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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  22/32 MPG NO WAY !!! - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By driveon9 - April 22 - 10:15 am

  Traded a 2006 HHR for a 2011 Equinox . Drove it home 25 miles and the gas gauge was already @ 1/4 ???? Did some research and found out this thing gets no where near 22/32 mpg. Told dealer no thanks and went back to a 2011 HHR that does get 22/30 mpg.

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  Not bad? - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By vonirkinshtine - April 21 - 2:34 pm

  My wife and I were drawn to the Equinox by all the advertised features packed into a compact SUV. The exterior styling is nice, and the interior fits both her (51") and me (61") just fine. The rear seats leave plenty of room for actual adults or a substantial excursion to the home improvement store. But, with 8000 miles this thing makes all sorts of odd noises. Something in the back is making some sort of rhythmic popping noise, and the seat belt tensioner sounds like the Tin Man. Overall I question the longevity of this SUV. The transmission does whatever it wants, and it makes odd noises when you crank it. Oh, and 32mpg? On what planet?

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  Love It - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By stacies - April 21 - 2:12 pm

  The 4-cylinder does not have a lot of power, but I dont "gun it" when taking off from a stop. My average gas mileage to and from work is about 27 mpg. I love the design and the ride of this vehicle. Some may get poor gas mileage because they are trying to push the 4 cylinder too much. Just go easy on the accelerator and your mpg will increase.

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  2011 Impala LTZ - 2011 Chevrolet Impala
  By garsarno - April 20 - 2:33 pm

  Traded in a 2007 Impala SS with 80,000+ miles. The current deal on the Impalas are incredible. MSRP for loaded LTZ was $31,655. GM rebate of $5,000 and $1,000 AARP rebate along with dealer discount of $1,655 gave me a new car for $24,000. They gave me $8,500 for my trade in, and the deal was set. Did buy the Major Guard GM Extended Warranty online so that the complete car is covered for five years / 100,000 miles with zero deductible. In comparison, the LTZ is more balanced and quieter than the SS. But I do miss that V8 rumble! Power is slightly down. They did however, delete the six disc cd player from the Bose option and your stuck with a single cd player.

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  Dont Buy This Car - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By mightymouse4 - April 20 - 12:11 pm

  So I baught this car brand new, needing something good on gas. Its great on gas, getting 36 mpg on the HW, but after owning it only 2 years, it is falling apart! I do all the maintance, change the oil before its do, and treat it good, but it was a huge mistake. Ive had to do the front brakes twice, replace the rotors twice, have the door adjusted, put shocks, ball joints, and a Clutch! Even the dealer told me the clutch is poorly designed, and Im luckly it lasted that long. Now there is some kind of cluncking in the front, and its not the struts! Im working one it every other weekened, and its only an 08! Oh, by the way, GM does not cover a cluth on the power train warantee!

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  I really should get rid of it but I love it too much! - 1993 Chevrolet Beretta
  By mizzicah - April 18 - 9:26 pm

  First of all this website wouldnt let me select my kind of berretta. Mine is a 6 cylinder 3.1 liter. I received this car as a graduation gift from high school... in 1995. It is now 2011 and its still going strong. I gotta say though that I loaned it to my friends to drive for a week through dusty corn fields in Illinois and the cabin air has never been the same. I just end up opening up the windows more often in the summer and dressing warmer in the winter. Also the engine has slight hesitation when going up certain hills. It has done this for 4 years now with no more symptoms increasing. This car is rock solid.

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  Not What You Pay For - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By kanani4274 - April 18 - 2:27 pm

  I purchased my 2008 Chevy Impala new July 2008. I thought it was a bit pricey coming from a Chevy Pickup, but, needed to get away from high gas prices. This vehicle IS fuel efficient. It is hard to believe that this is a Full Size vehicle. The cab is extremely small for full size. I have two major complaints: #1 The suspension from the factory is junk and they know it. GM will not replace or repair this. I had to spend $1200.00 to fix a manufacturer defect after going through 3 sets of tires in under 40,000 miles. No thanks to GM. #2 The A/C-Heater System is JUNK, once again, GM knows of the problems and they will not repair or replace it. With that, I will NEVER purchase another GM vehicle.

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  A sweet ride - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By duffer65 - April 18 - 11:56 am

  A very comfortable car with good handling, decent power, and excellent economy. Have about 6000 miles on the odometer and have gotten up to 37 mpg (at 5 mph over freeway speeds) using a light throttle and cruise control. Very good in ice and snow here in the Northeast.

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  Best Vehicle Ever - 2011 Chevrolet Suburban
  By proud_american - April 14 - 9:29 pm

  This thing hauls, well, pretty much everything. My Family of six and 3 other adult relatives, the shortest being around 5 foot 8, travel with unbeleivable comfort. Bottom line, there is no better SUV on the market than you will find at a GM dealership.

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  I hated this car - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By laurastett111 - April 14 - 7:31 pm

  I bought this car with 30k miles and within the first few months, I had to take it to the shop. Interior is cheap, and wears very easily. with in a two years of having it, the seats started to wear through. I have had to replace the power windows engines twice, and know at 100k miles, it is starting to make noises. My fincee is 59 and he can barely fit in the car. hard to hold more than two people.