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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  DO NOT BUY...GM doesnt stand behind this car - 2013 Chevrolet Spark
  By Joyce - October 16 - 2:19 am

  The motor goes out at 50,000 miles... engine misfires...dropped cylinders...magically the dealership mechanic cannot find anything wrong (but I know my car...) the only good thing I can say is that it gets good gas milage. The quality of the seats are terrible...this is a terrible car. Not dependable. Should have just bit the bullet and got a Cruze. But now I dont think I will ever buy another GM product as General Motors does not stand behind their product. I dont want to be stranded on the side of the road with my child. I need something reliable. I would rather fill a gas tank up every 2 to 3 days and be in a reliable vehicle than only fill up once a week and he broken down.

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  Lots of issues! - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Keith - October 15 - 7:56 am

  Transmission sucks! Oil consumption! Horrible handling in rain and snow! Lots of vibration and road noise! Clunking in front end! Eats brakes! Very disappointed with this vehicle!

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  Never again - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Jr. - October 11 - 4:26 pm

  What a piece of manufacturing ! 09 equinox was purchased after the 2010s came out. After approximately 30,000miles developed a misfire took it to a shop,replaced 1 sparkplug still misfired 50-60 mph. Replaced all spark plugs & wires. Was somewhat better. Ignition key fails to release key most of the time. Auto door locks have failed one at a time, continues to misfire code reeder said to replace erg valve.did replace it. Still misfires head lights collect moisture inside. Car has about 78,000 now but has never ran correctly After reading other post of other owners this is not a uncommon problem. 09 was after the Gov.bailout of GM. So I M P OD! Will think better not to buy GM.

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  Chevy 2500 big mistake - 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By Derrick Crawford - September 29 - 10:34 am

  Purchased a 2015 Chevy 2500 6.0. This has been a disaster since day one from sales, to finance, to product defects, to service workmanship. I will purchase another GM product or anything from Apple Valley Chevy in Martinsburg WV again.

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  Do not buy!!! - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Robin Campbell - September 24 - 1:00 pm

  If you are looking to sink a ton of money into your car, then by all means this is the car for you. The steering rack and gear completely bound. The exhaust camshaft also needs replaced at just 65,000 miles. The 2004-2009 malibu had a recall for the steering rack, but they refuse to include the 2010. The same part is used, but they wont do a thing to rectify the problem. Complete lemon of a car. There is no power, the interior is falling apart and the handles are peeling. The seat belt in the rear was also replaced.

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  120,000 long, expensive miles - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
  By trophel - September 23 - 10:18 am

  Heres a summary of how this car has done so far, with 120,00 miles on it after being bought brand new (6 miles) in April of 2009 (6 1/2 years ago). Keep in mind I"m a neat freak who washes his car daily, doesnt smoke, and cleans the inside weekly. Its a 4 cyl, 6 speed auto, LT2. The Traction Contol Module / ABS module has been replaced 6 times! Yes, its been recalled now, but has been replaced twice since then, too. The transmission completely failed (wouldnt shift out of 1st gear) at 94,000 miles. New one installed under warranty occasionally slips, too. Both brake lights have been replaced. This is an easy fix. Both headlights went out the same day. This does require removing the front bumper as indicated elsewhere on here. Cost was $200 per the pair. The radio occasionally stops working. Bluetooth capability hasnt worked since the most recent reprogram by the dealer. The rear door locks must be manually activated on one side (passenger). The key fob failed at 8, 000, 15, 000, 22,000 miles, then the transmitter unit on the car itself failed at 60,000 miles and hasnt worked since. Now the car can only be unlocked manually on the driver door. The leather on the shift handle began wearing off at 100,000 miles. The leather on the driver seat began wrinkling at 90,000 miles and has completely torn since then. The turnsignals wont shut off automatically after making a turn ... sometimes. Sometimes they do, sometimes they dont. The power steering sometimes fails for a few minutes, then begin working again. The engine, however, has worked very well. Original battery, original belts, no oil use. ,

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  Wow a REAL DUD! - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Steve W. - September 19 - 4:37 pm

  Run away from this Chevy. The engine is loud, the front end lurches and feels unsteady. I know plastic rules in todays cars but this is way overboard. Cheap nobs for radio and A/C. It is hard to keep in a straight line, always fighting the steering wheel. The free Sirus radio for a few months is nice. It is a cheap car. Please check the Toyota and Honda in this class as this is a big LOSER.

