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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  Not What I Expected - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Rachel - August 24 - 2:05 pm

  I bought my Equinox brand new expecting to drive off without having any issues. Within my first year I began having starter problems & the dealership looked it over and says its suppose to make the grinding sound,when I turn the key, its a safety feature..yeah right! After 4 years now, I find myself having to turn the key twice to get the engine started. After the 3rd year, I started dealing with a/c problems and once again after being in the shop twice, Chevy cant seem to fix the problem. I called GM and all they can do is file a report and have me bring it back into the shop to pay Chevy more money to try and fix the a/c problem a third time. I will be trading this bad purchase in soon!

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  Control Arm - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Annie - August 23 - 4:57 pm

  The front end I going out. It needs a new control arm passenger window keeps moving slower and slower. So it needs a new control arm because the bushings went at 35,000 miles and the dealership refuses to fix it.

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  What gas mileage? - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Susan - August 20 - 11:58 pm

  I bought my car in 2006, new off the lot. I didnt like the skimpy tires, so had new ones put on with more grip. The air conditioner flaps always shut down from day 1. Drink holder is a joke. Too small and over the ashtray and junk holder. Seats are too narrow and edges curve inward on my husbands shoulders..causes pain for him to ride in it. Gas mileage BOMBED after a few years,lost pick up and tends to jerk slightly when accelerating. Body does get small dents and scratches easily, even after the 200$ extra coating they sold me for the paint job. Clutch now seems to be not engaging smoothly or wearing out. Needs alignment often. 30k miles on it so far.

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  Dont leave your Chevy unattended - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Iceman - August 20 - 8:44 am

  From the second month the windows go down on their own and the car unlocks by itself. Had to shovel snow out of car a few times and cannot go shopping to more than one store at a time due to windows going down and car being unlocked. Johnson Bros service dept inept and did not have a clue. Second time in service mngr said it was built into the key to do that. Very annoying, I would not recommend anyone to buy a Chevy Equinox and have been successful in having many friends buy other brands than Chevy. In winter the insides of door lets in unwanted dirt and mud. Very bad engineering design.

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  Not very satisfied - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By mjenkins - August 17 - 10:58 am

  I purchased my Malibu brand new in 03/09 and I have had numerous problems. I am so tired of this car and wish I wouldnt have purchased it. Its only nice looking. I have had to have new brake pads, door replaced, battery, and now its in the shop because the entire dashboard shut down and its jerking continuously. I cant even drive my car. I will NEVER purchase another Chevy!

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  stuck in park - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By liz williams - August 15 - 10:08 am

  It angers me that other people are having the stuck in park problem. They know there is a problem going on. I also have a bad rotor, need new tires, I bought this with 20,000 on it, have driven it for 7000 miles, its dead in the church parking lot, wont shift. Thought with only 20,000 miles on it it would be like new.

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  Wimpy gas burner. - 2006 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Dave - August 14 - 5:40 pm

  This I5 engine is terrible. It runs like a 4 cylinder and burns gas like a 6 cylinder. The truck itself is generally comfortable and somewhat stylish, but it really needed a better engine and something that could get mileage closer to the estimate on the sticker. Ive owned since it was new and Ive actually had no major problems, but Im tired of fighting the fuel bills and the lack of power.

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  Lemon! - 2010 Chevrolet Suburban
  By CJ - August 14 - 11:25 am

  This was my first American car purchased. It will also be my last. Less than six months and Ive already been to the dealership four times for problems to be addressed. First was the seating. It felt like an extra bar was in the seat that was pushing upwards. It was intolerable to drive more than 5 miles without it hurting . The second was the A/C. It blows hot air when the A/C is on. Not good for a 100 degree day. Very disappointed in overall quality. I expected much more from a company that has made such a dramatic financial turnaround.

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  Bland - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By TopGear - August 12 - 10:01 am

  My grandma used to own this car, and it was pretty much un-driven. When her license was revoked, I took on the old Chevy as a second car to my Volvo XC90. Ive got to say, as nice as it is to have the extra car around, this is a boring car. I find its too easy to drive, and that the seats are made to be slouched in the whole time. Apart from the front, which has some good features, this is an ugly car. The steering wheels feels plasticy (because it is) and the shifter is unresponsive. This car does have decent handling, but not perfect, and decent power, but unresponsive. If you need an extra car, and dont care at all about cars, buy this - but if youre like me and like cars, forget it.

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  Numerous Problems - 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Greg - August 10 - 3:25 pm

  Had the engine cylinder heads replaced, then the engine was leaking oil had the pump seal replaced and crankshaft seal replaced. SES light coming on and shorted wire replaced. had the cylinder heads replaced again.CD player skipped and the passenger airbag light stayed on and had that fixed. Worst car I have owned.