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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  Faulty timing belt and shifter. Lemon! - 2004 Chevrolet Aveo
  By AshleyFeucht - July 12 - 6:55 pm

  Timing belt broke at 47K miles (well before the recommended 60K replacement). As a result, I had to spend $2,170 to replace the belt and cylinder head. Also, shifter sticks when pulling out of park. These are two VERY common problems. GM refuses to compensate me and I plan to organize a class action lawsuit and/or take GM to small claims court. The only reason this car is still on the market is because not enough consumers are complaining. If you have the same problems, please speak up!

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  Expected better gas mileage - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By D - July 12 - 5:54 pm

  Reviews on this vehicle seem very inconsistent. Based on my research, people seem to be experiencing problems with transmission fluid turning brown very early on (as mine has), but I havent come across a lot of actual transmission failures. My biggest problem has been fuel economy. For such a tiny car, I expected better than the 25ish total and much less for city driving. Since there arent any other real advantages over a slightly larger car (besides cost), I have been disappointed by that. For a car of its size, the trunk is great and there is reasonable room in the front seats. The back is tight but that is to be expected. The egg-shape continues to look dated to me.

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  The Beast - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Paul Wernich - July 12 - 2:34 pm

  Ive put 7500 miles on my silver Heritage Edition Camaro and Im still getting tons of stares and compliments. I especially enjoy the reaction from young boys (I suspect they will be future Camaro owners too). After a hard rain I did have a good bit of water leak into the back seat. The local dealer adjusted the door and I havent noticed any leaking since. The front end continues to chip/nick much more easily than any car Ive owned before. I ordered a mask/bra for it but because of the unusual shape of the front end of the Camaro, the fit was awkward so I ended up returning the mask/bra. There is a clear plastic coating available to protect the front end, I suggest you get it.

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  99 Suburban LT - Not worth the $$ - 1999 Chevrolet Suburban
  By bilz3 - July 12 - 10:18 am

  We bought this used & had 85K miles on it. At 95k the fuel pump failed, $700. At 100k the upper intake gasket had to be replaced, $900. At 120k the trans failed, $1900. At 125k the steering box failed, $300 and I fixed that myself. Now at 163k the a/c wont blow from the vents and I was told that the whole dash has to come out. Also, one of the catalytic converters is bad. Overall, if I knew then what I know now we NEVER would have bought it. Biggest piece of crap Ive ever owned.

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  New Owner review - 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By AmyF - July 12 - 5:11 am

  Have only had for 2 days, so this is a preliminary review. Handles well and drives smoothly. Very interested to see what my avg mpg will end up as since I drive so many highway miles. I traded in a minivan that got 24.5mpg avg.

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  Oil consumption - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By frustrated - July 11 - 11:22 pm

  Consumes 1.5 qt of oil every 1000 miles since 47,000 miles. Have to take to dealership every 1000 miles for oil consumption test to get GM to warranty if they ever find a fix. They were supposed to have a fix Feb. 2009, now it is July 2010 and still no fix. Have a friend with a 2009 Suburban with same problem. Also have had battery drain problems.

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  One great car - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By sans - July 11 - 11:11 pm

  Gm out did themselves, love it from bumper to bumper. Mileage has been great just took a 500 mile trip air on all the time got 30 mpg and was more than comfortable

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  A/C problems on rental - 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By scmhogg - July 11 - 7:52 pm

  I recently rented a cobalt for a drive through the California desert. The A/C seemed to work efficiently, until we reached a particularly hot stretch at 75 MPH, then the A/C shut itself off for 10 minutes. It continued on this on off cycle until we left the hot part of the desert. When it shut off, there was a ping from the computer and the recirculate light started blinking. Stay away from deserts in your Cobalt.

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  Shift lock problems - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By dj morse - July 11 - 5:03 pm

  Problems after 1 month with shift lock on automatic gear handle. Cannot get car out of park.

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  My 95 Impala SS - 1995 Chevrolet Impala
  By Chas - July 11 - 12:02 pm

  I purchased in 95. Had I known the 96 was going to be built with the floor shift and analog dash, I would have waited. Minor set back. I choose where I go with Chevy. Its black in color and has all the options available for that year. I have removed the impala ss from both rear quarters as it was a dirt collector. Its still a head turner, even the cops are quite inquisitive as to what type of auto as they are always pacing me. Its a keeper. I am the only driver and the ss is in pristine condition and plan to keep like that. Fun to drive. Lt1 is quite responsive and horse power can be increased a few mods that are reversible to oem specs. Great toy!