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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  little family hauler - 2009 Chevrolet Equinox
  By carstryke - October 27 - 3:31 am

  Well i couldnt pass up the huge rebates even though i kinda regret it now just because the 2010s are so darn sexy. However i am still pleased and my wife is extremely pleased with our current equinox. Still i prefer the 2009 equinox to the competitions compact suvs.

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  SofarSogood - 2009 Chevrolet Suburban
  By AnthonyinCastleRock, - October 26 - 9:00 pm

  Traded in my 2006 Expedition. Loved the Expedi, but wanted more room and hated the look of the Expedi EL. Drove the Suburban for 800 miles around town and then took it 4,600 miles back east with the whole crew. Excellent truck. Great ride and the best looking SUV out there. The mileage was unreal, averaged 18.5mpg for the trip. Mostly highway, but 4x4 on the beaches of the Outer Banks for 7 days. The six speed tranny is good, but it does shift abruptly and awkwardly once in a while. The seats are super comfortable, but I went with cloth because I am sick of the leather looking like crap after a year. This is the worst Chevy cloth ever, everything pills up on it so get seat covers.

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  POWER STEERING - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By TODD W. - October 26 - 8:00 pm

  The Cobalt is a fun car to scoot around town but the reliability of this vehicle severely lacks the dependability that a Chevy product should have. This is the 2nd time Ive had to put vehicle in shop because of the power steering problem. If dealership cant fix the problem, why dont they admit to it and possibly buyout the vehicle or offer a refund on balance of loan - to put toward another vehicle (not GM). This continuing problem has changed my mind about GM products (not to the better).

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  Has been good car - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By jimmyjam2009 - October 26 - 7:05 pm

  over all the car has been great the dealer has been very great! only problem I did have with the car was the steering shaft was making noises and had too be replaced at 33k miles. GM took care of problem. I just put new tires on the car it now has 44k miles on it. Brakes have never been changed and still have tons of life in them. Mine is a stick transmission 5 speed and the trans is very tight and fun too shift. sometimes is a little hard too get in first gear. But over all I would say the cobalt is a good car still needs a little refinement with some interior parts and rattles..

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  Great car, horrible turning radius - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By MDxx - October 26 - 7:00 pm

  I bought this car last year - Feb 2006 - and have had no problems with it. The car has been reliable and consistent. You can work a great deal on this car and definitely get your moneys worth. The only downside to this vehicle is its horrible turning radius. I never thought about a cars turning radius before buying it before, but I believe a Mac truck could u-turn easier than this vehicle.

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  Reliable - 1996 Chevrolet Lumina
  By brucep - October 26 - 5:30 pm

  Original Owner. Roadworthy, reliable, midsize sedan. Low mileage for its age (133,700). Good tires and cold A/C. Graphite exterior and interior. Matching color original Alloy wheels.

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  When it starts to go wrong, gets worse - 2001 Chevrolet Venture
  By unhappy - October 26 - 5:09 pm

  Our 2001 Venture has been very well taken care of with regular dealer servicing and low annual milage (about 8500 miles per year). About a year ago, the head gasket started to leak... Since then we had to replace the head gasket, then instrument cluster control module an now - the driver side window mechanism. All in all it about $5000 of repairs on a 8 year old van with about 70K miles on it! Also the dealer - Fisher Chevy in Boulder - treated us very poorly. And the repair cost just snow balled. And now - there is no telling what will be next! Awful reliability and build quality.

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  Good truck for the money - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By damone - October 26 - 9:39 am

  Bought a 2005 used in Feb. of 2009, so far one problem a/c fan only working on high but dealer fixed under warranty. Besides that it drives well and gas mileage is pretty good for long trips as long us stay under 75mph. Also seems to handles very good in off road situations. Overall good value for money.

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  DONT EVEN BOTHER - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By Dalton Richards - October 26 - 3:25 am

  I recently purchased a 2014 Impala LT eco sedan. First off when got the car loved it! The car now has 77,000 miles and Ive had nothing but problems with the car! First off battery went out when diagnose a new vehicle usually you can tell when battery is going no this car will leave you stranded from what I experienced! Second when it go cold my ABS light comes on and dings at me to service stabletrac! Next had a Intake rocker arm solenoid go out and just threw my car around for a ride. Love the car but I have had nothing but problems I am to point I wont by GM products do to this terrible terrible experience Ive had with this car! Going back to Dodge!

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  Everything I Was Looking For - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By PB - October 26 - 12:36 am

  This is the best vehicle in the segment. If you are looking for a small/midsize SUV you must put this on your shopping list. Plenty of standard features make it a great value.