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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  2010 Equnior LT1 4 cyl. - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Carroll Sojourner - August 5 - 10:11 am

  EPA should be ashamed for stating est. milage SO HIGH. Ours is 4 cyl. LT2. We are very disappointed with gas mileage 0f 24 mpg, when we live in country mostly level roads, and do very little start and stopping. Have 09 Chev. Impala which easily achieves avg of 28 mpg on same roads. Vehicle needs garage door opener, and option of full power seat on passenger side.

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  Very disappointed - 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Anna Cozzone - August 5 - 8:36 am

  The driving would be great if it did not stall in the middle of driving down the highway or road! They do not want to admit there is a BIG problem. There are other people with this issue!

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  problems - 1999 Chevrolet Venture
  By mark f - August 5 - 6:52 am

  If you check the internet, you will find a lot of gripes about this van and I experienced them all. electrical include brake lights shorting out, turn signals failing, power sliding door going out,and radio lights burning out. Mechanical include brakes constantly need serviced and the head gasket goes out at around 120,000 miles on almost ALL 3.4 motors. My buddy is a mechanic, he says he works on the head gaskets a lot, can do it in his sleep now. Cost $700 to replace head gasket as they have to plain down the aluminum heads to fit properly. Then you may as well replace timing belt and oil pump since you are that far into the motor, talking around $1100 now.

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  Never thought Id buy a Chevy - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By RickS - August 5 - 2:14 am

  After several weeks of intense research, I bought a 2010 Equinox. The Hyundai Tucson was nice but seemed harsher and less refined. The Ford Escape was my first choice but the more I looked, the more the Equinox won me over with its styling and features. It looks great inside and out. The seats are comfortable and fit and finish is excellent. The 4 cylinder engine growls a little when pressed but the power is always there. In ECO mode, the transmission feels like it hunts a bit but I dont find this a problem. The ride is solid and handling is precise and controlled. A pleasure to drive this car.

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  truck awful - 2008 Chevrolet Colorado
  By marty - August 4 - 9:01 pm

  As far as Im concerned the thing is an underpowered piece of overpriced plastic junk. I have always been a Chevy guy, but this is the end of my Chevy days. My last one was a 2000 sonoma and I thought the plastic was too much. Now I go to open the console and its like lifting a piece of plastic milk jug, flimsy crap! For sale not driving it junk, junk, junk.

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  Cobalt LT Coupe - 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Gregory Butta - August 4 - 6:01 pm

  Im 18 years old and needed a reliable car to go back and forth to college. I looked at the usual, the civic, corolla, or the focus. I liked the Cobalt better then all of them and the build quality on my 2010 is just as nice as the foreign cars. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  Best Car Ive Owned - 2009 Chevrolet Corvette
  By sjambo - August 4 - 3:43 pm

  Im now 44 and this is the most amazing car I have ever owned - I wish I owned corvettes when I was younger. It has the speed, acceleration, style and it makes heads turn. My Z51 is not built for comfort but more on performance. I enjoy every minute of drive. I have only floored the accelerator once from 80 mph for about two seconds then I was right away at 115 mph - to tell you the truth I get nervous because of the speed and acceleration! This car is no toy and it needs a lot of getting used to. An equivalent car with this performance would cost you over 150 grand. Check the Youtube on Corvette vs Lamborghini, or vs Ferrari. The vette will easily outperform those luxurious cars!

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  The real deal - 2010 Chevrolet Corvette
  By jeff - August 4 - 10:20 am

  Took museum delivery of GS coupe which I would recommend. Driving back from Kentucky, I averaged 31 mpg while my wife said "it felt like a luxury car compared to my older vette". I now have it for 4 months and can say this car is impressive on all fronts. Acceleration is silly fast, cornering is flat and predictable while braking is spot-on. The interior is unbelievably roomy. the trunk space is similar to a town car. I find the seats comfortable and supportive. I like the interior too which is not as nice as a 911, but its 20k less. Drove them both back to back thinking I was buying the 911 but the grand sport is a better car, period!

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  4 1/2 years of great driving - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By MtnsAndBeach - August 4 - 12:04 am

  Was an early adopter of the 2007 4wd after driving 2001 LS 4wd. Interior improvements were huge, exterior styling and finish great. I have had zero major issues with this rig. The interior still looks new. The biggest issue I had was the driver side exterior mirror whistled between 35 and 45 mph. After three "fixes", they finally replaced the mirror to solve the problem. Still driving on first set of brakes,mileage is 15.2 around town and 19 on trips, even over mountains in Oregon. On flat freeway, best mpg so far is 21. Of course, if you your foot is heavy expect 12 mpg, but that is you not the rig. Towing has been great. Would have to thing hard to come up with a serious complaint.

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  Watch out for the crash engine - 2005 Chevrolet Aveo
  By New Motor Time - August 3 - 1:39 pm

  Overall not a bad car and rates well in its class but do the maintenance. Timing belt change at 60,000 miles. If it goes, the motor can not be repaired and must be replaced. When you make the change you need (must) also to change the pulleys and water pump. It is also very tinny and dents easy. Good gas mileage but is underpowered to achieve it.