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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  Do they work or dont they. - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By qianna275 - January 6 - 8:23 pm

  I used to love my car but once the airbags decided they didnt want to work anymore the love affair was over. The car has been in the shop three separate times and nobody can find the problem. The passenger airbag sensors dont recognize anyone in the car when Im driving. No matter how much they weigh. I no longer feel safe driving this chunk of metal.

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  Great value, beautiful car, but still has "GM-ness" - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By nick7302 - January 6 - 3:25 pm

  We bought our Malibu in August of 2010. It is January 2011 now and weve already got near 12k miles. LTZ is very sharp looking, the features are great, and a strong value for the dollar. Still, not perfect: Gas mileage is rated 22/33--we average 24-26 on mostly rural and secondary/suburban roads, which is less than Id expect. We did have the airbag light come on around 9k miles and we had to take it in to the dealer to have a sensor replaced. There are other signs of old GM here...if you press the overhead light or sunroof buttons the headliner flexes quite a bit. Rubber trim around sunroof looks sloppy. Transmission hunts and engine can be buzzy during warm up.

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  Luvineveryminuteofit - 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By seaman11 - January 6 - 12:15 pm

  iI pre-ordered a fully-loaded LTZ before they came out. The only thing I didnt like were the seats (not a lot of lateral support and lumbar support adjustment was minimal). I later read reviews from people plagues with problems, including the engine. I waited for mine to fall apart and it never did. The engine got noisier but didnt fall apart. After ten years and 110,000 miles, it still runs strong with absolutely no problems! Tires and brakes lasted until 90,000 miles! My C5 Corvette and C-Class Mercedes cant even come close to the reliability that the Trailblazer has. I guess I didnt get the lemon ... Im keeping it until it until it dies.pric

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  Great so far! - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jdeluca1 - January 5 - 11:22 am

  My wife and I bought the Equinox LT2 AWD used with about 19k miles on it. Due to Chevrolets hit or miss reliability, we purchased the additional full warranty through 75k miles coverage. Since we bought it, we have put a ton of highway miles on it and now has 78k miles on it. The entire time we have had it--no problems thus far. The only thing we have noticed was the paint bubbles from road debris which isnt covered. I was completely surprised to read all of the terrible reviews about the Equinox on this site. We have had NO water inside, no transmission problems, no engine misfiring or anything. It has been a great buy for us and we would recommend!

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  Poor old beast kicked the can on NYE! - 1998 Chevrolet Venture
  By ventureman5 - January 4 - 8:28 pm

  My 98 Venture died driving home from Hampton Roads VA this past New Years Eve. The dreaded gasket failure problem with the heads. At 176K miles though I supposed I should count my blessings. Especially considering this is the 1st time it has needed any serious work. It still runs. I drove it today to trade it in for a used Windstar and it was still full of powr and running smooth and quiet as ever but I knew with each mile the crankcase was filling with coolant. It made its last drive without failure despite the serious problems. I will miss this vehicle very much even though it was just a baseline grocery getter. It earned my admiration after all these years of flawless performance.

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  Love at First sight ended in heartbreak - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By arwriggs - January 4 - 1:26 pm

  Bought my 05 nox 6/1/04. Had recall within 2 weeks that was fixed. Had to carry it back to replace pass. interior door panel & shifter (under warr). Paint started chipping bad. Had problems w/ ignition switch. At 2 years it started going downhill. Driver power window motor/regulator, CD player, scrubbing noise which is the AWD apparently. The AC compressor went out, the interior stains with a single drop of water, the quality of materials is poor, paint chips, buttons fade. Now water pump went out & cracked heads in motor. Im out a few thousand dollars over this. I love my Nox & am extremely heartbroken to lose her. But I should have seen this coming, these are common problems w/ this car.

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  What a mess!! - 2009 Chevrolet Aveo
  By markg13 - January 4 - 11:52 am

  Always drove Chevys, this may be my last! Going back to dealer again for same reason within 2 mnths, do I blame the dealer or the crappy car? Creaks and groans from the frame/bodywork within first week of purchase, mileage nowhere near advertised levels, rides like a covered wagon on the Oregon Trail, about as peppy as a lawn mower (and as quiet as one!) nice interior, though. Is this GMs idea of a joke? Is this how you re-build trust in a company that almost went belly-up? I realize this car came from subsidiary in S. Korea, that doesnt excuse shoddy execution/quality. Beware!!

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  Best used car Iv had - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jstanthrguy - January 4 - 11:33 am

  I got my 01 Malibu 2 years ago with only 45,000 miles on it and havnt had any big issues with it other than my AC / heater going out at 80k miles but that was a $30 fix that took me a year to do. My lighter outles have gone out and the engine keeps doing a tugging issue but Im sure its the area I live in. Other than that just normal wear. I will say they dont do so well on climate change though. I brought it from NE winters to California summers and hit a speed bump and cracked a tie rod but that was $6 to fix. Now at 110k its in perfect condition. I love it.

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  Rear Panels Leaking - 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By psmith179 - January 3 - 6:56 pm

  I bought my new 2010 avalanche after trading in my 2007 avalnache. The only problem i have with this truck is, it leaks water on ther rear while the panels are on. They have replaced them already and Im waiting on them to replace them again. Is anyone else having this problem?

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  I enjoy this car - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By seadog5 - January 2 - 9:34 pm

  I just went over 10000 on my LTZ and have not had a single problem. We have taken two long trips in it and found it to be comfortable and quiet. Handled really nice in some heavy winds when other cars were being blown all over. I have not yet driven it in the snow but it has good traction in the rain. The dealer is great and I love all the little toys in the car.