Ill even be able trade it until it gets paid off. This is an embarrasment for the US auto industry and my wife and I are now looking for a foriegn car. I dont want to but I wont buy another chevy again for sure.

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  Disappointing MPG - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By vgehts - June 30 - 1:48 pm

  The onboard computer doesnt calculate MPG correctly. Based on records Ive been keeping for the past five fill ups I am getting on average 2.5 MPG less than what the computer tells me. Each fill up is pretty much in that same 2.5 MPG ballpark. So instead of getting 32 MPG on 90% highway driving and 10% city, Im really only getting 29.5 MPG.

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  Never buying another GM vehicle again... - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By workingdogdoc - June 29 - 11:29 pm

  I bought a 2005 Impala as a program car that year and it had 28K. Its 2011 and now has 106K. Total crapper. While its not a bad car to drive around in the city or highway and has pretty generous space, the reliability has totally put me off GM cars for good. I seem to have at least 1-2 major repairs on it per year and my next big one is coming up like clockwork. Woohoo...water heater pump, power steering pump, now fuel pump have all gone out. The heating system also failed. The transmission has a tendency to slip. The instrument cluster has all reset themselves at random intervals, then gone back to being fine. My husband drives a same year Camry and its night and day more reliable!

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  SPORTY, QUICK, FUN AND RELIABLE... - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By phoongdan - June 28 - 11:54 pm

  I have owned my LS sedan for going on 5 years now and its been a pleasure to own and very fun to drive! I replaced the stock air filter with a K&N system, upgraded the stock exhaust to a racing exhaust, and use synthetic oil and the 140hp engine (about 150hp+ with the mods) and I have the 4-speed automatic with overdrive and the car literally can outrun most 4-cylinders and even some V-6s Not only is it quick, but I like the exterior and interior styling and the car has been exceptionally reliable. Ive got over 135,000 miles on it and have only needed basic repairs like a water pump, radiator hoses, thermostat, and rear tail light socket replaced.

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  BAD EGG - 1998 Chevrolet Blazer
  By dkm5 - June 28 - 10:50 pm

  I bought this vehicle for a mail delivery vehicle in 2008. The rear end went out not long after purchase. Front end ball joints went out twice, A/C compressor leaked, driver window motor quit, mirrors fell off, ABS didnt work right (brakes worked better after taking out the fuse for the ABS). Fixed heater core and then it clogged up again 6 mo later. Found out I could make it through the winter by just blowing it out with a water hose (dont buy new heater core). The engine leaked water out of the intake and it is now going to the crusher ASAP.

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  wish I could drive it - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By crank_shaft23 - June 28 - 8:21 pm

  I like cavaliers and its ran in my family some lasted forever or up intill it got totaled, so I bought my first cavalier, a 01 coup with a 2.2 automatic. drove it home 60 miles drove it to the store and back about 50 miles drove it to the dmv 25. Damn overheated and blew a head gasket didnt even have it for 3 days yet and blew the head gasket. other then that it was fun when it wasnt broken.

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  Loving my Equinox!! - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By 4hotrod - June 28 - 5:27 pm

  I bought my 2011 Equinox on May 31st. This is after 2 yrs of test drives & reading reviews. We had it narrowed down to the Hyundai Tucson and the Equinox, we even drove them both to the same place for side by side comparison. I just turned over 3000 miles and average 27-28 mpg combined city and hwy. I anticipate that it will keep improving as it breaks in more. I drive 140 miles a day round trip to work and the comfort is unbelievable, rear leg room is amazing and I like being able to increase the storage in the back my simply moving the seat forward a little bit. Minor body adjust was needed in rear quarter panel after 200 mile, due to squeaking noise but all else is perfect.