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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  6 good years together - 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Muskokan - June 8 - 7:38 pm

  I just traded in my 2003 Cavalier for a 2009 cobalt. I really enjoyed driving it and had no real issue in the 160000 km. Rotors warped by 20k and again at 40000. Replaced with inexpensive after market brand and never had another problem. Wheel hubs were done while car still under warranty.I did very little maintenance, oil changes every 10-15 k, nothing else the owners manual suggested. It always started even in - 30 Celcius -22F. I got over 800km on a tank several times,38US mpg 6.1 l/100. I never really took good care of it and in 6 years it never let me down. I was impressed by the acceleration, 0- 100 km in 8.5 seconds is not bad for a car that cost 13 grand tax in.

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  My Baby - 2005 Chevrolet Blazer
  By R.T. - June 8 - 4:38 pm

  I just love it. Wanted a Blazer 16 years ago, but bought an s10 truck instead. The s10 went almost 200,000k, hope I have that luck again. Knock on wood, no problems as of yet. All regular main. Has been done, including killer 4x4 trans service and differential at 50,000. Try to keep it spotless, hard when on the jobsite, though.

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  Maliboooo! Bad Car! - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Malibu no more - June 8 - 10:32 am

  This car had been horrible! Bought it used from a dealer and bought the extended warranty, that was lucky as the knocking and the leaking head gasket wrecked the engine. The insurance paid for its replacement. Then the second engine started doing the same thing! It made a loud knocking sound that "GM does not consider it a problem." Then it overheated and the mechanic did not think it is worth replacing this engine. So the car is junk. We have had the gas door rusting issue and the ignition switch not working issue,the and the turn signals not working issue too. The interior is cheap and we had to replace two speakers that failed. The fan motor does not work in the low speed settings

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  Best Vette since the 67 - 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Marc - June 8 - 10:13 am

  This is my first Vette since my 1969 convertible. The performance is exceptional. The aerodynamics are well engineered, the car actually feels like its attached to the road - extremely solid and smooth on the highway. Low end torque is so powerful that you never have to rev the engine past 2200 RPM if you dont want to. The shift linkage is very smooth and short coupled. Steering wheel controls are unnecessary because the stereo and HVAC dash controls are perfectly position right above your hand when on the shifter. The panel is a throw back to the 63-67 series, my favorite. Im 62 and I absolutely love every minute I spend in this car, its a delight to own and drive.

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  Still love it a year later. - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By bretton65 - June 8 - 3:23 am

  A quick update on my Equinox. I posted July 2006. The Equinox continues to be trouble free (except for a defective turn signal stalk that was replaced under warranty)and an enjoyable car to drive. It has 14,000 miles on it now. I get 19-20 in mixed driving. I am happy with the car and highly recommend it.

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  It stinks! - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By Brent - June 7 - 7:25 pm

  This car is not reliable at all. working on it almost every weekend. Engine is very loud makes all kinds of noises. Had to replace Transmission gasket seal, change spark plug wires, a/c unit doesnt work, had to change struts and the headlights are a pain to change. Gm uses very cheap parts to build this car. Dont waste your money on one.

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  Great Economy Car - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Jerry Cote - June 7 - 3:10 am

  My Cobalt is an 2008 LS Coupe with a 5 speed. It is the base model that lists at $14,330 and I bought it new for $9989. It is a second car that I use just to get back and forth to work. It is very economical & fairly comfortable. It is quieter than I expected and the stereo sounds nice with the XM radio. Although there is a lot of plastic in the interior, the fit and finish is very good. Overall it is an excellent car.

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  Love/hate relationship - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By tcup - June 6 - 7:05 pm

  I bought my LS right off the lot, brand new. I loved it, handled great, felt comfortable, felt expensive. At 50000 miles everything went downhill. The fan clutch went out, factory defect, known by GM. I had to replace it twice. AT 60000 miles the shifter would stick and not move, found a broken wire under the console. The fuel pump started spewing gas, after I repaired it, GM sent a letter with an offer to replace it--too late for me. Gas mileage was perfectly awful, I live on a mountain, it took a quarter tank of gas to down then up. The older the car got the worse it became.

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  Good Utility - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By homesbytom - June 6 - 1:28 am

  I purchased this 2006 vehicle replacing my 2001 toyota prius in 2005. I have over 53,000 miles on the car, no major work yet. I put synthetic oil in and change it every 5k, just bought new tires and breaks. Only had one tail light go out. Otherwise car runs excellent.

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  Camaro - 1991 Chevrolet Camaro
  By carlover866 - June 6 - 12:30 am

  I have drove this car to about ever state in us and put right around 325,000 miles on it and the only problem i had was the gas hand stopped working about a year ago it only left me sitting one time out of all the time i drove it and it was my fault (went to beach and ran out of gas)