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  Dont waist your hard earned money on this pile - 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
  By christina - September 17 - 7:27 pm

  the same tire is loosing air as before I got the tires rotated. I scheduled my appointment a week in advance for the recall of the stereo, oil change and rotation. I know they didnt rotate the tires. I have a monthly update for my brand new car from on star services and the same tire is loosing air as before the rotation and oil change. I have proof. and the crackle in my driver side speakers is still happening. I told them when I was there. no one said anything about it, it was just on the reciept(checked speakers and everything is fine) .. its not fine, it crackles.. BRAND NEW CAR CRACKLES!! ever since I purchased the BRAND NEW CAR I have had nothing but trouble!! it handles HORRIBLY! ! WORST CAR IVE EVER OWNED OUT OF 6!!! I told Matt when I had 5,000 miles on it 2 months later and the most they could exchange it for was 13,000 out of the 18,000 I spent =, ( I HATE my sonic. biggest rip off ! feel like I was stolen from! chevy should discontinue this pieve of trash!!! taking turns on the express way is scary in this pile of junk!! in my brand new car!!!!!! that Im 15,000 in debt for! cant believe now crackle the radio is when I havent even turned it up past half way!! OOO AND I PUT THOUGH A CAR WASH AND SOME OF THE PAINT CAME OFFFFFF MY BRAND NEWWWWW CARRRRRR!!!!!!!! BUMPS AND TURNS R PAINFUL!!! DO NOT EVER BUY A SONIC!! EVERYONE WHO HAS ONE HATES IT!!!

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  Do yourself a favor and RUN away from this car! - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Amy - September 16 - 8:29 am

  Purchased the car used, a little over 100K miles on the car when we purchased. A few hours after we left the dealership, the car began idling rough when stopped, hesitated when you try to accelerate, and an engine light came on (P0420). The car began rough idling anytime it wasnt in motion > 10mph. The engine shakes very hard. The car continues to run 3-6 seconds after you remove the key. When you accelerate from a stop or when coasting the car jerks forward like you stomped on the gas pedal. Sometimes when you try to accelerate the car just kinda sits there for a few seconds before it decides to move. It sounds like a big diesel truck when you crank the car - so embarrassing. These issues continued to happen the entire time we were taking it to the dealership, and still happen today. The car also only get about 22 mpg highway / city combined. We took the car back to the dealership not even a week after purchasing - they replaced spark plugs and sent us on our way. The engine light returned again (P0420 and P0303). Took the car back and the dealership replaced the 3rd coil pack. Engine light returned again - dealership said it was some kind of seal and it was "fixed". Engine light returned again - dealership "couldnt duplicate" the issue and insinuated that it was fine. Kept insisting that the car does not have any issues when they have it and they have tried sitting, slow driving, etc. I recorded the issues on my cell phone and text them to the dealership. Suddenly their story changed to "clearly there is something wrong with the car and we need to get it fixed asap." No kidding... We opened a case with GM customer care (dont even waste your time there). GM told us to take it to a certified dealership and have diagnostics run ($100). They told us if it was a manufacturer defect they would cover the cost of repairs and reimburse the $100 diagnostic fee. It turned out to be a known issue - also a manufacturer defect but suddenly GM decided they couldnt cover the cost of repair because the car had over 100K miles. They knew this BEFORE asking us to take it to the dealership to begin with. They told us the fix was to have the catalytic converter and O2 sensor replaced ($1500). We took the car back to the dealership we purchased it from, and they sent it to another repair shop because they couldnt fix the issues themselves. Not even a week after the catalytic converter and O2 sensor were replaced the issues returned. Ive given up hope and Ive had it with this car. We tried to trade it in, but nobody will give us anywhere near what we paid for it because it runs like crap and sounds awful. Just praying the car doesnt die before we can pay down the balance enough to be able to trade the car without losing thousands on it. Seriously, do yourself a favor and stay away from GM cars. Worst car buying experience ever. My 13 year old Honda with almost 200K miles ran better than this 4 year old car. Seriously regret spending money on this POS.

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  If you like rust you will love this car! - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Chevy hater - September 8 - 6:46 pm

  All 4 doors are rusting already, Gm says this is a known issue, but will not fix it because it just passed its 3 year corrosion warranty. Have the 4 cylinder engine and it uses a quart of oil every thousand miles. It only has 30k on it right now.