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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  Serious issues with electrical..... - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Serious elec. issues - December 5 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my Equinox in 08 and was very happy at first until I had serious issues 6 months after purchase. My Equinox kept bucking and went into the dealer to find out issue was the cylinder misfiring. This was fixed but 6 months later the lock on the drivers side would not work. This too was fixed. 2.5 months later the wipers would not work unless on high speed. Dealer fixed this issue. I was on the highway since I drive 50 miles to work and Equinox again started to buck. Again cylinder was misfiring. Dealer had to replace all wiring. Chevy tried to refuse stating it was due to me not keeping up with maintenance. Not true. I had to prove all the maintenance I had done. Not happy at all.

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  Not Happy - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By greer32 - December 5 - 2:00 am

  Im in Sales and travel daily....Not happy with this purchase. I went from a Dodge Charger to the Camero...Gotta say I purchased this for looks only. It is very diffcult to see when backing up....the car is not comfortable, and I can feel every bump in the road...I also own a 2007 Mustang, I thought this car road ruff...Just very unhappy with this purchase... Wish I could have drove this car for a couple of days before writing a 30,000 check...

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  Best car ever owned - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Love my Cavy - December 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought my manual 2005 LS cavalier in 2006 with only 10k miles on it. I now have almost 96k on it and its still running great! I love this car. Over the 4 years that i have owned my car, i have only had 1 major problem and that is the clutch cable went out 2 times. Other than that, this is the most reliable vehicle that i have owned. Nothing wrong with the engine after all of the long trips and miles this car has went through. No complaints here. The cavalier is still mechanically wonderful, easy on gas with avg of 32mpg for me, reasonably comfortable, the AC/Heat are great,keyless entry, sunroof, and great factory sound system! I love this car and would recommend it to anyone.

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  A money pit. - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By Darren - December 4 - 2:00 am

  GM went bankrupt and there vehicles could make you go bankrupt. I have had nothing but trouble, had to rebuild transmission at 115,000, did all the recommended maintience. Ignition switch went bad, air conditioning went bad, catalytic convert plug, wiring harness is going bad. You name it. Heated seats went bad, window module switch went bad. I doubt I would ever buy an Impala or anything close to it again. Its a great road car if the long term reliability was there. U (you) A (aint) W (working) workmanship is subpar. Thats what you get for paying people doctors wages to build cars. Good luck GM you will need it.

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  Peice of JUNK!!! Rip OFF!!! - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Peice of JUNK!!! - December 4 - 2:00 am

  The heater does not work when you are at idle speed. The shifter jammed up for no reason. Screw came out of driver and passenger seat that holds molding to seat, customer support is aweful. Windshield wipers went awry for no reason. Wiper fluid bottle is too small. Hydroplanes when you hit a puddle of water...the front bumper is too low to the ground causes the hydroplane effect as if you are hitting a small hill. Very very dangerous when driving at 35 plus miles an hour. Gas cap is faulty causes the engine light to come on. Engine light malfunctions the remote starter!!

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  old reliable - 1996 Chevrolet Camaro
  By als camaro - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car new and still drive it everyday. The car has had no major mechanical repairs to it in all these years. I had to change an alternator once, and fixed the electric windows twice. That is it! It now has 158,000 miles on it. I will never sell my baby and will drive it for many years to come. If you are going to buy one, get one from an adult owner like myself who maintained the car. Kids just beat on them.

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  I will never buy a Chevy again! - 2006 Chevrolet Suburban
  By JO - December 3 - 2:00 am

  First the gas tank went. 2nd the transmission failed. 3rd 4 wheel drive got stuck and had to be replaced. Now I am constantly loosing anti freeze. (another big problem) Chevy is so bad. Ps I had to pay out of my own pocket. No help from Chevy. Do not buy a Chevy!

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  Fun to drive & safe! - 2010 Chevrolet Suburban
  By tom - December 2 - 2:00 am

  We are very happy with our new Suburban LTZ. We were able to get one of the last 2010 models. So far, everything is great. Impressed with the NAV, particularly compared to our Acura MDX. OnStar is also impressive, but a bit expensive once the free trial is up. Very smooth ride, quiet, and a great sound system. Sufficient power and the cylinder management really seems to help with gas mileage. It is a big car, so it takes time to get used to the braking. We now have plenty of room for the kids and dog.

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  Looks great but be aware - 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By LIKE A ROCK? - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I only drive this vehicle on the weekends. Other than that it sits in a heated garage. Since it has been out of warranty I have had to install 3 back up sensors, a new drop down harness for the spare tire, a ehab sensor on the engine, a tire sensor, and a harness rubbed on the differential and needed to be repaired. The vehicle has already had three safety recalls. This was a 55000 dollar vehicle. The avalanche was my dream vehicle and I can see why the US is falling behind in car sales.

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  satisfied - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By larry - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for 1 year. No problems except standard maintenance.