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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  Great car - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By brnwrng - February 2 - 9:55 am

  I replaced my 05 Cavalier for an 05 Cobalt after the Cavalier was wrecked in a car accident. The Cobalt is everything the Cavalier was and more. It has great fuel mileage and has more power. The interior is a great upgrade from the Cavalier.

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  Great car, no problems - 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By brnwrng - February 2 - 9:49 am

  I have had no problems to date with the car and it gets great gas mileage. I wish I had the 5 speed version but the auto was still good. The car is responsive and handles great.

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  Awesome Tahoe - 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Joe - February 2 - 2:24 am

  Great car. Just hit 150k. Handles effortlessly in deep snow and ice. Pretty good off road with 4wd low. Rides smooth when it doesnt have big snow tires on it. Very easy to drive and good turning radius. Handles nicely for an SUV. Hardly any major unexpected problems. Transmission needed work (not replaced) around 80k, but this was after towing a 5000lb + trailer around the country. ABS needed to be replaced around 135k miles. Plenty of power. Car cruises easily at 80mph at 2300rpms.

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  The best Chevy yet - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By jason - February 2 - 1:41 am

  We have only had this truck for a while. Made a mistake once we traded for a Jeep. As soon as it was possible we traded back! Now we are happy again. We are a family of 4 and we also have friends that we haul around. Plus I work in the oil patch so I put this truck through the wringer. When gone it sits for days on end in all weather. Plus the trip there and back on of road and no roads. At home it gets put through the family and helping others. Love this truck, it works hard and looks good doing it.

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  Wow! - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By mike - February 2 - 1:33 am

  I owned 4 of the old body style Silverado and thought they were nice driving trucks but the new 2008...nice truck! It drives 100% better than the one it replaces and the seats are much more comfortable. I have the 5.3, the power is there and from what I can tell the active fuel management will help with the gas mileage. If you drive this truck you will buy it!

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  Will Be Sorely Missed - 1993 Chevrolet Lumina
  By Liz - February 1 - 5:34 pm

  My dad bought this car for me in high school and I have had the best times in it. It has an awesome V6 engine that beats all the little Ford Escorts on the freeway. Not very pretty to look at, especially the front, but it has a nice red color that looks great in the sunlight. The only problem Id say is the rear right brake, which tends to rub against the wheel on long long road trips and cause a stink. The brakes arent as reactive as many cars, but they do work fine. The interior is hideous (the ceiling is falling in and there are many stains on the back floor), but the upside to the interior is that it is very roomy so if youre transporting tall people they can stretch out their legs.

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  Great truck - 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By rtg208 - February 1 - 2:52 pm

  Truck drives like a car. It gets 18-20 mpg on the hwy with ease. Drive in town and you can expect 15. All around truck rides and drives great. Gets the best MPG of all the big trucks and SUVs and looks the best. GM did a great job on the style of this truck. Hopefully the long term reliability is going to be there.

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  Equinox = Disaster - STAY AWAY - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Brian - February 1 - 2:46 pm

  Ive driven cars for more than 30 years now, and owned a real variety in that time. Without a doubt, the Chevrolet Equinox is the absolute worst car I have ever owned In 30 days, I have had more than $6,000 in repairs done to the abysmal, wheezy 4 cylinder engine. This included timing chain, valves, heads, pistons, and the ancillary parts that go with those repairs. (Thankfully I have an extended warranty) Even after being essentially "rebuilt", the engine idles roughly, gas mileage is terrible (the only way this thing gets 32 MPG is to be towed by another vehicle getting 32 mpg), it clatters and rattles and sounds like a diesel and now I have had acceleration surge once which nearly caused a crash. The transmission is in another league altogether. Its an automatic that feels like an old manual in terms of shifting. There is a terrible lag between gears that makes you feel like the transmission is hesitating or slipping. Combine that with the raspy, wheezy engine and it sounds like the car has emphysema. Truly an embarrassing. Mine is the LTZ model so it has all of the options, including the Pioneer audio system which is just muddy sounding and no better than the standard sound system. The leather seats are hard and flat but not totally uncomfortable. They are, however, very difficult to get into thanks to the oddly vertical and oversize side bolster. All of that being said, the Equinox does have a very comfortable ride on the open highway but quickly becomes choppy and unsettled on uneven pavement. Its reasonably quiet but not overly so, due in no small part to the poor engine. The instrumentation is great, with large, legible dials and logically placed gauges. A nice touch is the redundant digital speedometer between the analog speedometer and tach. The headlights are powerful and if you have the optional fog lamps, the lighting is superior. The Equinox handles well, with nicely weighted steering and a taut suspension that pushes back when pushed. Cargo space is really poor due to the rake of the back window encroaching over a foot into an already tight cargo space. Back seat ingress and egress is poor also due to the rake of the back door in relation to the seat cushion location. Ive heard this all before too... 2010 was the worst year, buy a 2011 or newer and youll be OK. Then it was 2011s are bad too but they got the bugs worked out in 2012 and newer. The absolutely horrible reliability of this car is its legacy and believe every other review that says "run - dont walk" away from the Equinox. Cars like this are what almost killed GM and are the best advertising for the Japanese and German brands.

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  A roadster to remember - 2004 Chevrolet SSR
  By MATTS04SSR - February 1 - 7:51 am

  I have owned all types of car and trucks. In fact I have a 64 Chevelle, the SSR is the best. I drive it as a daily driver, mine is an 04 purple. I get some looks that is for sure, not so good in the snow but, it is still fast and fun.

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  Unbelievable Safety - 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By Jim - January 31 - 9:39 pm

  I was t-boned on drivers side/other guy going about 50! Walked away from my 2007 Avalanche. Side bags saved my life, as did the vehicle. Avalanche was totaled, as was F250 diesel that hit me. Cops said Avalanche saved my life without question. Bought a new 2008 LTZ. Cant say enough about how great both have been. Not a problem on either one. Had a 2004 Deville and these trucks ride and perform as well as the Caddy. If class, quality, ride, safety, and good looks are important then this is your vehicle. I cant stress how great I feel with all the safety features built into this truck.