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 looking rocket! - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Brian - December 31 - 7:19 am

  Just bought my Cobalt Supercharged with 1400 miles on it. Was a demo. The car has been so much fun to drive. Getting 40 + miles per gallon going easy on the highway. The sport red color with the 18 inch chrome wheels is awesome. Other than an occasional minor rattle (might be beacuse its wintertime), this car is absolutely a must as long as youre not worried about a small backseat or using it for construction projects.I have a 2004 Avalanche that I now can use for carting my gear only. Im now saving a lot on gas and wear and tear. The bottom line: If youre looking for a fast and fun car to drive, youve got to consider this car! Feels like the old days. Power with no worry of fuel!

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  Excellent car! - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Adam from Houston Tx - December 31 - 7:11 am

  This car has been completely reliable every step of the way. I would recommend this car highly to anyone buying a new or used car! Well built car and very well designed.

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  Blind Spots - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By ktklsy - December 31 - 2:10 am

  This car has a lot of blind spots and is very hard to back up in comfortably. The interior does not live up to the price you pay for the vehicle.

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  Life expectancy? - 1993 Chevrolet Camaro
  By CN - December 31 - 12:25 am

  I recently purchased 2door coupe from dealer. For the price and high mileage I consider the book value is on cue. However after a brief vehicle check I found to be the 11th owner. It tells me that 10 other people used this particular car for one year and put about the nominal 12 to 13000 miles on it. If it is such a nice car why did so many trade it in like a bad check? Anyhow it still needs work like the heat to be looked at. To my understanding the thermostat tends to be a major problem in this style of chevy. Perhaps this is a common thing if so then perhaps Cheverolet should have put a more proper stat to suit such a large sport engine.

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  Never again - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By zleach - December 30 - 9:31 pm

  When this car was purchased we had a few minor kinks that the dealership was to mend, but of course things just got worse. After having it only 3 months they had to repalce the steering rack, shortly after both drive axles, not to mention the 2 brake jobs within 10K miles of each other. The steering and suspension is awful. Rear wheel bearings, and much more. The car loves the left side of the road due to lower ball joints not wanting to hold up. $200 apiece. And not to mention the tires wear awfully quick when they go bad 3 front tires within 20K of each other

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  Nice ride - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By VargRider - December 30 - 9:10 pm

  It took three months to arrive but when it finally did I was very impressed. The ride is super smooth and quiet. The handling is competent but not sporty (not expected in an SUV though) Im still not getting more than 24 mpg (mix highway and city), but Im getting slightly better mpg with every tank. The Nav and backup camera are awesome. It really makes backing in to those tight spots easy. Yes there are a bunch of buttons on the console. Is it a problem? No. At least not for your average person with reasonable intelligence. You have your Nav controls, your radio controls and your environmental controls. What is so hard about that?

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  Disappointed - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By Gilligan - December 30 - 8:27 pm

  Very disappointed, bad paint quality and interior pieces, especially the drivers seat, continue to fall apart. Now just lost both by transmission and torque converter at 74000 miles. Guess that is why GM only stands behind their transmissions for 36000 miles. It is a very fun car to drive, no questions, and I routinely get 26-28 MPG on highway. Tire air pressure monitors are useless and I also have a short in the car no one can find and I keep having dead batteries. They cost around $200 if you buy them and install them yourself and you can plan on adding another $50 to have it installed.

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  Awful, awful, awful! - 2007 Chevrolet Uplander
  By Shannon - December 30 - 4:43 pm

  I hate my vehicle. I started out loving it, until it was in the shop within a month. My rear hatch continuously rattles in the cold, and was told on the phone by GM head office that because they fixed 2 different items on it it may no longer be under warranty. If they would have fixed it right the first time is my argument. After 35,000kms my rotors were shot. They machined them and flipped them, and now after 70,000kms They need complete replacement. GM said that if they can machine them they will, but if they cant they will replace them. Mine were machineable, so I got fewer kilometres than if they were replaced. Not to mention the oil leaks, and the constant door adjustments. Run

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  I was pleasantly surprised - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Art - December 30 - 3:09 pm

  Ive owner over 30 cars and dont give praises lightly, however, I have been very happy with this vehicle. I traded in an 05 Trailblazer because it was woefully underpowered, but have been extremely pleased by the pep in my Equinox. The 6 cyl. is more than enough power. When I park next to the Lexus Crossover, I have trouble telling them apart and cannot for the life of me imagine what features I am missing for an additional $20k. My Equinox is fully loaded and with the OnStar GPS system, the vehicle has everything I could need. It drives great on the highway where I average over 24 MPG, and get around 22 MPG around town. I strongly recommend it to anyone who asks.

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  Great when its working - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Malibu is not bad - December 30 - 1:36 pm

  We bought a Malibu LS in 2004 and when it works it is great. We have gotten highway mileage anywhere from 35-38 mpg on several cross country trips, and it has nice acceleration when needed. We had to have the steering column replaced (under warranty) and the mechanic explained that this was a common design flaw in the 04 Malibu and that we were just fortunate that we werent doing anything dangerous when the power steering went out. Other than that and a few other maintenance (under warranty) issues, we like our Malibu and if we were in the market for another sedan we would get another Malibu (but our family is outgrowing sedans).