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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  Worst design and customer service EVER! - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
  By Dusty - April 14 - 9:32 pm

  I have a 2010. At first I loved it. I baby all my vehicles like its my child. I do not drive on gravel roads or construction I wash it even if its going to rain. Something You have too watch for. The front tires are kicking up debris and taking the paint off on the door and by the vents! I have a yellow one and its noticeable. I have a quote for $1400. Two dealerships and GM said its my problem I should have bought mud flaps. I only have 4k miles on the car when I noticed this. Its a flaw in the paint or the design. I have the accessory book that came with the car splash guards were not an option at the time so how is it my fault. I even gave them almost 3k for extra warranty and meant nothing!

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  Lousy Lumina - 1997 Chevrolet Lumina
  By KenGeisinger - April 14 - 11:34 am

  I bought this car with very low mileage back in 1999. I also have a 1998 Ford Taurus which is very comparable in specs with about 60,000 more miles. I have had very little trouble with the Taurus but a lot of trouble with this car. I had to replace a intake manifold gasket and a fuel pump. The former I did myself and the latter cost me over $500 about a year ago.

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  Was great until new engine at 136k miles - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By tom - April 12 - 4:04 pm

  My S10 has 160k miles and counting. The truck has been very good to me with the exception of replacing the engine at 136k miles. Turns out the GM 2.2 L has a weakness in the valve guide design or fabrication. I lost compression in #3 cyl. I decided to spend the big $$ on replacing the engine rather than buy a $4500 used car. (The devil you know is better than the devil you dont.) Overall the truck is good. It can take 3 passengers, gets 25 mpg, and can haul and tow decent payloads. Unfortunately, it doesnt do any one of these thing exceptionally well, but is is a "do- all" vehicle. My biggest complaint is that I should get better mpg, cause that 4cyl is pretty wimpy!

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  Buyer beware, no help from factory - 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By I. Escoto - April 11 - 2:05 pm

  Some GM 2002-2006 V8 motors have factory defects in the cylinder heads. See service bulletins, always adding coolant, loss of coolant and no signs of coolant leaks and heater blows cool air are all signs of possible defective heads. Problem starts small than gets worse with miles. Hedricks Chevy of Fresno, Calif. misdiagnosed my Tahoe and now that extended warranty is out it could cost me over $3000.00 to repair. Poor GM and Hedricks customer service, with no help from factory. I lost my faith with Hedricks and GM customer service. I spent over $45k for this vehicle and expect engine to last over 200k miles with normal service, not get stuck with factory problem. BUYER BEWARE

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  25 mpg is a joke - 2010 Chevrolet Aveo
  By Yahble - April 10 - 7:47 am

  Very roomy, lots of Glass for all around viewing, easy in/out. That said, the Glass lets in a lot of sun- ac struggles when its sunny, its underpowered and lags in a head wind. The biggest failure is the gas mileage- 25 mpg is a joke! (28 mile round trip to/from work-my94 4x4 4 cyl 5sp Jeep Cherokee, 94 geo tracker 4x4 got 30+mpg) 25 mpg is a joke! 26.9 mpg highway- drafting! Ive took it in several times "driving conditions & weather, thats the way it is." I had to take it in for an engine knock, rods werent tightened, wouldnt start a twice, mpg- "thats the way it is.". Chevy should be embarrassed on the mpg. My recommendation - buy something else if you want the mpg. 25 mpg is a joke on me!

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  Happy and disappointed at same time - 2009 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cricketsler - April 10 - 7:42 am

  I actually bought a 2006 model off the showroom floor. wanted to add my 2 cents. I liked the interior/exterior look of it and the gas mileage is decent. Lots of options on mine. Biggest issues are that the electrical system has never worked right. Had it fixed under warranty but now other elec. components arent working. Junky cup holders and the turning radius is wide. good luck in a parking garage! Also the tailgate lift hydraulics go bad fast and those things are EXPENSIVE to replace! Mine went bad less than two years and now, two years later, they are bad again.Break comp. went bad fast too. you feel acceleration switch Cargo room is nice though for its class. Great backseat leg space

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  If I could only do it all over again! - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By sid - April 9 - 8:50 pm

  This vehicle drives ok but has many flaws, It would be a great vehicle if it were price more in line with the quality. This is a great $25,000 vehicle but is no where near a $50,000 vehicle as sold! I have service lights on that have been on since the day I bought it and neither the dealer or GM could fix or compensate for, Fuel mileage is not only not even close to what was estimated but someone should be ashamed! There is no storage, my 98 Grand Cherokee had much more room after storage! (hard to believe!) Poor tire wear, Air conditioning is intermittent without reason and dont plan on listening to the radio without it running or after 30-45 minutes you will need a jump! I miss my Jeep!

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  Constant problem - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By CCM - April 8 - 5:50 pm

  Ive only had my Equinox for less than a year and it is anything but great. The stabilitrac indicator keeps coming on and when that happens, problems are sure to follow. The reduced engine power will come on, and then, the car will slow down to a steady 20 mph. The car will start chugging. Then, it will flash "starter disabled" on the dash and the whole car will shut down. It doesnt matter if youre parked or if your driving on a freeway. It will just shut off and disable all essential functions (like the brakes and steering). This has happened twice to me and paying to have a constant problem fixed is not worth it. Losing my trust in Chevy.

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  leak and shudder - 2010 Chevrolet Suburban
  By JEN - April 2 - 3:26 pm

  Have only owned suburban for 1.5 months and have been at the dealership 2 times with them having it for a week one of those times. Sunroof leaks--I get a wash when my truck gets a wash. Dealer put in a new piece of glass, no shower this time, but still leaks. So far drip pan handles water, but what about 2 years down the road--leaks only get worse. Dealer says they are "designed to leak". Funny--salesman didnt tell me that they were suppose to leak. I wouldnt have gotten one with a sunroof if they had told me that! Also runs rough--was told that again "they all do that--its how a Chevy idles".wow sounds like a miss to me.should have kept my ford diesel

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  worst car - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By danny olsen - April 1 - 9:46 am

  I bought my cobalt last year and ever since i have had problems with it i had to replace the radio twice cause it always said (lock or error) the power steering went out the ac started licking the bolt joint on both front wheel broke of there is still a knocking sound in both front wheel and i had a recall last week about it but the warranty is over now. That is for sure the last time i will purchase a GM product. IN SHORT STAY AWAY FROM THAT CAR. WORST CAR EVER.