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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  Cant get rid of it. - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Mi Yow - August 25 - 3:05 pm

  Mine is a 2 door black 4.3L V6 step side bed with the ZQ8 five-star wheels and it sits a little low. Every time I decide its about time to sell it, I get it washed and someone compliments how nice it looks and theyre right. The ride is so bumpy and hard that it is embarrassing for passengers, there appears to be interior room until you put someone in there, the brakes take a little while to get the million pound thing to stop, and its not easy to keep the rear end still when trying to start off too fast, but all of those things are good too if you think about it. I just cant seem to make myself buy another truck. Spending +$25K to get something new isnt worth more than my 18MPG.

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  Like my Equinox - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ali1227 - August 24 - 10:00 am

  I like this little truck. I think the plastic for the dashboard can be improved. Needs map lights in front and handles above each door. I also had an issue with hubcaps on this truck. They were making a ticking noise and GM could not figure out how to fix it. My dealer has since swapped the noisy hubcaps with alloy wheels. Problem solved. Dont go through the hassel of hubcaps. Just get the truck with the alloys. Overall, though, I like it. It is a nice ride, and very nice to look at. Sliding back seat a plus for taller friends

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  Better than my Japanese made Mazda - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Craigski - August 22 - 7:52 pm

  I tried the Cobalt for the price. At 45,000 no problems whatsover. Perfect? by no means. Dependable? Better than the Subaru & Mazda. True story... my sons brand new Civic had the steering column catch fire as he drove it from the showroom. I never laughed so hard as he said...Buy Japanese! The salesman turned tomato red. I laughed even harder!

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  Ex-Suburban owner goes 4 cyl - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Je - August 22 - 2:14 pm

  I have been driving Suburbans for 30 years and finally caved in to the current gas prices. I couldnt face going into a small car, and decided to test drive the HHR and found that I really liked it. The ride is comfortable, I sit a little higher than a car, and the 4cyl engine seems to have enough pickup as I drive on the expressway all the time. After 2 months of driving this vehicle I find it fun to drive and the gas mileage is great! The only undesirable is the loss of power when turning on the air conditioning.

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  13+ years with one family owner - 1995 Chevrolet Blazer
  By DonnaMarie - August 22 - 12:14 pm

  This vehicle has no rust - either garaged or in Florida I had very little mileage on it until 2005 - but now have about 195,000 miles on it (almost all highway miles). Put brakes on it (my driving?), a couple alternators and anything needed to care for a vehicle that has been dependable and took me anyplace I wanted to go. USA Chevy family!

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  2008 Cobalt XFE Sedan comments - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By john weiss - August 22 - 12:03 pm

  I have only put on 2100 miles and am pleased with how the vehicle runs and the fuel mileage. It is the basic lowest cost Cobalt XFE sedan with air and manual tranny. At 75mph average on the freeway, it will deliver 34 mpg +/- 3mpg depending on with the wind or against. Has turned in 39.7mpg on 160 mile trip driving at 60 mph on freeway. Vehicle was purchased as a run around unit with trips not longer than 3 hours thus comfort (i.e. as in our Town & Country Van) was not a priority. It has fairly predictable handling with a quiet ride and is not buzzy as was found with some small foreign vehicles in this size.

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  Dependable - 2002 Chevrolet Blazer
  By attilio - August 21 - 11:54 pm

  I have had 0 defects since I had my truck for 4 years. Plenty of room, pulls good and rides better than a normal truck. I maintain my vehicle on a monthly basis. I added an electric fan, K&N cool air kit, and under pulleys and get about 20 to 22 miles per gallon now so Im very happy about my SUV.

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  Good fast car - 1993 Chevrolet Lumina
  By moorjus - August 21 - 9:20 pm

  Great car. Paid 750 for it. It was very fast and passing with ease too. Suffered a bit on hills, but its a six cylinder, what do you want? And it ran well on or off road. I had no trouble until I thought I could get 4000 out of an oil change instead of 3000 and it threw a rod. I had to replace the motor. No trouble since.

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  Wih high gas prices, these are cheap! - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Rick0822 - August 21 - 12:23 pm

  Have had this vehicle for about a month. I traded in my 10 year old Sunfire, and yes I miss the gas mileage, but its OK. So far it has been great, weve put roughly 1000 miles on it trouble free. We did buy an extended service contract for the length of the loan, other reviews have been subpar, so we didnt want to chance it. With gas prices so high we paid $13K, and it had a window sticker of $36K. We bought it planning to only keep it around for 3 years or so, but we might go long term. Personally, I wish we would have bought the 3rd row V8, gas mileage isnt that much worse. We just couldnt find one low mileage with an LT option package.

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  Bought one, big problems - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By wallyuwl - August 21 - 8:43 am

  Wrote one of the first reviews on this after test driving. Bought one a week ago. Tranny problems already w/ 4 cyl. When downshifting from 4-3 and 3- 4 it shifts too early, causing sudden deceleration. Also jittery (front to back) coasting at 17mph, and when accelerating in low 30s. In dealer right now getting checked out. Seems others have experienced it, but not everyone, so it isnt "normal", just might be a bad batch of trannys (assuming it is tranny). See my experiences in "2010 Equinox Problems" thread on Edmunds forum. Love ride, technology, and interior. Highly recommend is tranny is right.