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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  Bad Car! - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Cody - July 28 - 12:16 am

  Well I bought it hoping for it to be my "reliable vehicle". Just after I bought it the sensors kept setting something off and making it kill. Now the front end I going out. It needs a new control arm. Then slowly the passenger window kept moving slower and slower and now will not move. Then my whole sunroof switch fell out 1 day. The car is crap. So I am not at all avoiding the problems that I wanted to. This vehicle is just creating more. It shouldve had many more recalls. I used to really like Chevrolet, but now Im not so sure I will buy one once again.

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  Constant lack of starting - 2001 Chevrolet Impala
  By Brett - July 24 - 3:37 pm

  From the get go the car was awesome. Then the lack of starting periodically. Some said the ignition/alarm but I searched the internet and found the problem to everyones trouble was the 1) BCM (body control module) Chevy charge $350 reprogrammed a new one and solved that problem 2) Rotors. Solved that too. Ceramic brake pads. Keeps the rotors cooler on contact. 3) Rack and Pinion. Shot but works like a BMW. Can totally feel the road now. 4) Corners bad-solved with polyurethane bushings to the sway bar. Now the perfect family sedan. Corners like a police car/mileage like a small car. Buy a 2003 on for Onstar 90,000 mile 34 mpg consistently on the hwy. Still a great multi-duty vehicle

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  Money pit - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By busymom - July 22 - 5:20 pm

  Bought used at a dealership, had low mileage at the time. One thing after another has gone wrong. I cant even remember all I have had to replace. I am now told that there is "something" draining my battery, but it will cost too much to find problem. Now at 100,000 miles, transmission going out, gas gauge does not work, auto door lock/unlock on key ring stopped working, and air conditioning going out. I am looking for another car to replace this one. Major money pit! Will never buy another again, or any other Chevy vehicle. Left bad taste in my mouth and wallet.

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  Noisy Equinox - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By NoisyEquinox - July 20 - 9:16 pm

  My husband works at GM and we are SO embarrassed of our Equinox. The engine pings/rattles when driving and idles like a Diesel. Why is GM continuing to produce this vehicle when they have no idea what is wrong with it and are refusing to even acknowledge it! People have asked to test out my car and I have to make excuses because my husband works there and Im embarrassed! Why is GM continuing to be at the bottom of the pack when it comes to car performance and customer satisfaction!? I would love some answers because we are getting nothing concrete from gm! I have wasted my time on the phone and at the dealership. Dont buy the 2010 equinox!

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  Consider another vehicle - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By getting frustrated - July 20 - 12:20 pm

  I bought my Equinox used with 23,000 miles on it. Was a great car did a lot of traveling in it. The car now has 93,000 miles on it and is killing me in repair costs. Transmission flush costs 300.00! No place would do it except for my dealership. Problem of hard shifting got worse and found out valves were bad in the transmission. Cost for new part 4200.00 plus labor at dealership. I got a used one at half the cost. Told this is common for this type of transmission. Brakes need replaced a lot but are fairly cheap. Key stuck in the ignition, and lots of front end work constantly needs done. Not good in the winter in the snow or rain like it used to be. Feels unsafe. Consider another vehicle.

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  You Get What You Pay For - 2004 Chevrolet Blazer
  By BlackKnight - July 20 - 10:24 am

  There is a reason that the 04 Chevy Blazer is affordable and that is due to the reliability of it. The style remains unchanged as you are unable to tell an 04 from a 2000. Ive had to put brakes numerous times, ball joints, engine sensor (2x), oil coil line, smell on anti freeze despite no leaks, leak on driver side floor. In addition the 4WD switch went out and apparently that is fairly common as well. I perform regular maintenance but after purchasing in 06 with 25K miles on it, I have estimated that I have put close to $3000 in repairs, parts, and labor. That is conservative. The trade in value is horrible and I will need to keep it until the last loan payment to get money in trade

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  Read before you buy - 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By EMCD - July 19 - 4:09 pm

  My wife bought this heap with 17k thousand miles on it and it now has 48k. It is a perfect example of why I will never buy a GM product again, the interior is falling apart, the problems listed by other owners is the same we have experienced: gas light not working, radio will not turn off when door is opened and ignition is off, ignition had to be replaced (we took it in three times telling them it was not working but were told each time it was something else like the battery. No need to look further to see why this company (American or not) is going out of business. Terrible quality- dont put someone you love in one. We will get rid of it as soon as we can and buy a Nissan or Honda.

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  Not what I was expecting - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By BillW - July 19 - 11:19 am

  Odyssey was totaled in accident. Rented Traverse for trip to Reno from KC. Swallowed the gear, lots of room for 4. Smooth and relatively quiet on open road. Seats are not comfortable - rear seats dont recline and headrests pushed our heads forward. Mileage NO WHERE near what GM advertises. Shame too, as we were considering replacing our van with this vehicle. Checked it off our list after 4100 mile trip on open roads and avg 19.6 mpg. I could get 28 out of our van between KC & St. Louis. To be used primarily as a family trip vehicle, there are better cars available.

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  Performance - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Fern - July 18 - 4:12 pm

  I have 2200 miles on the vehicle. I was driving on the highway and the transmission stalled and did not move into the higher gear. Someone could have ran into the back of me. The engine light came on. I drove the truck directly to the dealer and they could not explain why the truck acted that way. This is the first American car I have purchased, and it is my last.

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  Intermittent Shifting - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Cowboywong - July 16 - 2:36 pm

  I ordered my Equinox in March and picked it up in May. Car went back 3rd day for ignition steering wheel lock. Dealer repaired and no other issues. Transmission downshifted weird on highway and at low rpm. Took it back to dealer and they said it was a quart low on fluid and that should fix it. At 1,800 miles exact issue. Got a loaner car and they reloaded software for transmission. Got car back a week later, ran fine for 13 days, then same issue. Called Chevy and they told me more was done then was on the invoice but they are sending me back to the dealership to try for the third time. Michigan has a lemon law but I am considering getting a lawyer. I know earlier post referenced transmission problems.