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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  Small things gone wrong - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By colorfularies - June 9 - 8:24 am

  I bought this car 4 years ago and it had 90,000 miles on it. I just needed something to get me back and forth to work in. The car was nice looking, had great pick up and rode strong and smooth. No problems at all the first couple years. Soon the white paint started coming off, and after a brutal winter with snow and ice storms, my car was left with patches of grey primer showing through all over the vehicle Ive seen other white Luminas with the same problem. I had it repainted a few months ago and now it looks brand new. A defect in the paint that GM should fix. Ive had the radiator, AC compressor, alternator, and water pump replaced.

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  Good Truck for the Money - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By pyz01 - June 8 - 5:31 pm

  I really enjoy this truck. I wanted a small to midsize dependable truck. This was it. The other were too expensive and/or did not give the value for the money spent. Would be nice if it got better mileage, but I am not going to complain compared to others. I get about 17 in the city - 23 highway -which is pretty good. Excellent handling,good pickup. Drives smooth.

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  Pleased Corsica Owner - 1991 Chevrolet Corsica
  By krissyc36 - June 8 - 5:07 pm

  Ive owned this car for over a year and its been very reliable and the engine and transmission are holding up well for a 16 year old car! Only major problem I had was a coolant problem (leaking) but 2 new hoses fixed that. It does need a new radiator, but my mechanic put some raqdiator stop leak on and its lasted almost a year!! Will have to eventually replace. Replaced stareter yesterday. No serious problems at all. I love the smooth ride and comfort of this car. This car will go across country and back with no breakdowns! Ill own this until the wheels fall off! Will buy another one for a second car when and if mine dies.

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  2000 SILVERADO - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jefftheawyer - June 8 - 10:00 am

  WITH THE RIGHT TIRES IT IS SMOOTH AND ECONOMICAL ON THE HIGHWAY OR SUREFOOTED AND AGILE DEEP OFF ROAD

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  Its a SUV - get over it! - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By shoebox - June 8 - 10:00 am

  Poor gas mileage - wanders all over road at expressway speed - leans in turns badly - if you roll down just the back windows while moving it creates a bad low decibel rumble enough to drive you crazy in 5 minutes - accessing the 3rd seat is rediculous - towing capacity is 5400 lbs but with my 3800 lb boat Im scared I cant do a controlled stop - overall not worth the money but what else is out there that is any better that can tow more than 3500 lbs? - looks good though sitting still

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  European feel - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By tony - June 7 - 9:50 pm

  I love it. I came out of a gas hog truck that got 13 mpg and now Im getting about 40 mpg. So far so good, and I have not been back to the dealer except for an oil change. I bought an extended warranty so Im not worried. Not a quick car, but safe.

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  Hellava Ride from GM - 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Bruce - June 5 - 3:40 am

  GM is finally starting to wake-up. Lots of planning went into this vehicle. Never had a car with remote start, heated seats before. Now dont think I would want to be without. Enjoy sitting in the back and watching a movie with her on a long trip.

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  cost scaving parts used - 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By richard sauer - June 3 - 7:18 am

  Overall truck is very good. However some small details on substandard parts I am not happy with. Carpet used is very cheap grade. Vehicle is used for personal use only for transportation. Extra mats had to be used because with little usage the carpet wears right down to bare base. Dealers response,"well its a truck." Two hundred miles over 36,000 miles rear outside door handle fell apart. Dealer charged $200.00 to replace,unfortunately I had $200.00 deductible. My bad for not reading extended warranty thoroughly when I signed because hustler in finance advised us it was $100.00. Now handle on other side in rear is becoming loose. When first handle was repaired tech stated inferior.

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  2.5 years old and feels like new. - 2014 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Richard DAvella - June 3 - 1:36 am

  I bought this SUV for a family car as an upgrade to the old Montana SV6AWD. It has the 3.6 V6 LT2 leather heated seats and sunroof. It has a tight nimble handling with plenty of power for acceleration but gas thirsty in city traffic. The trip computer does give instantaneous mileage and average over 50 mile distance. Only driven 500 miles but everything works well except the transmission shifts feel vague and sluggish at low throttle speeds but crisp under acceleration. I wanted the extra power for a full load of adults with luggage and deep snow for AWD in the mountains.The rear seat is only suitable for 2 adults and 3 in a pinch. It came with the a CPO extended warranty but will need an extended service contract to 6 years / 100K miles for anticipated repairs to a typical GM product.It has all the features of a higher priced SUV and I like to buy USA products(even though built in Canada) and have a local Chevy dealer for service or local mechanics. I hope it gives long term reliability and comfort for the wife and kids and those occasional family road trips.

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  11 Month Update - not good - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By RedGeminiPA - June 2 - 6:50 am

  Ok, I posted a review not long after I purchased this car. I rated it a 10. Now that Ive owned this car almost 11 months, I wish I could say the same as before. Not long after the first review, I started having electrical problems. The dealer made 3 attempts to find the problem with no results. They finally pulled codes on the 4th attempt when I finally got it in with the "TC off" light on. Then the district service manager wont authorize local dlrs to attempt to fix my car: bought in Pittsburgh 2 hrs away. I love the car, but not the problems. Other problems: stereo, headlights, security, trans noises. I dont think Ill buy another GM. Poor dealer/GM support. Buying import next time.