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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  the 04 silverado - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By steven morra - November 22 - 2:00 am

  i am a automotive technicial at priority chevorlet and dollar for dollar i see no other truck of choice than the new silverado. These trucks perform extremly well. I work on these trucks every day and I have never seen a real big problem with these trucks, no big recalls and after a few thousand miles the interior rattles are at a minimum.

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  Malibu Makes the Grade - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By JPB58 - November 21 - 5:56 pm

  Ample power to get me to and from the ski slopes at much better fuel efficiency than the Jeep I traded. The LS is getting about 20 miles/gallon on a 3-mile commute to work but reaches the high-20s in highway driving. I can set the cruise on 65 or 70 mph even on a climb to a Colorado pass without causing the 4-cylinder engine to whine.

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  love my truck - 2008 Chevrolet Colorado
  By love my truck - November 21 - 2:23 pm

  Im usually a fullsize truck guy. I recently bought my little colorado and I love it. I couldnt believe how nice a little truck like this could be to drive on long trips and around town. Im definitely happy with the fuel mileage and the performance. I recently took a road trip through the mountains and I was truly amazed with the power and torque the inline 5 has. The interior has so much room for a truck this size and very fun to drive.Id would definitely buy it again.

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  Hope it gets stolen - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Todd - November 21 - 2:05 pm

  I hate this vehicle. Rear bearings went out at 42K miles. Now front bearings are going out. Complained to Chevy and they wouldnt back it up because I bought it used and a local mechanic did the work. The fact it was poor quality didnt play into it. GM and Chevy have lost me forever.

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  Love this car! - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Concord River - November 21 - 10:58 am

  Im happily surprised with the performance of my used Malibu. I bought it with about 60,000 miles last summer and have loved driving it since then. The only problem was a quarter fell into the seat belt clip and it was a little difficult to get out.

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  To the curb it went! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Rush Limbaugh - November 21 - 4:20 am

  After a few years, we decided to trade our Equinator in on a 4 door rubicon. Electrical issues were a major concern with this chevy. The Equinox has potential to be a great vehicle for some, but GM has to quit putting cheap parts in their vehicles. This was our biggest issue. trade in value is a reflection of how cheap this vehicle is.

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  So far so good! - 2009 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Steve - November 20 - 9:34 pm

  I picked up an 09 equinox after completing many hours of reviewing. What I like most about the vehicle is that all of the kinks have been fixed since 2005. The seats are comfortable outside design is nice (2010 owners, you win!) drives like a truck (which is fine) gas mileage is ok (nothing to brag about).. overall its a sturdy vehicle. I would have picked up an 2010 model if I racked up ++ miles, however, I do not drive enough to take full receive full benefit of the gas savings. The way I look at it, it would cost me $1000/20000km (Im CDN) more running this vehicle than the 2010 model. I only drive 5-10k/yr and keep my vehicles for 5-6 years therefore, costing $2000 more in gas.

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  Awesome a Serious Animal - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By KG - November 20 - 3:39 pm

  I grew up around Muscle Cars with family and friends but never had on myself. Being in the military for 20 plus years I needed other modes of transportation such as Vans etc. I have to tell you this is my 1st Muscle Car and I Love it.. A little pricy but oh well, we live only once. I have the Transformer packet just like Bumblebee and this baby is an EYE/HEAD turner... Now at 50 I feel like 25 all over again... The Rush that I feel when I step on the gas is beyond explanation... I took my son for a fun ride, he is 27, and when I took off on that Beast, his EYES almost POPPED OUT !! It was Hilarious.. Maybe some people had some problems, but anything mechanical that is the chance we take.

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  My HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By LISA LOOK - November 20 - 3:26 pm

  The HHR is a pleasure to drive and gets great gas mileage. It’s comfortable and I love the way you have a split shelf in back layer. Heavy items on bottom and the shelf to hold bags of groceries on top. It is a real eye catcher. Wherever we go someone is looking the car over and they like what they see. We get asked a lot of questions about it. We love it

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  Water Water Everywhere - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By familydad - November 20 - 1:57 pm

  I bought this car after left my previous job since it was my company car. 5000 miles later, I also had the 1st cylinder misfire which was a costly repair. This car has a design and/or engineering flaw because everytime it rains, the spare tire compartment fills with water. Once it gets too full or you have to brake hard, the water sloshed forward and continues to soak the back and front seat floors. I contacted Chevy and they are not initiating a recall for this known problem. Chevy is not reimbursing to get this leak fixed because they have no idea where all the water is coming from... It is very frustrating to have to empy the rear storage to use a vacuum everytime it rains...