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:

• 

  I hated this vehicle! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By judy - September 8 - 5:52 pm

  After 2 horrible winters I wanted a vehicle with better clearance. I was driving a VW Golf (which I loved!) The Equinox had 35,000 miles on it when we bought it. The interior was soiled and we couldnt get it clean. We immediately had to replace the shocks and struts. The first time we used the air conditioning it stopped working after 20 minutes and needs a new compressor @ $500. You cant hear the radio because of the outside noise and every time I turned right it made a horrible noise! Plus it has some bad blind spots. After 6 months we traded it in. My confidence in this car was zero.

• 

  GMC (Garbage Makers Corp.) - 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By suckysilverado - September 6 - 3:47 pm

  I was very excited to purchase a truck that was suppose to be reliable and tough. True story....within 5 minutes of leaving the lot the gas probe was faulty, the driver side power window regulator cable snapped, and the glove compartment fell right off the dashboard when opened. It was test drove by the way. I called and in typical American dealership fashion, "sorry all sales are final"......I was thinking more of "wow really, well see what we can do since you just spent 1,000s of dollars with us". Its completely turned me off to American cars/trucks in general now because of the terrible service I received. I now have to replace the transmission, only 90K miles on it. JUNKY DONT BUY

• 

  Too much money for poor quality - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Elizabeth - September 6 - 9:46 am

  I purchased my Equinox in November 2004.After a couple months I took it to have an oil change there they found that the coolant in my my car was contaminated so I took it to the dealer and found that the cooling system had to be replaced,two months later the same problem occured this continued to happen 2 more times, then the cd changer had to be replaced 3 times, then the sunroof started leaking, then the breaks started giving me problems, then the drivers window had to be fixed.I complained to the company and requested a new car and nothing!I told them this car had to be a lemon, they thought giving me free oil changes was enough compensation.I requested replacement and nothing.

• 

  155 miles and already in the shop twice - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Aaron - August 30 - 4:26 pm

  Im sorry I listened to my wife and bought this over the Sequoia (what I wanted). Driving on highway after 38 miles and car died suddenly and for no reason. Towed in and replaced a wiring harness which was improperly installed. Now at 155 miles the gas gauge starts wildly going back and forth. Took it back in. Does look decent on inside (Ill give them that) and is stylish outside. But two trips to the shop in first 155 miles is indicative of faulty build quality. I will not own this vehicle any longer than I have to and will think long and hard before buying another GM product. If I had to spend the money over again, Id get a Sequoia.

• 

  everything replaced - 2000 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Marc - August 30 - 10:10 am

  I have been maintaining on the police car/ taxi schedule which is double the norm. Three radiators, 5 ac systems. Transmission out at 42k, heater core and front differential out at 80k. Dealer set it on fire during repair so new ac, and half the engine. Then engine went out with rods or mains at 102K. New engine replaced 5k later with a knock (Jasper engine). New catalytic, engine light on for o2 sensor now. Looks great and get compliments on what great shape it is in and you can eat off the motor it is kept so clean. Over 16k in total repairs including fire damage. Wife hates it and when I got rear-ended she only hoped it was totaled. What happened Chevrolet? My Astro ran to over 275K.

• 

  What a mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2006 Chevrolet Uplander
  By huffy13 - August 29 - 12:32 am

  Biggest piece of junk out there! That is the kindest words I have for the 2006 Uplander. Has been in the shop about 15 times since buying it 3 yrs ago. Leaked water into the back and soaked our luggage, lights on interior and exterior flickers all the time, poor brake quality, ABS lights on all the time, transmission slips when shifting from reverse to drive, DVD player skips even on brand new disks, road noise is horrible, steering column makes a grinding and knocking sound. Just an overall horrible vehicle.

• 

  STAY AWAY - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By CHEVYCHASE - August 24 - 9:36 pm

  The car is junk. I bought it new and have had many problems. The key lock broke on drivers door. GM decided to only put one key entry on the car, how cheap is that? I can only unlock it with the remote (its great when the battery dies). Front bearings went at about 20k. Door handle came off in my hand, so open the doors very carfully on this heap. The interior finish on the dash has pealed off, it looks like it is 30 yrs old. There is actually a blind spot out the front windshield when looking across to the right caused by the window fram and the exterior mirror.

• 

  Never Again - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By not happy - August 24 - 7:26 am

  Ive had this car for 3 years and until the initial manufacturer warranty ran out I had no problems with the car, had great gas mileage until I hit 36000 miles, everything went down hill from there. The radio had to be replaced, the check engine light has gone on about 8 times in the last year, fuel pump had to be replaced along with 2 new gas tanks, and 2 new fuel level sensors, this past weekend it totally died on me, it has to be either the starter or alternator but this shouldnt be happening to a 3 year old car. I have stacks of paperwork for the many times it has been in to Chevy and not just for oil changes. Ive been in a rental way too many times. I will be buying a new car this week

• 

  A Lemon Disguised As A Car!! - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By BigP81 - August 20 - 11:48 pm

  Purchased w/ 111K, now has 122K. The ignition switch needs replacing (ignition cylinder/theft system issue), theres a major electric short/issue with ground(using foglights blows fuse for Sunroof). The Heating/Cooling does what it wants, AC doesnt stay on, nor does the Circulate Air feature. Antifreeze needs to be refilled about every 1.5mos (dealership found no leak). The vehicles has major braking issues in the rain...Need I go on? I bought this car by hearing of its reliability...well approx 7mos & 11K later, I admit that I bought a lemon disguised as a car! Im quite turned off by GM this is the 4th GM Ive owned with Electrical issues.

• 

  Not the quality I was expecting - 2014 Chevrolet Equinox
  By AA - August 16 - 6:41 am

  I had this car for a year and, unfortunately, it was just a headache. The Bluetooth either didnt stay synched with my iPhone or the sound was crackling when I tried to listen to music that way. I didnt have this problem with my previous car or the one I got after this. The car felt jerky at low speeds, but two dealers said this was normal and that Chevy makes them that way (no other car I have ever had drove like that). I have to assume theres something wrong with the transmission. The final straw, however, was when the car died in the left lane of the highway with less than 20k miles on it. The car was repaired under warranty and I notified the manufacturer. When my husband got a 2015 Ford Escape, I found that the comfort and level of technology seemed light years ahead of what I had in my car. Needless to say, with each passing day, I became more disappointed in this car and eventually traded it in for a historically foreign manufacturer. I have very little good to say about the car, except that there was adequate leg room and the trunk held a lot.