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:

• 

  18 Months in - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Al Sultze - August 8 - 2:00 am

  All systems work well. Much better all round vehicle than competition; i.e. Camry,etc., etc.

• 

  18 Months in - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Al Sultze - August 8 - 2:00 am

  All systems work well. Much better all round vehicle than competition; i.e. Camry,etc., etc.

• 

  Awesome vehicle! - 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Warhorse - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car 2 years ago, always wanted one, my wife found it in the used car lot. Despite needing new intake gasket set right away, Im VERY pleased with this car! I hope to own it as long as it will last, have added customized parts to it and is a head-turner. Also put 40 series Flowmaster dual-exhaust on it, sounds great! I feed it Z-Maxx every 6000 miles and it treats me right, recommend it to everyone!

• 

  Very nice vehicle - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By BaM - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Have about 2000 miles on it between NY and Maryland. So far it has been a pleasure to drive. Handles the bumps and ruts of NY roads well. Its nice running up and down the Garden State Parkway and NJ Turnpike. Quiet, comfortable and solid. Have lived in Asia, Middle East and Europe and this car compares very well with what people regularly drive anywhere in the world. Very nicely executed and overall better equipped and more solid then found outside NA.

• 

  I never thought to check during test drive - 2016 Chevrolet Equinox
  By EJM - August 7 - 8:07 pm

  Where is the CD player?

• 

  Best decision I made - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Mary P. - August 7 - 5:46 pm

  I had been looking for a new SUV but I wanted to downsize from my Explorer. I love this SUV because it is very roomy inside and I dont feel I had to give up a lot going to the Equinox. Even though it is a 4 speed it has a lot of pick-up and I am loving the fuel savings. I looked at both the 2009 and 2010 which are different. The cost and fuel economy is much better in the 2010 than the 2009 and I actually got a better deal on the 2010.

• 

  Excellent Ride - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Kh20000 - August 7 - 9:16 am

  I purchased my Equinox in May of 2004. I love it! Fuel economy, roomy, carlike feeling, spacious like a minivan and looks like an SUV. I have received plenty of compliments on this car from friends family co workers, and complete strangers. For the price, you cant go wrong!

• 

  Happy in Bama - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Steve C - August 6 - 2:33 am

  This is my first Chevy and first SUV. I have owned several cars in the past, my last a Honda Accord in which I have been very pleased with. But with an increasing family, my wife and I started looking at SUVs. We spotted the Equinox. We were very impressed with its style and also the price, along with its mileage performance. Im tall, so I wanted an SUV that would be very roomy, and the Equinox has it all and more. The interior could be a little nicer with plusher leather. A wheel bearing went bad in back right wheel, the window washer quit working, and most recently I heard a popping noise when making turns. It was left front strut that dealership recently replaced, I hope its not an omen. Other than that, Im very pleased. Chevy has replaced the Tracker with an awesome SUV. As of right now with 23,000 miles I am very happy with this vehicle.

• 

  Shakerado - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By m1tanker1 - August 5 - 2:45 am

  I, like many others, have a crew cab with the shakes. Once you get up to speed, you will feel it in the steering wheel, seat, console, and floor. There are quite a few others with this problem and GM threw many parts at their trucks (tires, rims, driveshaft, TCM updates, rear axles) and they still shake and vibrate. At least they received some attention from GM, because I was basically told by my dealer that this is a problem with the trucks and GM has no fix. Throw in about 6 recalls, one tailgate cable longer than the other, a radio that sometimes works, and an interior that is so cheap, it scratches and rattles just looking at it.

• 

  Mediocre sedan - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By Jeff B. - August 4 - 5:16 am

  If you never drove a Honda Accord, Mazda 6, Camry, or Nissan Altima, the Impala might seem like a great car. However, having driven this car for a few months now, I find it excels in only one area -- gas mileage. I get about 28 mpg average, which is great for a large 6 cyl car. Everything else about the Impala seems crude & under- developed. Its already been in the shop twice for a faulty steering part & brake rotor resurfacing (at 15,000 miles). Acceleration is rough & uneven, handling is awful, and seats are poorly designed. This is not the car that will save GM from bankruptcy.