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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  Im affraid of driving my NOX - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Isaura - December 19 - 5:27 pm

  My Nox was my 16 birthday gift, i was so thrilled but not now!! since two months of purchased it started having problems: 1) The start engine switch was awfully bad had two different keys by now 2) I have drifted three times and have crash it because of the front traction. 3) Has horrible electric problems i have got my way home in a flat bed shuts down because a short circuit, 4) have burned twice the power steering fussiles 5) The interior is BIG trash! nmbers had fade, the arm rest has peeled off 6) The emergency Brake conflicts with the cup holders if you are using them and from all the stuff even the cd player doesnt work since like 2 years now! A/C does not work right now !

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  2009 colorado - 2009 Chevrolet Colorado
  By timberwolf3535 - December 19 - 2:56 pm

  i bought a 2009 Colorado with the 4 cylinder in it 4x4 5 speed manual i like that the truck is 4x4 and gets good fuel mileage i also like the looks of it but ever since 9,000 miles hit i have had many problems and the dealer is great on fixing it but its just one things after another they have a line a dealers so i dont think i am gonna buy anther chevy unless its a diesel

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  used trailblazer - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By d frey - December 17 - 2:21 am

  We traded in our 98 Jeep Cherokee on this as my wifes daily driver. Its a step up from the Jeep, bigger, nicer, more power. My only complaint is the gas mileage. We are getting about 11-12 in town and only about 14-15 on the highway. Luckily she only has a 1 mile commute. I may try a tune up, but it shouldnt really need one with only 60k miles.

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  Brakes - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mike - December 15 - 10:35 am

  I purchased the vehicle new and have had it in the shop 6 times for braking problems. My wife drives like a grandma so I know its not due to harsh braking. I have also had the alternator replaced, luckily that was still under warranty. Unfortunately when dealing with Chevy, the warranty does not include "normal wear and tear" on rotors or pads. I have noticed that the more frequent we replace them the faster they need replacing. This will be the 3rd time in 2009. Im over it! This cant be legal. Someone help!

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  Whats GM done for you? - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Mike - December 14 - 10:18 pm

  In my 60K miles with this 3LT in 34 mos, Ive had problems with 2 pressure sensors, still not replaced, pass side molding peeling off, too long on the ends, and when the RR door is opened w/o first opening RF, end caught aod peeled it back, first time warranty, 2nd on me. Repl rear tires at 30K, rear alignment was so bad. Repl other 2 at 45K. Repl PS hose about 53K. Car now has a vibration and a crunchy/creaking sound in the steering column. Havent had time to get it in yet, but the tire guy suggested a bearing check. Rear def quit working. After reprogramming the remote many times, it quits every time I walk out of range. Other than that, what a ride......

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  Feels like its falling apart - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By 04chevy - December 14 - 5:56 pm

  I have put over 63,000 miles on my Suburban since buying it off lease. Unfortunately, it has been a constant source of problems. Starting around 60- 70,000 miles, things just started falling apart. I replaced multiple suspension parts, a window regulator, a fuel pump, water pump, and some other miscellaneous items, and I am now faced with a transmission job costing over $2500. All this with only 93,000 miles. The interior is about as bad as they come, with badly fitting plastics and cheap everything. The gas mileage is horrible. The power is nice, and the towing capacity is also a plus, and mine seats nine. These cannot, unfortunately, outweigh the cost of poor reliability.

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  Its A Piece - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By SmlTwnGirl - December 14 - 11:00 am

  I loved this car for the first 4 months, you couldnt get me out of it. Then I started to not like it so much. The car had 5000 miles on it when I bought it. After 4 months it was in the shop 3 times within 2 weeks for the same coil problem. I then took it back to get the A/C fixed, my cruise control fixed, my emergency break replaced, I needed to have a new programmer installed, and just recently got it back due to another coil problem. It will now be going back to the shop for an exhaust leak. The clear coat is also chipping off the front bumper. By far this is the worst car and I will never own another GM or Chevy vehicle again. Wouldnt recommend anyone to buy one!!!

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  09 Chevy Express Passenger Van - 2009 Chevrolet Express
  By adabatch92 - December 13 - 6:29 pm

  Ive been driving several different vans of this model ranging from 06 to 09. The engine has very good power, and the AWD system really helps it grip the road. However, the gas mileage could be better, the best Ive ever gotten out of it is 17mpg (on 87 octane gas). I dont like the traction control system, which just shuts off all power for several seconds if you lose traction, this can be quite unnerving when pulling out on to a busy intersection. I do like some of the features, such as the on board tire pressure monitors and the oil life %. On the whole, a good van. Only problem Ive had was a oil filter gasket leak, which as probably an installation fault by the garage.

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  Will Never Get Another Chevy - 1999 Chevrolet S-10
  By Michael - December 13 - 2:24 am

  My favorite thing about this truck was selling it! It was a "nice" looking truck, but every time I took it in for a relatively simple thing, several other problems would always emerge. Truck was always well taken care of. At 80000, I had to replace the starter. The seat lever handles had broken off (common), and the center console was smashed in. At about 90,000 miles, I had to take it in to get the transmission rebuilt. At 100,000 miles, it needed new a new idler arm on the drivers side and a set of new shocks. At 110,000, had to replace rear shocks again, replace cross link, and valve cover. The truck got poor mileage and was totally GUTLESS! Low horsepower. Happy to sell is last week!!

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  Get a new truck!! - 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By BioBabie - December 13 - 2:06 am

  Its a reliable truck, howver its horrible on gas. It is a great design by GM, however it i too big of a truck for the V-6 engine. Its very comfortable.