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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  Dont Do It! - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By equinoxhater1 - September 5 - 5:15 pm

  If my review savesat least one person from buying this SUV than Ive done my job. I am 54 years old, owned alot of cars, this is the worst i have ever owned! I have put over 200,000 miles on may cars and have not had the problems that I have had with this one. With 120,000 miles on it, I have had to replace the Throttle Body, both front Wheel Hubs, the Radiator Fan Assembly, The Wiper Linkage and more. I expect things to wear out on a car, but not these at relitivly low milage. This is over 2500.00 worth of parts and labor on top of regular maintaince.

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  Limited Drive Time But Very Impressed - 2014 Chevrolet Sonic
  By ihanson - September 4 - 9:51 am

  I purchased a 14 LT Turbo Hatch 6-spd manual (option not shown) 7" MyLink, fog lights, upgraded rims and rearview camera with the upgraded red crystal color for $16.4k before taxes. While waiting for that vehicle to be delivered, I have been driving an LT sedan with the 1.8 auto and have still been impressed. Im getting 40.4MPG according to the computer on my 46 mile round trip commute in warm temps. I even got to test out the airbags when a woman made an illegal turn in front of me and I hit her going 35 mph. Car performed great in the crash and the headlights were still even intact. I think its going to be a safe car - very strong steel frame. Im glad it was just a loaner!

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  Worst Car I Ever Owned - 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
  By r0gue13 - September 4 - 9:06 am

  This was a company car that I obtained in early 2009 with 12K miles on it. History prior to me owning all window motors were replaced, 2 around 5k, the other 2 at 8k. I have had replaced 2 catalytic converters(first 1 at 22K), all door lock mechs, door speakers, ecm, front shocks(43k), passenger seat airbag sensor(car was parked for a week while on vaca, came back started car air bag light on) and practically every Oxy sensor and cam sensors in the engine. The air conditioning doesnt work half the time and a rattle in the rear that the dealer cant figure it out whats wrong. This is all before the car had 70K on it. I got rid of it at 87K. Slow acceleration for a 4 cyl. Interior good.

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  So far so good - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By adev2 - September 2 - 8:36 pm

  I have a 2012 LTZ AWD Traverse with 28,000 miles and so far I have not been back to the dealer with a single problem. So, I am very happy with the reliability and performance. The only complaint I have is that the gas mileage is somewhat lower than I expected. Its rated at 16 - 23 and I average somewhere between 16.5 - 17.5 depending on the season and how much I use the AC. This is mostly mixed city/highway driving where my average speed is 31 MPH. I drive easily so I was hoping for 19-20 based on the rating. As long as the reliability holds up I will consider buying another GM in the future.

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  Perfect Reliable Car for the Value! - 2000 Chevrolet Prizm
  By atlanta67 - August 30 - 11:29 pm

  Most people are complaining about Prizms interior design/quality etc. But thats not true. You are getting what you are paying for. There is not a better car in Prizms price range. I purchased my prizm when it was 100k, currently it has 180k. It has never stopped working. Power/Weight ratio is perfect for this car 125 horsepower for that small size car is great. (dont expect fast accelerations etc) Currently, Im looking for a upgrade but I will not sell my prizm, I want to keep it at least 2 or 3 years as a back up.

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  2014 Equinox - 2014 Chevrolet Equinox
  By pegram - August 27 - 4:21 pm

  My 2014 Equinox is a fun vehicle to drive and has a good engine and gets good gas millage. I have only had mine for a couple of months, but so far I have no complaints. I recommend test driving this vehicle to see how well handling it is. James Corlew Dealership in Clarksville, TN was very professional and the salesman Jarren Miller was the best and very helpful in helping us with this purchase.

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  2003 chevy trailblazer. - 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By georgefelix - August 27 - 11:12 am

  For more than 4 year I do own this truck , never ever get me wrong , just the starer was replaced and one of the O2 sensors , very good quality and reliability , very happy to own this truck.

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  2005 chevy tahoe - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By georgefelix - August 27 - 10:56 am

  The only problem was the poor quality on the factory radiator , mix the coolant whit the trans fluid and the transmission broke down at 96 K miles , I do replaced the radiator and transmission &1500 cost part and labor , other wise , the truck is perfect family car , and still running whit no issues .

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  Nevermind... - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By mikearcure - August 27 - 12:49 am

  Im late writing this, but after having this car for 14 months I have to say it was worst car Ive ever owned. My initial review was good, but I mustve spoken too soon because not a few weeks later I started having major problems. First, the rear passenger exterior door handle broke off during normal use. Then, the car made this terrible clunking noise under the passenger seat. I took it to multiple repair shops and no one knew what was wrong. Finally, the transmission went for no reason (mind you this was an 8 year old car). It was worse than my 13 year old Cavalier! As the cost to get a new trans cost more than the car was worth, I just junked it and bought a new 2013 Kia Rio.

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  Mid Life Toy - 2002 Chevrolet Corvette
  By proper - August 26 - 3:18 pm

  Always wanted a Corvette, almost bought a 1995 with 50K but it was beat and abused. Found this 2002 Convertible, good price, low mileage. Fell in love almost immediately. Great Looks and acceleration, a real classy looking sportscar. For a car 12 years old it looks better than most cars its age. Everything works inside. Noticed some wear on the outside edge of the drivers seat due no doubt to how you have to get in and out of this low slung beauty. Engine runs smooth and flawlessly on the highway. Headlights could be brighter as well as the daylight running lights but all in all this is a great car.