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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  Like it a lot but not good gas mileage - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By aloginov - August 30 - 1:21 pm

  I purchased a Traverse for my wife and decided to keep the Equinox 4 cyl for myself. I believe Chevrolet has come a long way but was very disappointed with the gas mileage. Even if I stay behind a truck blocking the head wind for me, I don’t get over 25 MPG highway. ECO button off or on doesn’t make a difference. I think Chevy should pay us money back for false advertisement regarding the gas mileage. I love the Bluetooth, radio controls (be able to control the IPod from the wheel) The only issue I have noticed so far is the car changes from radio to IPod on its own. Besides the poor gas mileage, I love this car. Road noise is very noticeable. Big difference between Equinox and Traverse

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  Equinox a winner for Chevrolet - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By chevyfan4 - August 27 - 2:55 pm

  I cant help writing about the Equinox since I believe that it is heads and shoulders above the normal Chevy that I have had in the past. There seems to be a lot of dissatisfaction with the gas milage on the 4 cyl, however, I believe that its right on. My highway milage has been 31/33 mpg consistantly, summer or winter. When I say highway I mean just highway. Not going from my home to the highway and not including the ramp, just plain highway at speeds of 65 to 70 mph. Im sure that if I were to travel at 55 it would be even better. When these cars are rated I can assure you that they are put on a track in good weather with no other vehicles around and once up to speed are checked.

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  What a fun car with great MPG for the money! - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By vetteguy999 - August 25 - 8:53 pm

  Bought a 2011 Chevy Cruze in June at Daniels Long Chevy and I love the car! It is fun to drive and great gas mileage and for the money you cant find anything nicer that is American made! Best part of it all was my salesman Mike Smith! He made my car buying experience one of the best i have ever had! Thanks to Mike and the Chevy Cruze, im a happy camper!

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  Cool little Chevy - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By lilchevy - August 24 - 9:32 pm

  I do have to say that this is the first Chevy Ive owned and I like it very well. My father is retired from GM and put me onto the Cruze and it has been a great value. Gets pretty good gas mileage,looks good, and the OnStar/XM radio freakn rocks! I got the LS base model and hey for the money the car is really nice. The interior is laid out very well and the trunk space is more than I expected plus the ride quality is freakn awsome. Im glad i bought it!

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  Love my 2012 Chevy Cruise - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By shells_dell - August 23 - 7:47 pm

  I have owned Suvs for the last 8 years. All ended up being total gas guzzlers and many had terrible blind spots. I decided to go with a smaller car, Hubby and I walked around the car lot and I fell in love with this car. Sleek, has an excellent crash safety test. Has 8 interior airbags. Gets 42 hwy miles, 38 city. i have the red color and looks very sharp.

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  ECO Mode is a bit squirrelly - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By pawcoboss - August 22 - 3:42 pm

  Just bought a 4 cylinder Equinox. Have less than 500 miles on it. Good looks, great value, very comfortable, not going to win any races. Mileage claims I knew going in were significantly overstated but thats O.K. 30 years ago I bought a 1981 Cadillac Eldorado with the V-8-6-4 engine. State of the art technology @ the time. The only trouble was that the car seemed to be driving you rather than you driving it since it would decide when to run on 8 or 6 or 4 cylinders. A real technical flop for GM as it was discontinued after one year. Driving the new Equinox in the ECO mode reminded me of this- shifting into 5th or 6th gear and slow to respond on the downshift. Ive since turned it off.

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  chevy-- bring back the metro - 2001 Chevrolet Metro
  By nigelbrain - August 22 - 12:16 pm

  when it was around it got the best gas mileage and a superior epa rating. i still drive my 2001 chevy metro but wish they had made the hatchback in their last year. the 3 cylinder engine gave me 48 mpg- my current sedan is 37mpg. bring back the metro. make it even smaller with a choice of electric or 3 cylinder gas engine. make it bare bones and affordable for students and the working poor caregivers like me. make a hatchback and a micro mini van version.

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  Worth the price - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By lanehalli - August 22 - 11:08 am

  I recently purchased a Chevy Equinox base model with the Bluetooth package the only added feature. After nearly 800 miles, I am very happy with my purchase. The Equinox delivers fine performance (even the 4 cylinder moves enough with its smart 6speed transmission). The car steers, brakes and handles with superior results. As for gas mileage, I get around 16 mpg around the city, but 31-32 on moving highways, so I am satisfied. I would think a driver would get around 20 mph around a normal suburban town as the Equinox uses tons of gas starting and stopping in city traffic. The standard features the car is equipped with are more than adequate, as I love the Onstar Navigation and blue-tooth.

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  Great so far!!! - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By greggrawe - August 18 - 3:17 pm

  We bought this van with 4,000 miles on it and 3 months old, it was a "Dealer Demo" and it had a sticker price of almost $30,000 and we paid $18,300 so we got a great deal on it! We now have 53,000 miles on it and had it for 3 years now, it drives like a champ! Never had a problem!! We did buy the extended warranty on it so we dont have to worry about repairs! In town we average about 19 - 21 mpg, and Highway we average anywhere from 27-30 and I think is great for this size. Better then our Lincoln Aviator that gets 9 mpg

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  What a car for the price - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By npalino - August 17 - 9:16 pm

  Ive had my malibu for almost a month now and its the best car I have ever owned! I read all these reviews before I purchased and they are spot on. The thing performs like a 6 cyl and gets better gas mileage than the crummy aveo I traded in. Styling is terrific! When I pulled up to my girls house she thought it was a BMW. Few things I would change. 1st is the headroom its not bad when sitting in the vehicle but I often hit my head while entering. 2nd is there are no handles inside for the passengers to hold. 3rd, the heated seat switch is on the seat in an awkward place. Other than that its perfect! Tight, quiet and fun to drive...big head turner too.$25,000 for luxury at its best!