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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  Gas Mileage Poor - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By shirley - October 30 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my equinox for a little over 3 months. Im a 55 year young grandma. Over the years I have had several new or slightly used vehicles, and I love this one the most, by far. I love everything about it EXCEPT for the gas mileage. I only work 3 miles from home so I realize that hurts the mileage. But, it doesnt matter if I drive local or on trips, with or without the eco button, i average 21 mpg. With my previous Ford Escape, I was getting 24-28 mpg. At first I was getting 24 mpg, which I didnt like, but was ok with. Now its down to 21 :( I just dont think they should be able to advertise the 32 mpg.

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  Dont Believe Published MPG - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By beachguy46 - October 29 - 2:00 am

  The Chevy S-10 is a great looking truck. Mine is painted the 2001 version of a midnight metallic blue and it is really sharp. I have the extended cab version and its very comfortable for a small vehicle. Visibility is great, and parking is easy. Great stereo and CD player. A big disappointment is the low performance of the 4 cyl. engine and the very disappointing miles per gallon. I drive the truck very conservatively yet can only get about 17 mpg. in combined highway and city driving. Not very good for a vehicle with a 4 cylinder low performance engine. I would recommend the 6 cyl. version of this truck. Since the same body style was made for many years, spare parts are readily available.

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  These are great cars - 2008 Chevrolet Aveo
  By jason - October 29 - 2:00 am

  I have a long commute to work and the aveo goes everyday 120 miles round trip. It has turned out the be the main car with gas so high. We have taken it on several long trips and get great gas mileage its an automatic and have gotten as high as 39 mpg with it several times but usually get about 35 most of the time with or with out a/c on. The aveo has never been back to the shop for repairs nothing has gone wrong with it. Just normal maintenance. Change timing belt at 60,000 miles.

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  i just love my impala - 2005 Chevrolet Impala
  By barbara - October 29 - 2:00 am

  Well i purchased my impala a few months ago and i have to tell you l just enjoy it so much. i love the body style and everything. i really think its a nice car.

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  What a Blast! - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Tim - October 29 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car, used from a dealer about 2 hrs from my home. It was the closest HHR with all the things I wanted in it. It has been Great since day 1. I drive from NC to NY every 2 weeks for work and it is a pleasure to drive.I get about 28-29 mpg while cruising at about 75 mph.My dog rides in the back and is very comfortable or so he says.It gets a lot of looks but more often than not, people dont know what kind of car it is.I think thats changing because I see a lot more of them on the road these days.I know mine will be on I-95 for a long time to come.

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  Best car ever - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By nick - October 29 - 2:00 am

  I have had my 210 malibu for 1 mo now this is the best car i have ever bought. ive had hondas and ford they cannot compete with this car i would buy another one in a heart beat. great job gm your back on my list of best cars

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  Was expensive, but so worth it! - 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Chelsea - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I have a 1997 Chevy Cavalier, 4 door, white, and gets probably 37 MPG at least! This car has never let me down and is my girly! Shes so reliable and I love this car! Its my first car and Im only 18! Weve never had to fix anything yet - except the fluids often - but that was because the car hadnt been moved for over a year, besides maybe the owner driving it around once in a while. Everything is better now! I hope to pass this car on to my kids when they are older! I bought this car at 70,700 miles. At 74,700 now! So I hope she holds up that long! Lol

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  Happy with my Truck - 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Michael - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought this truck used with 133,000 on it and I love it. I would buy another avalanche in a heartbeat. I have used it for hauling a trailer, used the midgate several times to haul wood for projects.

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  Dissapointed Equinox Owner - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Sad Chevy Owner - October 28 - 2:00 am

  My Husband and I purchased this SUV new at the dealership. We were so excited about owning a new car, our first, only to be disappointed a few months later when our starter started to "act funny". It sounded as though it was still cranking but the engine wouldnt start. We took it into the dealer but nothing was found. Few months later, same problem and same result. We drove our car the next few years hoping for the best with the same problem hoping it would turn on when we got in. Finally just last week we decided to get rid of it because we just couldnt rely on it. I would not recommend this vehicle. Save your money folks, and find a reliable car!

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  Can do it all! - 2000 Chevrolet Astro
  By Tim - October 27 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Astro and it is so capable of doing everything. It has a truck frame which allows towing large campers, gets 19 mpg on highway when which is awesome for a AWD van/truck this size. Walks through snow and ice with ease. Strong winds push it around a little on interstate. Finally had to replace something at 119,000 miles, a starter which was very easy to replace myself. Plugs arent too bad if you pull the front wheel off. Overall we love this (boxy) design, because you sit up so high you can see whats going on in front of you. This van is better than any other minivan we have owned, Mazda, Plymouth, better than our Toyota 4x4 pickup. Great Van, bring it back.