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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  Mostly good - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jzr1sy40 - February 21 - 6:43 am

  The Pros - Good ride, Comfortable, Nice design, roomy interior, Far stronger that other vehicles in his class, Very comfortable highway ride. The Cons - Lousy millage, in the city Im lucky when I get 16 mpg, I just took my first road trip, I have 5900 miles in my Equinox, (I have owned it for 14 months, mostly city driving), after an average of 54.8 mph I got an average of 23.6 mpg. Very disappointing.

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  Coast to Coast - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By masterx4 - February 13 - 2:34 pm

  This has been a very fun car. Its been great! Went to california from Massachusetts twice! Thats at least 16,000 miles right there! Also down to the Florida keys and back. No problems. We went to the southwest desert, over mountain passes, scorching heat like 107 in Utah, 103 in L.A. Minus temps in the Northeast. Sped across the plains at a over 100 miles an hour, stop and go traffic through washington d.c.....no problems...nothing....zero!

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  Awesome Car! - 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By jones_rob - February 10 - 10:22 pm

  I have owned my 01 Cavalier for three years. It had 65,000 miles on it when I purchased it. Now I have around 95,500 miles, with absolutely no problems! Still running on original battery! Replaced brakes at 70,000 miles and still have 1/2 pads left. My only complaint is that the dash cracks something crazy. It had one big crack in the center, which I covered with a stuffed animal, but now there are 6+ cracks on the dash. Chevy says its "common" for this car. My previous car was a 97 Cavalier LS Sedan, that car was great until it hit 165,000 miles, then everything started to go. Hopefully I can get this one up to that!

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  Best van I have owned - 2000 Chevrolet Venture
  By odinoakin71 - February 5 - 7:22 pm

  Bought my Venture in 2006 with 88,000 miles. Have had zero issues. Change the oil every 3,000 miles. Van now has 167,000 miles and I drive it everyday.

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  Not bad. - 2006 Chevrolet Aveo
  By synfulangel - February 4 - 9:18 pm

  I bought this car used with 92k miles on it. Ran great. We had an over heat issue and had to replace top end. After that we have not had a single issue with the motor or the anything else. These cars can not be handled rough dont stomp on the gas at stop light it cant handle that. If you want one to do that get the manual shift and upgrade the entire motor to do so. Love the Gas mileage The car gets 39 miles to the gallon better than any car i have had. It runs perfect now and has over 115k miles on the lower end of the motor.

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  love this car with one huge disappointment - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By midwstguy - February 4 - 9:14 pm

  I love this car - looks, ride, quiet, comfort and I have had absolutely no problems. I currently have 14,000 miles on it and I have had it a year. My major disappointment comes when it comes to milage my overall average mpg on this car since new is 22 mpg overall (yes I have tracked every tank). I never speed and drive very casual and this is the first car EVER that I could not achieve the advertised mpg on. I got rid of a car that would do 27 mpg all day long on the highway and 23-24 city. This car gets under 20 in town and 27-28 hwy. I ask EVERYONE I see and they all say the same thing - anyone on here that says it will do any better does not know how to track milage. 4cyl

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  96 Blazer is an amazing SUV - 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
  By sjs13 - January 27 - 1:38 pm

  The Blazer runs great, I live in Michigan and the brutal cold weather doesnt hurt the car, it runs like a champ. The car is in great condition, No rust on it at all, the paint is still on, With no chips!. I would recommend this car to anyone whos looking to buy a new used SUV

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  Had for a year - Still runs ok :) - 2001 Chevrolet Blazer
  By wheeets - January 23 - 4:03 pm

  Got my Blazer a year ago with 84k on it. Put 21k within a year. It runs and drives good. Gas mileage is on avg 15mpg. Im big (65) and fit comfortably. Ongoing problems w/ heater. In colder weather, it only sometimes turns on (even tho I always have the dial set to its highest). Also sometimes makes a grinding noise and the break gets very stiff when breaking on ice. My mechanic cant figure it out, says my breaks are good. 4x4 went last year. Although it has these issues, I still really love driving my Blazer. Gonna get it fixed, once my $ is right. Wanna take it on some trails (when the 4x4 worked, it was great). Gonna hook it up with a tow box, rear tire swing bar (for extra inside room)

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  Trouble since i got it - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By bosslady443 - January 23 - 2:02 pm

  I purchased my chevy from a local dealership here in Sumter, South Carolina..from the day that i picked it up from the dealership a week after i purchased it. Well problem 1. check engine light keeps appearing 2. the temperature gage keep fluctating 3. when shifted into reverse it rattles... I am so ready to take this vehicle back to the dealership..i do believe that it will only get worse. Please HELP if there is anyone else out there who have been experiencing these issues, your assistance is greatly appreciated

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  Miss my Kobe - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By ubbenunited - January 19 - 9:45 pm

  Bought an 08 Cobalt (2.2, 4A) in Sept. 09 as my first car (40k miles). LT package and badging, but much nicer than what the LT lists. I got heated leather seats, premium sound, sunroof, spoiler, foglamps, the whole deal. Put 12k-ish miles on it before it got totaled by a hit-and-run while parked in front of my house (got 11,400 for it and put that down on an 08 Malibu LTZ). The brakes were starting to go at 50k (vibration under hard braking from highway speed), but it got wrecked before I had to have them done. I didnt think anything bad of the interior (nothing to compare it to), but it was a solid car and got me where I needed to go while still having fun. Not flashy, but reliable.