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 Pick-Up - 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By kevin_in_sales - July 25 - 8:48 am

  Just knocker over 30K on mine. Based on the Suburban platform, this is a great truck for those that need the occasional hauling space and have the need for 5 passengers. The ability to lock up or hide what in the back is great for us city dwellers. This is a great highway vehicle.

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  transmission and chiller blew in 3 months - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By rugbymom - July 24 - 4:53 am

  we bought used with 42K on car and first "chiller" went, 2 weeks in shop then transmission totally blew out, 3 weeks in shop. In both cases parts not available or stuck in Canada long delayed repairs. Both under warranty but what else is going to go? Dont buy the 2008, problems coming....will buy non American now, keep trying but reliability and repairs a repeat problem with American cars Chevy, GM in particular.

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  Ms Coras Big Red and Funky Impala - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By mscorab - July 23 - 6:02 pm

  2yrs and, 50k miles I took my car in because in the middle of winter I had no heat and my tranny started to slip. The heat problem was fixed. To this day Im still having problem with my transmission. I bought this car new off the showcase floor. The manual says their should be no problem before 150k miles. Over and over again I have bought Chevy cars, brand new and used, but this is the last one. They were not willing to check my tranny, without charging for flush, (about $175), if thats what it needs. My car is still under warranty! I have spent thousands of dollars with them. NO MORE! I am surprised, sad, and mad.

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  Gas Mileage and 4 cylinder engine performance - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By 58tr3 - July 22 - 5:55 pm

  I traded a 350 hp hemi dodge truck on the 180 hp AWD LT2 Equinox. While there there is a big difference in engine performance between the two vehicles, the Equinox 4 banger is still quite peppy. I read that others have said the car is slow from a dead start and that is true unless you really give the throttle a good mash. More throttle produces much more response. My biggest gripe is that 3,780 lb, 180 hp engine is averaging only 21.5 mpg. The 6,000+ lb, 350 hp hemi multidisplacement engine was not far behind this with 18-19 mpg. My wifes Jeep Liberty V6 averages more than the Equinox. Although fun to drive, I am disappointed in the gas mileage.

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  No Thank You! - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By gotonana - July 20 - 12:03 pm

  Bought the car for its high estimated mpg. If 15.9 to 19 is high then I guess I got what I paid for!! The dealership tells me nothing is wrong with this 4 cylinder car!!

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  Nice Vehicle - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By jeffskiing - July 19 - 2:34 pm

  I bought a LT2 with the V6 engine. Ive had it for about a week now, and love it. It handles very well, and the interior quality is very good. The steering wheel controls take some getting used to, but are great! I have had several compliments on the car.

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  Eh... - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By dja3 - July 19 - 2:12 pm

  Ive owned the Equinox AWD LT1 4CYl for 3 weeks now and sadly, as time goes on Im less and less in love with it. The most disappointing part is the power this vehicle is SLOW. Its most noticeable when taking off at a red light, engine revs like crazy and Im left in the dust of the cars in front of me. Not too bad on the HWY from 60-70, but merging is difficult at best. The interior has many little "misdesigns" that add up quickly. The air vents are slim and oddly placed, so the car stays pretty hot. The dash is very "plastic fantastic" with no color or texture variance. Rear seat fold latch location is inconvenient. For the money, I think there are many better options. Disappointed.

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  MPG not like advertised - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By selenalockwood - July 19 - 12:27 pm

  I got the load down LTZ with the DVD and Nav. I love all the features! My only complain is the horrible gas mileage. I drive both city and hwy daily and I average 21.5 MPG. That is not even what they advertise for city and no where close to the 32 Hwy. I was hoping to average about 28 since thats what I averaged with my old Lexus with similar specs. I was told to let the engine get broke in first before I said anything but Im at 11,500 miles and it never got better. Other than that its a great car!

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  Back to US Owned and Made - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By 5th_mazda - July 14 - 8:33 pm

  I always said I would buy a US owned and made car when they came to the table with something that really competes and that I liked. The redesigned Malibu seemed to indicate they turned the corner but was not what I was looking for. The Cruze was. Liked what I saw and read, and bought one a few weeks ago. So far I am really pleased very good gas mileage (32-34 city/short trips), 6 spd turbo is fun to drive, and looks really sharp. I will report again after I learn more like highway mileage, etc.

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  Why pay that much for poor mileage... - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By akpk - July 13 - 10:11 pm

  Bought our 2011 Equinox in November 2010. Complained about the gas mileage from the start and could not get any answers. Now has over 15,000 miles and we drive all flat highway and still can not get over 25 mpg. Supposed to get up to 600 miles to the tank at its best, but when we drive non-stop all flat highway and still cant get over 425 miles, it is very upsetting. Love the look of the car inside and out, but unfortunately the low mpg trumps all this and wish we wouldve gone with a different suv.