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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  Totally regret spending $68000 on this car! - 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By carmenmvasquez - August 2 - 9:02 pm

  I have wanted a Tahoe for quiet sometime, I had settled on finding a used one. However my husband made the mistake of "just looking" at the newest model. I loved the new design and figured it would look new longer with the new body style. 1st time at the shop: there were some defects in the cabin, armrest needing loosening, and when you sat down in one of the rear captains chairs it made a weird popping sound. Had to order a new base. 2nd time at the shop (in less than a month) replacing seat base, and the AC went out, on a family vacation. To add to it, the driver seat is now popping when raising to my "setting". Also there is no lighting in the rear area, and you can not see.

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  Surprise purchase - 2015 Chevrolet Traverse
  By ehibma - August 2 - 6:48 pm

  I actually wasnt expecting to purchase this vehicle. I drove a Pathfinder, Highlander, Durango and Ram1500 and studied the Mazda CX-9 and Hyundai Santa Fe. The Pathfinder and Highlander had horribly uncomfortable seats. The Ram was awesome, but ultimately the 8 seats and a better trade in value from my local Chevrolet dealer sealed the lease for me. Honestly, I only considered this as a lease due to reliability concerns with GM. Well see how this goes. The Durango was my favorite, but the Traverse was the best value for the money (Dodge would have been $92/mo more expensive for 39 mos. The 8 passenger actually seats my 6 kids. By far the most comfortable seats of my test vehicles

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  Great dependable car - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By vitik - August 2 - 11:40 am

  Bought new in 2006, now approaching 110,000 miles, nothing major went wrong, one warranty repair on front wheel bearings. Great, comfortable ride on highway, huge legroom in the back seat, great utility for roadtrips or just ride to and from work. Did not expect it to last this long or this many miles, but by the way it drives and looks it may make it to 200,000!

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  Avoid if buying used - 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
  By bigappel85 - July 31 - 4:12 pm

  Bought a used trailblazer with 80,000 miles and it has been a nightmare every since seem like something major breaks on it every month. I have replaced every sensor the onstar computer failed which killed the battery everyday. 4x4 works when it feels like it and have replaced every suspension part on it, Have replaced the passanger seat belt twice after it keeps locking up. Paint clear coat is coming off too. Wish I would have kept my 96 jeep grand cherokee.

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  I love this car! - 2015 Chevrolet Traverse
  By larry_p - July 30 - 8:43 pm

  Ive been loving this car since I knew how comfortable it to drive. Easy steering and easy changing of gears.

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  2006 Impala LS 236,000 miles - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By truexemplar - July 29 - 6:04 pm

  We bought a new 2006 Impala LS with front bench seat and are very pleased with it. We have 236,000 miles (all highway) and looking to move it out but have not found anything I like. It is still my new car. I have only had 3 repairs including a water pump the most expensive. My oil change mechanic says take it on trips and I do. I really cant believe how dependable the car has been. We averaged 27.7 mph overall. Going on 630 mile round trip this weekend. Should I go to 250,000 miles?

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  LTZ Magnetic Suspension Problems - 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By ryan92683 - July 29 - 8:33 am

  I have put just under 5000 miles on my 15 LTZ 4x4, and take serious issue with the ride quality of this car. This is my 3rd full-size GM SUV in 10 years, and the LTZ magnetic suspension this year is, by far, the roughest riding I have ever experienced. I purchased this "top of the line" model due to great luck and comfort experienced with previous Tahoe/Yukons with adaptive suspensions, but this one fails to deliver. I paid out another $800 on a tire upgrade about 2000 miles ago (to Michelin LTXs) and the ride quality is still unacceptably harsh. I really hope GM is listening, as i am contemplating trading this car in, and giving up on my life-long love for GM products.

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  Reliable and sporty - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By jeaninmt - July 27 - 11:13 pm

  Bought used with 30,000. Put on 150,000 miles. We live in Montana and it winters well. Its gone through 3 brake jobs but no other repairs. Mpg on highway mid 30 mpg, less in winter. Not made for gravel roads which we live on. The wheels go out of balance easily with mud and dirt or snow build up. Its not a car for teaching kids to drive as the steering is a little too quick. Trunk is tight to get a cooler in. A small kids bike will go in. Its amazing in parking lots and great for quick acceleration to get on the freeway.

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  2010 AWD L4 LTZ Issues - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cdnuscarfan - July 26 - 4:58 pm

  Ordered this vehicle in before they were even in showrooms, it now has 60,000 miles, 100,000 Kms on it. We like the design but reliability from day one has been a problem. New motor, Rust at bottom of doors and rear hatch, small bolt on driver side power seat lumbar broke, front wheel bearing etc.. GM and my dealership have been great and fixed at no cost to me, however it has been in the shop often. What really concerns me is the felt material GM is using on all their new vehicles behind the front door hinges for sound deadening . We use salt on our roads and this material remains wet, salty, muddy and needs to be changed. I have removed ours and have not noticed an increase in noise.

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  This Car Will Not Die - 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
  By smk92 - July 25 - 7:14 pm

  I bought this car 14 months ago for 1500 dollars. It had 273,000 km on it and the only major thing that had been replaced by that point was the water pump (I know cuz it was my sisters). It now has 312,000 km on it and still running like a charm. I am now replacing the fuel pump because it just went but for a car with 312,000 I cant complain. I love this car to death and I will drive it until it dies. In the last 14 months I have spent maybe 300 dollars on it for minor repairs (sensors etc.)