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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  This car has been nothing but trouble - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By rjb1012 - June 18 - 10:39 pm

  My parents bought this car for me from a friend of my grandmas when I first got my license at 16. It had about 50k miles. Since day one, it has been nothing but a money pit. For the past 3 years, it has gone in the shop at least twice a year for repairs. The first problem that I encountered was that the air condition would always switch to outside air at random, and when it did that, it would shut the air condition off for a couple minutes. Then the next major problem was that the brakes needed to replaced. All this in just the 1st year of owning the car. Next year the brakes were at it AGAIN. This year, the intake gasket needs to be replaced AND the air condition is broken again.

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  Not toooo bad...Not too impressed either - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By mwahlgren7 - June 17 - 8:42 pm

  My chevy is slow. Thats a fact. Edmunds claimed my four banger has a 0-60 time of 8 some seconds. That is a lie. The true time is around 15 seconds. its ok off the line but it simply doesnt move once you get up there, and god forbid if you should try to pass anyone. The interior feels durable but also cheap and ugly in blobular chevy style. Gas mileage is pretty decent, i get around 23 average. The gearbox in my manual however, completely sucks. Ive hit third on accident more than once at a stop sign because they are so darn close together, and the clutch feel unfriendly and prickly-if you want to shift smooth, you have to be extremely gentle. Not a terrible car but i wont miss it.

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  07 Chevy Aveo: Electrical issues - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By krystalb1 - June 17 - 7:50 pm

  I have 69,000 miles on my car right now. A few months back, my horn went out, so I obviously checked for a fuse, fuse was blown so I bought fuses. As I was putting the fuses in, they were blowing out instantaneously. The last fuse I put in didnt blow out right away, so I turn the car on and all of the sudden the entire horn harnesss goes up in smoke, blew out my horn entirely. Mechanic tells me I can fix the problem which has potential to be expensive or bypass it and put in a "button" to replace the horn. As I was contemplating this decision, my interior lights went out and so did my outside lights, but only on the passenger side. Weirdest thing ever, any suggestions on what happened?

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  More like entry level! - 2011 Chevrolet HHR
  By canman4 - June 13 - 9:08 pm

  Ive had this car for about a month and a half now. What can I say? This car is OK, not good, not great. Good thing GM is offering huge discounts because its not much better than some entry level cars. I was looking for something larger than compact after owning a van for a while. The size of this car is pretty good compared to small SUVs but, thats about it. A very loud Ecotech engines easily scares people at crossings but is kind of annoying (the older engine was quieter and you cant buy ethanol anywhere anyway). Bad gas mileage (not much better than the old van), creaks all around the dash and the outside air temp sensor is way off (5 -10 degrees). Go with Mazda 3 or similar.

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  Clutch Problems - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By rmoxham - June 2 - 11:15 am

  I would like to warn owners of a problem with the hydraulic clutch in the 2005 Chevy Cavalier. The line from master cylinder to slave cylinder may be rubbing on the farm and is wearing through and one day you will step on the pedal and it will go right to the floor and stick there, leaving the engine engaged to the transmission. I talked with General Motors and they more or less just laughed at me. Too bad they say you are off warranty.. only in time not mileage (63, 000 KM). Hopefully no inexperienced driver has this happen to them or there could well be a serious accident even leading to death. GM doesnt want to hear about it.

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  very bad gas milage - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By bet48 - June 2 - 10:49 am

  i get the same mpg on straight highway as i do in town. 22 miles per gallon either way. Wish i had not bought it, dealer said nothing they can do since no code is coming up. has 20k and not a thing i can do except lose money by trading it off. any adeas from anyone.

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  Very disappointed - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By lorieric - May 31 - 4:23 pm

  I purchased a a Malibu in the fall and I am very disappointed in the gas mileage, I drive mainly on the highway and only receive around 24 to 25 miles per gallon. I purchase this vehicle for the good gas mileage and chevy isnt standing behind their advertisements of 23 city to 33 highway.

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  Shagged - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cleopatra402 - May 31 - 12:11 pm

  After reading positive reviews,on 1/7/2011 we purchased a 2011 Equinox 2LT mostly for the advertised 32mpg and style. I have had nothing but disappointments. The dealer replaced the wipers, battery, starter, brains,and something in the transmission.The engine made a horrible loud grinding noise at start up. It felt like it was in the shop most of the two months we owned the car. We traded a 2002 Sequoia with NO issues. I wanted NEW so I wouldnt have issues. After many phone hours, alot of gas and time we got a new 2011 2LT replacement on 4/6/2011. Within the first week of owning the new one, the engine started making grinding noises and stalled while driving it. It is currently in the shop!

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  Auto Transmission a potential death trap - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By plumbobby0 - May 29 - 1:17 am

  I have been subjected to a unexpected scare in my Traverse and wonder if anyone had the same fate. On accelerating to overtake there was a multiple shift of the gears (at least 2 back) which caused the motor to hesitate and put me in a precarious position of slowing down instead of speeding up to pass other vehicles. I have possessed a Cadillac SRX 2011 that had the same problem so I assume the the problem is in the transmission as both vehicles have the 6 speed auto tranny. I would be interested in hearing from other owners with same or similar problem

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  Dont buy this car! - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By lyds7 - May 28 - 2:42 pm

  Bought this car in 2007. Between 30K and 40K the timing belt broke and destroyed the motor. We put in new motor. The motor still isnt running right. The radiator was rubbed by the fan and made a hole in the radiator and we had to replace the radiator. Asked the chevy house why this hasnt been recalled they dont know. Put some foam pieces between the radiator and the fan. Foam pieces have fallen out. Expecting the radiator to have another hole and have to be replaced. It is a standard and is hard to shift. Please run from this car.