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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  Had for 3 years - Great car - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Garry D - July 31 - 4:16 pm

  I see a lot of the negative reviews, and the only things I agree with are the ease at which the cloth seats stain and the lamps burning out. Apart from these two issues I have put about 70K miles on the vehicle and no issues. Car runs smooth and has pep as a result of the V6. Fuel economy is great and while the looks are now a little outdated I am happy enough.

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  12 years, 157,000 miles, 1 owner - 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By FC - July 31 - 2:26 pm

  The title speaks for itself. Im the original owner of this truck. Bought it back in 98 with 11 miles on it. It now is pushing 160,000 and shows no signs of slowing down. I plan on keeping this truck until the wheels fall off. Every time I think of selling or trading it in for something with better mileage, it proves its usefulness, whether it be hauling a load of furniture, pulling a stump in the backyard, towing a trailer, or it snows! I could go on and on about the virtues of my Tahoe. Its taken me across the country many times, and still goes to the grocery store and work every day. Finally starting to show a little rust on the rockers, but thats to be expected.

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  My wife is fuming - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mike - July 31 - 2:03 pm

  Traded in a 2009 Toyota Rav4 for a 2010 Equinox LTZ 4 cyl. after numerous transmission issues with the Rav4. This is the first American auto I have owned since I was in high school. For unbeknown reasons my wife has nothing but disdain toward GM and refuses to even ride in it. Anyway, we took a trip from Iowa City, Ia to Gaithersburg MD (she drove her Camry) and I got 34 miles per gallon, which was fantastic considering I hadnt ever got over 26 with the Rav4. It was eight miles per gallon better than the rav4 and 4 miles MPG better than her Camry. In addition the the fuel millage the interior quality is better, as is fit and finish and best of all, no squeaks, which the Rav4 was full of.

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  Will never buy another impala - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By Kim - July 31 - 11:22 am

  I brought this car new and for the first year it was ok. My water pump went out and of course I had to pay three hundred to get it replaced. The car is very cheap made. The cd player doesnt work right. They put all the room in the trunk when they should have put it in the back seat area. The gas mileage is a joke. Why put on paper it gets 31 mpg when they know it doesnt. The only car I ever owned that I hated more was a ford tempo. Dont waste your time or money on this car. Chevrolet really dropped the ball on this car.

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  Dependable but Disappointed - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By bab - July 31 - 10:23 am

  I traded in a fully loaded Chevy Impala for this car when gas went above $4 a gallon. The Impala was getting 22 mpg city and was very very comfortable. With the Aveo, what was advertised on the window sticker, is not what I got. I usually get between 25 to 27 in the city and 30 on the highway. I should have kept my Impala. Aveo alarm goes off for no reason. I looked this problem up on the internet an nobody could get dealer to fix. One guy said to lock it with the key instead of the fob and that has resolved my problem 99% of the time. Now the hood latch is broke. Cant open back up at all. Ive kept this serviced as required over the years so Im praying it lasts me 4 to 5 more years.

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  Much improved but, painful at pump - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By motorhead - July 30 - 8:45 pm

  Ive leased 3 Sbans since 00. The new 07 re-design is the best one yet but beware of the horrendously bad gas mileage and related GM lies. Ive never been able to average more than 10.2 mpg in NY metro area driving. As far as FLEX fuel, theres none to be found anywhere. I felt the pain mostly when fuel went to $5/gal in 08. The 4- cyl mode never works unless going downhill, with a tailwind and completely empty. Problems with 4 door latches that cut your hands open, noisy seat belt tensioners, broken fuel door latch, poor carpeting (easily soiled), start-up knocking engine noise (rockers or mains not getting enough oil). Not keeping this one either, GMAC wants $34K and will not budge.

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  Check the undercoating - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By laurel - July 30 - 6:07 pm

  I noticed last year that the black undercoating was just peeling away from the rear tire walls..and a few months later from the front! what the hell? of course its no longer under warranty, and got no where with gm. so there is no rust proofing left, am waiting for it to rust out from under me, being in the northeast, it will happen. Im thinking I should sell it before that happens and buy a toyota. Im sure the 7 year rust through warranty has a catch, so we will see. The dealer will charge me a couple hundred bucks to fix the problem. Im not sure what to do at this point but there is my rant!

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  2010 av - 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By ford to chev - July 30 - 5:31 pm

  Just bought this av only had it a couple of weeks now so far so good. I will say I traded in a ford F-150 king ranch with a 5.4 the ford got better mileage and lots more power than my av and the nav system in the ford is far superior to Chevy system. But the reason I traded was because the Chevy has a wonderful ride and drive and the ford is very uncomfortable on long hauls and I do a lot of driving. All together I am satisfied with my purchase and really like the Chevy so far even though i only have 1800 miles on it.

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  Great car - 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Lisa - July 30 - 3:23 pm

  Bought this car with low expectations, but it was a good deal. Turns out this little car is awesome. I wont be trading up anytime soon. Its perfect.

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  2011 Camaro 1 LT - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Peter Piper - July 30 - 10:12 am

  So far the car has 1000 miles. In that time the car has performed ok. I have followed the manufacturers recommendation of not going over 4k during the break-in. The drivers seat is creaking and sounds like a spring has popped. The gas mileage fluctuates from 21 to 28 mpg. The visibility is bad but i was driving an Accord Coupe prior and am used to it but the camaro is worse. The interior does not compare to the Accords which was much nicer! The controls on the Camaro are very small fro people who need reading glasses and for those who dont. No interior storage as compared to the Honda. The interior lighting is primitive. The dash lighting is cool. Lousy nonadjustable cup holders.