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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  Fuel mileage - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By aj1949 - June 28 - 11:18 am

  Chevrolet estimates the fuel mileage at 32 mpg for highway use. I am averaging 21 mpg highway use. I questioned the Chevrolet dealership if they good make some adjustment to increase the mileage and I was told if there were no warning lights on that everything was performing properly. It would be interesting to see how GM comes up with their numbers. It certainly isnt real world data. Most of my driving is highway and normal speed limits with air conditioning on, no mountains.

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  MPG+other - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ownone - June 27 - 10:54 pm

  How to get best MPG. My test runs: 55mph 2 people in vehicle ECO mode ~36mpg 65mph 2 people in vehicle ECO mode + cruise control ~33.9mpg. In town average with ECO mode on ~26-28mpg with. Listed high way mpg was 38 for this vehicle when I bought it. This I already new was not possible. Look people you have to ease on the gas and I will guarentee it will get the above mpg unless there is a defect. Even the service shop people were amazed I get this kind of mpg as most customers complain they dont. Its all in how you drive it. Also expect to get different MPG if you live in the hills. I live in the valley in CA where the high ways are flat and straight for the most part.

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  Seat belt trouble - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By cmca - June 27 - 2:48 pm

  Has anyone else had problems with the seat belt in the middle row breaking. After only 63,000 miles on my 2009 traverse, the seat belt broke. Chevy wont fix cause it is out of warranty. what kind of seat belt breaks with only 63,000 miles on a car. Glad I was not in a wreck!!!

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  Very pleased with Equinox - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By johndg - June 26 - 11:19 pm

  We purchased a 2011 Equinox LT2 in January 2011. My wife wanted leather heated seats so we were required to buy the LT2 model. The vehicle our dealer found for us had the optional sunroof and power rear hatch, and is painted black with a black interior. We now have more than 10,000 miles on the Equinox and have had only one problem - it failed to start (jump starting worked and we took it to a dealer where the problem was fixed.) This has since been a recall item which requires that the dealer reprogram one of the onboard computers - it has been fixed on current production vehicles.

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  My Chevy Lumina Euro - 1991 Chevrolet Lumina
  By jamespa48 - June 26 - 8:19 pm

  I have a 1991 chevy lumina euro with 136,000 and I am repairing anything it needs. I think this will be my last car I bought it new in 1991 when I was 42 years old and now I am retired and 62. I am never going to get another car I will keep this till I die.

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  excessive oil consumption - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By jjohn22 - June 26 - 1:09 pm

  Around 36000 miles I noticed our suburban started consuming 1 quart of oil per 1000 miles. Over the past 2 years I have had the dealership try various "fixes" but it still consumes oil. This is becoming a trend with the 07 suburban as others are experiencing the same problem. My vehicle will be at the dealership for a week for the next round of exploratory surgery on the engine. Hopefully they can find a fix as I am running out of powertrain warranty in a few months. The first 2 years with this vehicle we had repeated electrical problems with battery discharge. GM found a fix for that.

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  Good looking dependable vehicle! - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mamamary - June 25 - 11:30 pm

  I have owned my LT Equinox 07 since 2007 as a new car. I have no major problems with it. It drives and rides great on the highway. Fuel comsumption is favorable. As previously stated the plus is extra leg room in the seat if needed. I have purchased a set of new tires and a battery, and I have also had the sun visor mirror replaced. The leather and mirrors have the look and feel of cheap materials. The leather does not feel nor look like real leather. My carpet over the dirvers side has a hole in the far corner where my foot does not touch. I would say then that the carpet is cheap. Overall the operation of the car is good for the money. Hopefully upgrades are in the new 2011.

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  my restoration project - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By racingnut - June 24 - 11:52 pm

  ive owned my 97 lumina just over a year now it has 194,000 miles on it and still runs great.i drove it 3,000 miles first week round trip from temple texas through tucson arizona to colorado springs then back to temple texas.cost fuel less then 360$.not one issue along the way.i have never owned a car more consumer friendly then chevrolet when it comes to replacing parts.i was able to disassemble my 92 celebrity 4cylinder replace the head gaskets and reassemble in about 4 hours thats pretty good.i give chevrolet a five star reveiw.

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  Good Van - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By pleased3 - June 24 - 10:24 pm

  Overall this is a good van, much better than the piece of garbage caravan we used to have. The only real issue we have had is the rear wiper motor seems to have a mind of its own. All other issues are cosmetic accidents that will happen to any van that is used by a family of 5 (ie dings from bicycles, cracked bumper, cosmetic things). Fun to drive, no mechanical issues at 145,000kms, runs well, better on fuel than any other van we have owned. Could have better build quality, but for what we paid for it, it excellent.

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  I want to get rid of this! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By nickab182 - June 24 - 9:56 pm

  Bought used March 2011 w/ 53 k miles. It is now June 2011, I have 60 k miles on the car and I want to get rid of this. Thought I was getting my dream car. The day i brought it home I noticed there was a foot of water in the spare tire well. Two days later the CD player went. The next day I noticed rear break light seal and windshield seal were broke. The back cup holder and it fell apart in my hand. I replaced a front left wheel bearing one month later at 59 k. Since then I have had too many problems to list. Key comes out of ignition while running, shifter doesnt lock in place, part of top rck fell off while driving, clunks when turning, has trouble starting, lighter sockets broke, ect.