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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  My TB has served me well - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By Lancer66 - February 17 - 2:55 pm

  This was actually my second Trailblazer. The first one was good so I bought another one. I have driven this vehicle across country many times and in some pretty bad weather conditions. It has always performed flawlessly. I havent experienced the issues that others have (I have read the reviews here). Mine has 56000 miles.. never had to have any warranty work done. I have replaced the rear brakes but the front ones are still okay. I put a new set of tires on it this past year. I find it comfortable to drive long distance. Fit, finish, paint, etc.. are good and vehicle still looks like new. No squeeks or rattles.. still like new.

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  Piece of junk!! - 2004 Chevrolet Impala
  By HORRIBLE CAR!! - February 17 - 9:17 am

  I bought my impala from carmax, 2004 3.4L 6cyl, it had 7000 miles when i bought it, it was a good car up to about 50,000 mile, thats when all the problems started.. ive replaced the radiator, and a water pump do to the car starting to over heat outa nowhere, 2 batteries. just recently it wouldnt start anymore, had to get a complete tune up, replace the catalytic converter, plugs, wires, coils, a total of $1500 in repairs. And now its starting to over heat again!!.. DO NOT BUT THIS CAR!!!!

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  Really Safe and Tough - 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By CP - February 16 - 6:48 pm

  I love this car for driving long distances and stuck in So. Cal. traffic. Excellent safety! Trust it riding with your family. Ran into a large deer, totaled my front end, but not a scratch or bump on me. Reliable Chevy, like always, it starts in frigid temperatures. Wouldnt trade it for any gas-saving toy car any day.

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  Think Twice - 2000 Chevrolet Tracker
  By Eng - February 16 - 6:44 pm

  I have read the many posts on these however they are not as reliable as most think. LOOK VERY CLOSELY IF YOU ARE BUYING ONE FROM UP NORTH! The rust issues for these are pathetic. There is no underbody coating on these and even though the vehicle might look nice on the outside.. the underside of these are eaten up. I mean rusty leaky oil pans, brake lines, inner rocker panels. Also.. be sure to test the auto locking 4WD hubs. Most owners never service these and they will not engage in 4WD even though the light says its on. The 4 cyl is a good engine but fuel economy is not very good. 21 MPG HWY is about as good as it gets.

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  dont buy it - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By aggrevated - February 16 - 5:32 pm

  Check engine light comes on and we fix the problem. Couple weeks later its back on and this cycle has continued the entire we have owned it. The jack storage compartment door falls off constantly. The rear seat cover comes off ever now and then have to clip it back together. Seat cushions are impossible to keep clean. The vehicle has good pick up and rides well. It is roomy inside and especially the back seat. But Id never buy another one.

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  I Love My Car - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Farm Girl - February 16 - 3:09 pm

  Ive had my 2LT Traverse for over a year now and am still LOVING it!! Its way fun to drive and plenty roomy inside. No complaints about quality or reliability at all. My mpg is averaging 18-19 even though I drive like a hellion on twisty-turny country roads. If my hubby drives on longer trips, hell get 22-23 mpg. I had a Ford Edge before this and its EPA estimates were the same, but it got better mileage in real life. I had the jerky tranny problem too for a long time, but at 20,000 miles it seems to have smoothed out nicely. I had trouble with the headrests also, but fixed it by raising them as high as theyll go. Oh, and the storage on the dash is perfect for sunglasses!

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  Gas sucker - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By setheus - February 16 - 12:30 pm

  Bought the chevy Equinox LS 2005 3 weeks ago. With 23000 miles on it. We test drove it and pilled back in the dealership and it was smoking from the front grill. So they said we put it trough service. They called back and said something between emission and oilfilter is wrong.They replaced the part ( took them 3 Days to do it.)They had to order the part.It uses a lot of gas. Im driving between 60- 70 miles a week and have to fill this sucker up every week. Getting ready to bring that car back and go buy one somewhere else. BAD GAS MILEAGE.....:-((

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  What more could you ask? - 2010 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Dad - February 16 - 11:49 am

  Owned all 6 generations and they only get better, still have 3 of them. Gas mileage, ride fun, and without worry is a daily event. Build quality for the C6 as well as the C5 is great. Hope to live long enough to drive the C7. Just a tad bit on the side of bling in the electronics.

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  Going for 200K - 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Brian - February 16 - 8:03 am

  At the time this was one of the largest single largest investments our family had made. 10 years later, well worth it. We just hit 170K and just had our first major repair - oil seals were leaking. We have done nothing to this truck except the usual - tires, batteries, brakes and oil/fluids. If you take care of these trucks they definitely take care of you.

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  problems - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By davegrnd - February 15 - 10:06 pm

  I currently have 66500 miles on this vehicle, and I have had some problems. The first was that the wipers quit working, which they found was due to a blown fuse, and they dont know why. The second problem was defective coolant crossover gaskets,both of these were covered by the warranty. My latest incident was last week when I stopped at my local insurance agents office,and when I came out, I could NOT shift my vehicle out of park, I had to have it towed to the dealership to have it repaired( broken wire in counsel). The repair was over $200.00, and not covered by the 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. The vehicle also has had dash rattles since I purchased it.