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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  Great SUV with few minor issues - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Kerry - November 13 - 10:15 am

  I bought this car back at the end of 2006 and it has proven to be a great SUV. For an SUV, it gets good gas mileage. I drive over 100 miles a day (highway and city) and get about 23 miles per gallon. I have had no major issues other than the normal brake pad changes, new tires and oil changes which you can expect on a vehicle that went from 24K miles to 74K miles in 2 years! I would recommend this car to everyone, good for the price.

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  Worst ever, do not buy! - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Joseph - November 12 - 9:02 pm

  Replaced upper and lower ball joints twice in three years- EGR sticking- over heats after replacing radiator, clutch fan, thermostat 3 times, water pump- catalytic converter twice- spider assembly- Ujoints due to rusting- brakes 4 or 5 times- oil coolant lines- fuel filter 4+ times- driver side mirror housing fell off- power mirror control does not work- 4 wheel drive works sometimes- fuel pump- heater core- plugs and wires half dozen times- battery twice The VIN letter to look out for is X.

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  2005 Equinox LT - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Margie - November 12 - 12:23 am

  I have really enjoyed this vehicle, especially for the price. I am, however, dissatisfied with the gas mileage. It has been quite sporadic (from 16 to 20 mpg)since I bought it in December 2004. I finally took it to the service dept. in July and was told that a new program was downloaded for it. So far I have gotten 20 mpg after interstate driving and 18 in town. Doesnt look like Ill fare so well after this next fill-up though. Other than that, it is fun to drive (I downsized from a Ford Expedition) and it is comfortable enough for 2 adults, 2 carseats, a stroller, and groceries!

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  Fun SUV - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By perkis - November 11 - 11:39 pm

  Bought my TrailBlazer used with roughly 45k miles on it, have put 40k on it so far and love it, replaced the tires with some aggressive all terrain tires and performs well in snow and light mud. Havent had any problems with it except for maintenance which is to be expected. 4.2 liter engine is a real work horse, regularly pulling a 5800 lbs boat and still getting 15mpg on the expressway. Somethings could be improved but every car/truck could be. Interior is a bit plain compared to other suvs. But I would take reliability and performance over looks any day. I would gladly buy another and intend to. To the people who complain about the gas mileage, when you bought it the sticker said the gas mileage

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  My 2005 Cavalier - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By LBC - November 11 - 7:28 pm

  My father bought me this Cavalier used with almost 80,000 miles in May of 2008. There is about 83,000 miles on it now and its been pretty awesome so far. My father bought this car with a crack in the exhaust manifold. Not a big deal but can be very annoying and embarassing sounding when she first starts up. Overall I really love driving this car. Its a great upgrade from the 1998 base model Cavalier I had before this one.

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  Good Enough - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By theccur - November 11 - 2:29 pm

  This is a powerful and reasonably comfortable truck with enough cargo room to transport a fair amount of watever you normally haul as well as a good sized trailer or boat. It is even reasonably attractive. I like my truck but would not recommend going without warranty coverage. There are a host of minor (correctable) problems that GM fails to correct unless you complain, and then only at the owners expense. Brakes and coolant are ongoing issues. Fortuately my dealer is reasonably responsive. I dont feel my money was badly spent, but it could have definately been better spent.

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  Please Die, I want a newer one! - 1993 Chevrolet Astro
  By Jim - November 10 - 10:33 am

  Bought because kids were fighting in car and needed more cargo space. Will tow anything, have taken seats out and put a cord of firewood, 30 sheets of plywood, dirtbikes, snowblower, appliances, you name it for the cottage. Will get 25 mpg at 60mph, one set of tires, brakes, shocks, and a muffler in 70,000 miles. Started outright dying on me 3 years ago, (got very excited) but only turned out to be a $11 pulse generator in the distributor. Sounds like a stagecoach on rough roads. I am trying to kill it by not changing the oil, 20,000 miles have gone by, why wont it die? I really want to buy a newer AWD model, but this one is worth nothing to trade in.I would buy again in a heartbeat!

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  Catastrophic failure of subframe cross - 2001 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Deborah - November 10 - 8:19 am

  I have loved this little car except for the exhaust system rusted out easily. I cant expect perfection from a car. But GM had issued special coverage with an extended warrany to 10 years or 150k miles for the catastrophic failure of the subframe crossmember which did fracture on my vehicle at 95k miles. Very dangerous. They have not sent me notification of this problem yet, they say they are notifying owners in waves due to part availability. Not smart.

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  LT Equinox FWD - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Nicksdad6702 - November 9 - 11:50 am

  Great ride and great looks. Overall with price, features and looks it is a best buy in my book.

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  OK car for the price - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By TOMMIE - November 9 - 11:34 am

  Its a good car for the price. I paid 17,000 out the door for a certified car. Comes with a 5 yr-100,000 bumper to bumper so the warranty is really 120,000 ! Ride is OK, great mpg. My avg is 29. Its a good family car for the price