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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  Best Diesel Truck - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By chivo - September 4 - 7:50 pm

  I had a 1500HD with the 6.0 before this one and loved everything but the gas mileage. Then I got the LBZ Duramax and love it! The mileage, HP & TQ are amazing. I especially enjoy the manual transfer case I was lucky to get my hands on. Only one issue and thats the driver side suspension knocks occasionally. I think it may be due to the weight of the D-max. Other than that, I love it!

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  Truck built as SUV! - 1994 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Eric - September 4 - 5:01 pm

  This is by far the best vehicle Ive ever had. 365,000 kms and nothing has gone wrong, a true tribute to Chevy. Completly stock and still works great! power is good, 4x4 is sick. An impressive vehicle.

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  If it isnt broke, dont fix it! - 2006 Chevrolet Equinox
  By msdriver - September 4 - 3:37 pm

  Just bought this vehicle and everything appears well. Carfax report checked out OK. Driveability is good, mpgs are lower than expected in town. Sharp looking SUV although my model has wheel covers instead of alloy rims. Power seems to be sufficient at 185 hp. 45,000 miles and only routine maintenance. Pleased so far. Only downfall, as several have mentioned, is the suspension noise from the front end. Very disturbing on less than perfect roads.

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  Consider me a fan! - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Jason - September 4 - 3:13 pm

  Ive owned my Traverse for a few weeks, and have put 700 miles on it. So far, its been everything that Ive expected, and I expected great things. There is plenty of room for my family of four (2 yr old and 7 mo old). Sliding the 2nd row seats back as far as they go gives a ton of room to get the kids in and out of their car seats. The cargo room behind the 3rd row fits our ginormous double stroller with no issues. I get 22-24 MPG on the hwy and 19 overall. Not bad, but I feel it could be better. The roof rack cross rails whistle terribly above 50MPH (Ive removed them since). The 3rd row would be a tight fit for 3 average size adults, little head and hip room (Im 59" 189lbs).

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  Best car I have owned - 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  By wayne heidt - September 4 - 2:06 pm

  I had a Monte Carlo (2003), and it was great. But the Impala is a far better vehicle for ride, and the supercharged engine has the power to pass when you want to

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  thooper - 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
  By carmanelos - September 4 - 10:00 am

  it is an all around great vehicle

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  2004 Comemorative Convertible - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Jak - September 4 - 10:00 am

  Love it so far! Traded my "2003" 350Z since the upgrades werent coming through as promised by the Nissan dealers. The "Z" was awsome but the vette just blows it away in style and power. After seeng pics of the C6, I decided to grab the last year and commemorative edition of the C5. Its prooven and I prefer the old style looks over the new European style of the C6. The new version has some nice changes (400hp) but the front view and plastic grill look like the cheaper imports.

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  Solid Truck - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
  By horsing-around - September 4 - 10:00 am

  This is a solid truck. It is used for trailering, hauling, commuting to work, etc. Only down side is its turing radius.

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  easy rider - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By noxman - September 4 - 10:00 am

  Replacing a mini van with the Equinox. Just as with our Venture, the stock tires must go so the sharp edges of the ride quality will be smoothed out. The Nox has a tighter feel without much body pitch. The electronic steering is a big plus no dead center spot and good progressive change with road speed. Interior noise levels are very good. the performance of the sunroof (wind noise and buffeting) is not as good as some other models I have owned. The only fault I had to fix was the rear headrests, the block the rear view.

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  Not Bad - 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Curt - September 3 - 10:12 pm

  I heard a lot of complaints about brakes, but Ive only replaced my pads once in the last 40,000 miles. Gas mileage is okay--we get about 22 around town, but it is a V6. On the freeway we get about 30. The car has had some electrical problems. The blinker sound would continually go on, and we had to replace the entire blinker module in the steering column that cost $300 and happened around 75,000 miles. Besides that, it is the only repair we have done. A couple of times the car has disabled it self due to a faulty theft system. It takes 10 minutes to let you back in. I still dont regret buying the vehicle. Bang for the buck it has served us pretty well.