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:

• 

  A High-school dream - 1994 Chevrolet S-10
  By WStoney - November 3 - 5:47 pm

  I bought my Chevy S10 for $1000 dollars at 200k miles (only because the owner thought it had a cracked head, but it was perfectly fine and just a spark plug wire came loose) and I have to say, its been a great first vehicle. I used it to learn how to drive manual and its still going strong. The little 2.2l 4 cylinder can move this truck pretty quick on the city streets, but I wouldnt recommend it for constant use on interstate highways. The gas mileage is great, insurance is cheap (for me at least) and it has maintained great reliability. The only part I have a problem with is the ignition module on top of the steering column under the dash, as it will go out about once or twice a year, but as soon as I did it once, its a quick swap and the part only costs about $8. My truck has been beaten up a bit from previous owners and had me grind the gears while learning how to drive it, but its still as strong as my dads was when he had his. My S10 was lowered and I believe it increased the cornering pretty well, and it feels very strong compared to some other trucks. If I was to get my child a first vehicle, a manual 2.2l S10 would be first choice for its reliability, tolerance to abuse, and the great gas mileage.

• 

  Waited a long time - Awesome Truck!!! - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
  By Brad Heath - November 2 - 11:01 am

  I researched this truck for months before seeing in person and test driving. I didnt want a full-size due to my urban lifestyle but wanted the benefits of having a truck for towing/hauling when the time comes. The truck is amazing, no complaints at all. The engine, drive-train, mileage, ride, technology...etc all speaks for it self. Im 63 (200 lbs) and I can fit in the truck easily with great comfort. I constantly receive compliments about her, shes a real GM gem.

• 

  seat of the pants - 1995 Chevrolet Corvette
  By sc2222 - November 1 - 9:02 pm

  The most dependable ..harsh.. trouble free.. powerful..needy..give me ..take me. solid and firm ...41"high low to the ground ..driven by your limits and short of this chassis expectations...auto you will ever try to drive. eats 911s for lunch ...on mine, 104000 miles the last of the original smallblocks. no on knows the limits of this LT1 longevity.

• 

  Been great so far - 2012 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Chuck Hoover - October 31 - 8:11 am

  Bought my 2012 new, it now has 42000 miles on it. It has NEVER been in the shop for anything except oil changes and tire rotation.I have a 4 cyl.FWD will get 33 mpg on highway going 65..about 28 going 78. about 20 in stop and go city driving. It does make a jumpy transmission shift if you hit the gas while it is downshifting on occation not always. Has not been great in snow but didnt have the right tires on it. Just now put better tires for snow on it last week.I drive to Florida 2 times a year from Pa. it is very comfortable.Change oil every 5000 miles.After reading about the poor oil consumption I will start watching it now. Havent had any oil problems yet.

• 

  American-made, AWD and comfort - 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Robert W. Jones - October 30 - 8:59 pm

  Drove several mid-size SUV and cross-overs as rental car on 300-900 mile trips before buying my Equinox. Almost all rentals were FWD but I bought the AWD for Kansas City weather. Only drove the Escape one time, didnt like it at all the older models were pretty nice but like most Fords, rough riding on a trip. Never rented a CR-V so test drove one. Seemed much smaller than the Equinox/Terrain. With seven rentals of GMs, I failed to get the published MPG only once, and got 37.4 over a 50 mile range coming home out of St. Louis. I have gotten 34.3 over 50 miles on my AWD. As for other reviews, seriously, its a 4 cylinder SUV why even mention performance. It is almost as good as any regular V6 of a few years ago, merges fine and passes fine as well Really like the 8" front-back adjustment on the rear seat, really roomy when back all the way. Didnt know the rear seats reclined until i read other reviews! The 8 way driver seat with power lumbar is great for my 6, 260 frame. My 51" wife uses a small pillow behind her back on the manual seat and even in our late 60s can drive 650 miles a day with no problems. The Sirrius Radio is great, and reception locally is excellent on AM and FM. Radio is higher tech than I am cant figure out how to use my phone charger in the USB port in the console without it searching out and playing some voice recordings off my phone! Just changed to a "lighter" power source. We got the ivory color after having a red Monte Carlo, and a blue Firebird. Seriously, I like the styling of the Terrain better, and most of the rentals we drove were Avis Terrains. But they drive the same and saved a couple thousand dollars. Like I said, you want a Hot Rod, get the V6. But for the mileage, I think the 4 is fine (this from a guy that owned 5 GTOs, 3 Firebirds, and a Dodge with a 440!)

• 

  60k miles and still loving it - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By chris s - October 28 - 2:56 pm

  I bought my Chevy equinox 2010 brand new with an out the door price of $27,000 with sun/moon window. I had trouble with toms at first which dealer fixed, had recalls on it fixed and there was the issue of lumbar support which broke twice that they fixed but let it be after the third time. Also had issue with steering wheel turning right for some reason but got fixed. Mileage not as advertised but still great compared to competition. Car looks great,drives great and safety is great. Got into a hit n run accident and felt nothing when other car hit me and took off. Had regular service done like oil changes,tire rotation,etc. Just had OEM tires replaced which lasted 60k instead of 65k due to dry rot and had 60k service done for just $159. Speed and power can be achieved by turning off eco mode but all in all great car for me. I see all the negative reviews and feel that maybe I just got lucky, so far so good keeping my fingers crossed that this will last 250k miles without any major repairs.

• 

  Little SUV tank! - 2005 Chevrolet Blazer
  By Tytan. DF - October 28 - 2:36 pm

  Gone places that blazer should have never went. Its a little mountain climber, Sand hills, mud, and snow. all around the blazers gas MPG isnt to bad for a SUV. had to fix a water pump but that was my fault. it got clogged and water couldnt move to the pump. Other then the water pump. This vehicle is a tank for having 151000 miles on her. Its perfect for fitting sub-woofers in the back and easy to find places to install the wires. Just off the battery im running 1200 watts for two 12s. and the volts stand strong. Still have stock alternator. Really loud. This SUV is worth it. Love my Blazer.

• 

  My Malibu - 1998 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Rick - October 27 - 8:12 pm

  First of all this car is no where near luxury so if your looking to buy your first car with an upscale cabin with a button happy dash, your barking up the wrong tree buddy. This car is for the mondern teen. It has help haul people all across the state of arizona & when it needed to it indeed DID haul ass. Well for the 3.1L V6 atleast, idont know about the smaller engine. Anyways , idont know what those other reviews are talking about when they said " problem after problem " , because the only problem i ever encountered was a blown out turn signal, which was a super easy fix. 7 bucks later & i had no issuse. My car has 178,239 miles as of right now & i got the car when it only had 80,000 miles on it. And its still running strong. The only thing i would complain about is the a/c unit. Theres a copper peice inside of it that when you press the air recycler it dosent go. But again , an easy fix.

• 

  The most reliable SUV out there. - 2000 Chevrolet Suburban
  By whitney - October 27 - 11:31 am

  Chevy did it right with this one!!! I have 230K on it and it is still going strong. It has had a rough life and has taken everything in stride from off roading, hill climbing, river runs, hauling boats/ trailers, pulling stumps, cross country trips etc. I could not ask for more out of a vehicle.

• 

  I absolutely love my car! - 2007 Chevrolet Malibu
  By bm231 - October 26 - 9:19 pm

  Im a full time college student and live an hour away from school, & I also work 30 minutes away from home. Living in MI, where our winter roads are treacherous and youd usually buy a vehicle with 4WD. My car has never failed me and has always been 100% reliable, even with a 1 day drive across the nation to FL. The only downer Ive experienced is my gas Guage being broken on E.