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:

• 

  New Equinox LS is a real value - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By mfj949e - October 24 - 7:58 am

  In general the 2012 Equinox LS seems to be a great small SUV for the price. With only 1,000 miles on the vehicle I really appreciate the comfortable seats and tight ride. Of course time will tell. The only negative is the somewhat disappointing fuel mileage. I was able to squeeze 29 mpg on a road trip and thats 3 mpg less than the EPA/GM calculated highway mileage. Other than that this SUV seems to be all that it claims to be.

• 

  Chevy building good cars again. - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By teachweber - October 22 - 3:25 pm

  A solid, tight car/truckette. Handling better than my MiniCooper S except for turning radius but then that should be obvious. My fuel mileage hovers around 28/29 mpg while my little truckette is faster than most V-8s I owned nothing but Chevys until I was 35 years old. Then strayed for 20 years. Back again with this great little truck. Love retro and this vehicle is true to that while being very reliable.

• 

  Great Price-to-Value Ratio - 2011 Chevrolet Aveo
  By duogross - October 19 - 8:13 pm

  First, lets discuss what the 2011 Aveo is not: it is not a luxury car, nor is it a sports car. It is also not a hyper-mileage car that gets 40+ MPG. If you are expecting any of those things, you are sorely mistaken (and, for the price in the low $10,000s, you are also crazy.) What is it? It is a good value for the price. It is a car that gets you from point A to point B. And it does it in reasonable style, reasonable comfort, with reasonable mileage for a good price. Im at 3,600 miles so far and things are going great. I track my mileage carefully and get on average 30-31 MPG combine (I do about 50/50 Hwy/City). Admittedly, I drive in a conservative way. No maintenance issues so far.

• 

  Nosey Drive and not true to its MPG - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By luckyhands - October 19 - 12:18 pm

  I just purchased a 2012 Chevy Equinox 1LT 4 cyl FWD last week after test driving a bunch of cars. I was down to two vehicles (Veloster and Equinox). As a single parent I chose the Equinox for the fact I was thinking about a family vehicle for me and my two elementary daughters. 1st of all, it gets nowhere near the 22/32 as listed. I took a road trip with 95% freeway miles and I average about 26mpg. Wow, what a GYP! 2nd, there is a loud noise while driving over 55mph and gets loader when I reach 65mph. I took it in to service dealer and they said they cant find why its making a noise but they think its was the tires. [violative content deleted]! I should of got the Veloster. Hope I can trade it back in.

• 

  I like the Traverse, but dont think its worth the cost. - 2010 Chevrolet Traverse
  By kbb613 - October 16 - 8:23 pm

  Bought my Traverse new in 2010, trading in a well-used Tahoe. We thought it would be a little more family friendly and less "truck-like" for me to drive. My husband is military, so he is gone often and I do a lot of driving long distances by myself. Has 37k miles on it (about 30k of which is highway mileage) and is regularly maintained at a Chevy dealer. I had the steering rack replaced at 35k mi which was luckily under warranty. Now I need to have the o2 sensor replaced and its out of warranty. I also had problems with the tire sensors. Granted these are not major repairs, but it seems like I am being "nickel & dimed" on a $30k car. Feel I could have spent less and had less troubles!

• 

  Good Car - 2002 Chevrolet Malibu
  By ajscott - October 14 - 8:38 pm

  I bought this car with about 110K on it. Ive had this car for about 3 years now and it has over 130K on it. So far really nothing has gone wrong with it just needed to fix the gas cap once which was no more than a hundred bucks and the brake pads twice so far. But overall no engine problems. The car drives smoothly but a bit heavy (which I prefer). As long as you get it in for your yearly service nothing should go wrong. Its a great car and will get the job done. Just a little bit of rusting on the body but overall engine sounds great and never anything major. GREAT CAR!!!

• 

  Misled by GM - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By musiclover1212 - October 13 - 4:50 pm

  I was very excited about my cruze when I first got it, I was deciding between the Altima, Elantra and the Cruze and decided on the Cruze because of the entertainment package and fuel economy. I am meticulous on tracking my mileage and checking it against the computer, and found over a 10 percent difference, for example my last fill up the pump said 12.8 Gallons and my computer said i only used 11.4 Gallons. So when my computer says I averaged 27 MPG, I actually got closer to 24. I also have had a frustrating experience with my Zune not playing when I want it to, and coming on unexpectedly while I am listening to a cd or the radio. I wish I would have gotten the Altima, or Elantra

• 

  My Equinox - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rockthehouse - October 13 - 10:52 am

  I own a 2011 Equinox bought it one year ago. Have had no problems. I bought the 3.0L v-6 because of reviews I read about the v-4. The car has great pick up and smooth ride. The seats took alittle adjusting to get them comfortable. My husband complains about them. The other con is the venting system is strange where the vents are. They are blowing at my arm while Im driving or at my face. Youd think after all these years they would get that right. I liked my Trailblazer better where the vents are. The Equinox feels like a luxury car and the trailblazer felt like a truck. Which wasnt bad just different.

• 

  Overall...A Great Car - 2002 Chevrolet Impala
  By normh83 - October 13 - 3:25 am

  I have the LS model and even with some frustrations.....overall it has been a very good car. Like many other Impala owners, Ive experienced several common issues. Those are: catalytic converters wearing out, brakes, computers. For cars made during these year models, GM still had not perfected their hubless brake rotors meaning....they dont dissipate heat well and tend to warp causing premature wear, shimmying on the steering wheel, etc. Try installing high quality performance brake parts. I spent $250 on 2 new slotted & drilled front brake rotors plus high quality metallic pads. I quit having brake problems.

• 

  Indestructible - 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
  By carmaster2000 - October 11 - 11:30 am

  I bought this car 3 years ago with 117,000 miles on it for $2000 which was a great deal. Now I have 192,000 miles on it and it is still running well. It has been through 3 hellish Wisconsin winters and has always performed well in the snow without traction control. The interior is roomy and comfortable, and it rides smoothly with decent acceleration. On this old car, with 25k miles a year, the only problems I have ever had are: -The blower motor took a crap and had to be replaced. 80 bucks no big deal. -It has the infamous rusty spot below the gas cap. -Had to replace faulty O2 sensor. Really this car has been through so much, long trips, extreme heat/cold, it has been very good to me