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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  Things To Consider - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By suv4years - May 2 - 5:57 pm

  I have owned three Trailblazers and loved them. The Traverse was too big for me and has low mpg. I bought the Equinox last week because of its size and mpg ratings. On the first tank of gas around town I got 26 mpg according to my math, 25.2 according to the car computer. This will improve after about 1500 miles.

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  So Far....So GREAT! - 2011 Chevrolet Traverse
  By tgil - May 1 - 1:16 pm

  Looked long and hard at many midsize SUVs after the desire to step up from a minivan. Settled on the Traverse and no regrets after 15months.

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  Averaging 30 mpg - I Like the technology. - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By skycop21 - April 30 - 2:18 am

  I sold my 2008 Vette, and traded in my 05 Hummer H2 for a new Cruze. I test drove the Ford Fushion, Hyndai Elantra (twice), Honda Insight, and yes...even a Prius. I really liked the Elantras sharp look and was enticed by the 40 mpg. I was about to pull the trigger until I drove the Cruze. It was so much quietier than the Elantra. My drive in to work is about 25 miles one way and is all highway. I needed a new hooptie that got better gas mileage than the 12.5 like my H2. In the first 800 miles, the car computer says that Im averaging 30.5 mpg. I did the old fashioned calculator way and came up with 29.57 mpg. Not bad with the cruise set to 75. This isnt a Vette or BMW, but nice.

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  Clanking Noise Everytime it drives - 2009 Chevrolet Suburban
  By imlily - April 28 - 2:40 pm

  I have a 2009 Suburban that has been in the dealership 3 times for the same thing. Everytime the car is driven cold there is a clanking noise somewhere. The dealership could not find out what it was so they started to say that at first it was a broken weld, then they said the chassis had some bolts tightened, then they tightened up bolts in the transmission. I dont feel like it is a safe drive at all and am very concerned that the dealership is with holding information from me. Oh and when I asked them for my paper work the 2nd visit they didnt want to give it to me. I had to argue with them to release the paperwork to me. Very concerned and the car was not cheap.

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  Not quite there yet, but close - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By bricknord - April 27 - 11:36 am

  Thought it was time to buy my first domestic since mid-90s. Got a Cruze Eco. Great firm seats and suspension, plenty of power. Super quiet. 37MPG average. Unfortunately, just what I was afraid of and what kept me buying asian--lots of paint defects, A/C inoperative, gauge needles randomly peg full right and back. Thankfully, I had a wonderfully gracious dealer sales manager who let me take my bulletproof Mazda back, since I (and they) were so disappointed in the car. Sad, because I really liked it, but the attention to detail and quality control are still not quite up to the level of the Japanese. Ill give GM another try in 10 more years.

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  Impressed me! - 2000 Chevrolet Tracker
  By stuckinsopa - April 26 - 8:29 pm

  Weve had our Tracker since Sept 99. No expensive issues not covered under warranty.On our third exhaust system from converter back. To be fair though, snapped off the first two (dont ask!) Really aggressive tires are a must if you plan to off road. Wind roar is bad, but thats after 4 deer in 5 years. Body panels dont allign quite as good as when new.Wind WILL shift lanes for you.

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  22/32 MPG NO WAY !!! - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By driveon9 - April 22 - 10:15 am

  Traded a 2006 HHR for a 2011 Equinox . Drove it home 25 miles and the gas gauge was already @ 1/4 ???? Did some research and found out this thing gets no where near 22/32 mpg. Told dealer no thanks and went back to a 2011 HHR that does get 22/30 mpg.

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  Not bad? - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By vonirkinshtine - April 21 - 2:34 pm

  My wife and I were drawn to the Equinox by all the advertised features packed into a compact SUV. The exterior styling is nice, and the interior fits both her (51") and me (61") just fine. The rear seats leave plenty of room for actual adults or a substantial excursion to the home improvement store. But, with 8000 miles this thing makes all sorts of odd noises. Something in the back is making some sort of rhythmic popping noise, and the seat belt tensioner sounds like the Tin Man. Overall I question the longevity of this SUV. The transmission does whatever it wants, and it makes odd noises when you crank it. Oh, and 32mpg? On what planet?

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  2011 Impala LTZ - 2011 Chevrolet Impala
  By garsarno - April 20 - 2:33 pm

  Traded in a 2007 Impala SS with 80,000+ miles. The current deal on the Impalas are incredible. MSRP for loaded LTZ was $31,655. GM rebate of $5,000 and $1,000 AARP rebate along with dealer discount of $1,655 gave me a new car for $24,000. They gave me $8,500 for my trade in, and the deal was set. Did buy the Major Guard GM Extended Warranty online so that the complete car is covered for five years / 100,000 miles with zero deductible. In comparison, the LTZ is more balanced and quieter than the SS. But I do miss that V8 rumble! Power is slightly down. They did however, delete the six disc cd player from the Bose option and your stuck with a single cd player.

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  Bummer MPG - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By tismb - April 14 - 9:15 am

  I did a lot of research before I purchased my 2011 Equinox. I trusted the ratings, most notably the mpg as stated on Edmunds and USNews. I think Im averaging around 22 mpg, when I anticipated much, much more!! The stated 32 mpg for highway driving was the deciding factor in my selection and, despite having taken a few road trips, I have not come close to that number. I thought this was maybe a mechanical problem until I read the other reviews. While I love the vehicle, I have been majorly disappointed in the gas mileage.