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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  Siverado the sierra slayer - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Top Dawg Silverado - January 7 - 4:43 pm

  I Love my Silverado. It drives like a dream , excellent power, nice cornering. Also the fuel economy is a lot better than I had expected.

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  Great Car for the Money - 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By T Aodd - January 7 - 3:43 pm

  After a year and a half of driving this car, I have mostly good things to say about this car. GM seems to have improved their build quality over the past few years of Monte Carlos. I have had no mechanical problems whatsoever. I love the strong pulling V6, decent gas mileage, and the 8 speaker audio system.

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  Body Module Failure a Deal Breaker - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Alan - January 6 - 12:31 am

  If your body control module fails, like mine did, the failure mode could be dangerous. When it failed, the power door locks, transmission control, and key ignition release failed simultaneously. It was frozen in Park, with no option other than to disconnect the transmission control to move it. I had an older Altima that I could have used to get to work, but it took a tow flatbed, and knowledge if how to put the car in Neutral manually from underneath the car. Repair was covered by GM, but I lost my trust for this vehicle. I would have engineered a failsafe akin to a limp-home mode that would allow an owner to get the Equinox to a safe location. Im curious as to what would have happened if this module failed at highway speed.

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  Have Fun Buy the 2.0 Turbo, LT - 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Dave - January 5 - 6:55 pm

  Ok, Im a car guy, love cars, have had over 50, all new, not bragging I drive a ton, and dont want to deal with break downs. The last 2 cars Ive had have gone back under the California Lemon Law (Manufacturers call it a "Repurchase"), a 2015 Subaru Forester XT, and a 2016 Hyundai Tucson Sport 1.5 Turbo. Both because of software problems, the Subaru had the horrible CVT, and the turbo had severe hesitation on the freeway mostly. The Hyundai was a great car, but the 7 speed DCT is dangerous, talked to many other owners at gas stations, and car washes, they ALL had the same problem. From a stop when you got to about 10-15mph everything would stop nothing from the gas pedal, making a left turn almost got hit twice because it was dead stalled. The problem is so bad, and Hyundai has so many "Repurchases", I had a loaner for over 2 months. Now the Equinox, bad first, seats not great, but I am 62", 280lbs, and the thumb, thumb noise I do have like another reviewer mentioned, but will be fixed. Drove everything, Rav 4, Honda CRV, Escape, Kia Sportage, Tucson without the 7 sp. DCT, Subaru Outback, VW Tiguan, nothing was really a stand out, and every time I drove the CVT I hated it (CRV. Outback), all had 4 cylinders, and were slow, and noisy. The 2.0 Turbo in the Equinox with the 9 speed is special, quiet, fast, and easy to get 30mpg on the highway, and no it was not $40,000, MSRP $31,800, has blind spot, Android car play, rear hatch is automatic, rear camera, with audible alert, the things I need, no AWD, in Cali dont need it. Firm ride, but not harsh, very quick and fun for a CUV, and the best part got it for $24,000, dealer discount $2,000, rebates $2,000, and last get a GM credit card through Capital one, 3 or 4 times a year they send you a coupon for $3,000 on almost any GM car, or truck. So after all that less than any car I mentioned above, go drive the others, and drive this last you will see the difference, I did.

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  Good Replacement Choice - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By BobH - January 5 - 2:50 pm

  I never rate anything a 10! Only had this car for 7 weeks - 1600 miles but so far am well pleased. Fully loaded. Imperial blue/gray interior. 20 - 22 mpg with very little highway driving. Leased 3yr/36000mi. Selected for style and features to replace a 99 300M. Great trunk space for 4 golf bags. Quiet riding. Suspension seems a little rough on minor road bumps and seems to hesitate a bit when going from 3cyl to 6 cyl mode in city driving but overall driving is a pleasure. Im a large sedan type of a guy and this was a good choice especially with the lease incentive and rate and my GM Mastercard rebate.

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  Honest Truth - 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Nathan - January 5 - 8:26 am

  This is the 2nd Silverado I have had. The new one is merely a lower mileage upgrade with more warranty. It is a great truck with no real huge problems except... the linkage in the tranny doesnt drop all of the time when you come to a complete stop from about 60mph. Also, the stock tires throw rocks like crazy!! I am a die-hard chevrolet guy though and this is the price that you pay for being brand loyal. I think overall, the truck is a good buy but just make sure you purchase the extended warranty if you are planning on keeping the truck. You wont regret it when something fails on you.

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  2014 Chevy Silverado LT All-Star Edition Z/71 Double Cab-5.3 V-8 - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By canadaverde - January 5 - 5:25 am

  Got my new truck 2 weeks ago. I dont drive my personal vehicles very much and now I am a retired Deputy Sheriff with disabilities. I sold my 2004 Chevy 2500HD-LT-SWB-Extended Cab 4X4 with the 6-1/2 foot bed with the Duramax/Allison in February 2013. It only had 28,000 miles on it with almost 9 years of ownership. I like most things about my new pickup, except the Active Fuel Management system and poor fuel economy. It only has about 250 miles on it now. I used a SuperChips programmer on a 2006 Dodge Charger I was assigned to add power and deactivated the AFM system. The car ran better and got better MPGs, so I ordered one for my new Chevy truck. We will see how it works on the pickup.

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  Great Looking, but Poor Reliability - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Tim - January 4 - 5:10 am

  My wife and I both purchased one of these in Sept. 2004. My wifes started having a thumping, grinding, vibrating noise from the rear when she would make a turn. This is quite common in many different reviews online, something in the rear differential seems to be the culprit, not to mention the brake rotors warping. Should you need to stop, leave plenty of room as they shake, vibrate, and fade. We traded one for a Certified 05 Tahoe that we paid $27K for. Great deal since a new Nox is $24K. MPG not much different either. Tahoe display shows 16.2 MPG w/ 5.3 V8. I tracked mileage per tank vs. actual file up with the Nox for the first 10K miles and only got 17MPG.

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  Great Vehicle - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Scott - January 4 - 1:53 am

  I highly recommend this truck. I love it, and my wife steals it when she can. Very solid, very comfortable and smooth ride even with the off road suspension. It is a small truck, I have never towed, and if I did, Id have gotten an F150. Also, no problem with the power, gets up and goes. Check the 0-60 times as tested. It is not as slow as it they make it out to be.

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  Best Sports Sedan Currently Available - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By priggly - January 3 - 2:36 pm

  The 2006 Chevy Impala SS is simply the best sports sedan currently available on the market. It combines the best features of a sporty ride and a long distance highway cruiser. It has a quiet cabin with extremely little road and essentially no wind noise. The engine power is exhilarating. The throaty exhaust note is just prominent enough to sound good without being overly intrusive. The car handles extremely well and yet is not overly harsh or rough riding. The BOSE audio system and XM radio are awesome. The engine shifts seamlessly, imperceptibly between 4 and 8 cylinders. The 4-speed automatic transmission is extremely smooth with seamless shifts and is a superb match for the motor.