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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  Seems Okay After 2100 miles - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By lazy_bones - April 14 - 9:07 am

  I came to the Equinox from a 2005 Cadillac CTS. While the old car was a Caddy, it WAS 7 years old. It had the 3.6L, and got 25 mpg everywhere. It had features that this Nox hasnt even thought of - easy tilt control, large voice vocabulary, better rear and side vision. I get around 26-27 mpg with my 4-cyl, but have already almost had two accidents because I didnt see other cars in my two blind spots (the Caddy wasnt blind in these areas, so I guess I have to learn all over again). It handles and rides very well, and I like the remote start and power lift-gate. Radio controls hard to reach from the drivers seat.

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  If your a large person, forget this car - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By cliffie4 - April 13 - 6:39 pm

  Performance, ride, handling, quietness, very impressive. Im an average man, 190 lbs, 5 foot 9 inches tall. The front seats are narrow in the back part of the seat. My ribs hurt being kinda swished in the seat, due to the width being too narrow. Compared to other mid-size sedans, even the Kia sportage, the width if the back is around 1-inch less. I recommend this car to someone slim, if your obese at all, the front seats are too narrow. Im trading in my car for another Mid-size SUV with higher ground clearance and wider seat backs. Loosing alot of money, but can stand the snug seats. Big mistake. Take this car for extended drive, wish I had.

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  Great Little Car - 1998 Chevrolet Prizm
  By prizm4life - April 10 - 8:14 pm

  I purchased my 98 Prizm LSI used in August of 1999. It was probably the best car purchase I ever made. It now has 102,000 miles on it and has never let me down. Ive replaced a couple of door handles and some front suspension parts due to wear, but nothing out of the ordinary. I replaced the headliner but the rest of the interior still looks great. Chevy/Toyota really got it right on this one. I plan to continue driving it for a long time.

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  Nice little SUV - 2004 Chevrolet Tracker
  By mrwilson99 - April 10 - 2:19 pm

  I really enjoy driving this SUV. Its small and should be better on gas since its lighter than most SUVs. Having less leg room is a challenge but overall, a nice ride.

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  03 malibu - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By erinjeanmck - April 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car in 06. I was the 2nd owner of this car. It had low miles on it & was in good condition. I had to replace all the tires on it at the time of purchase. I bought a car remote for it within the 1st yr. I get regular oil changes & last summer had to "fix" the car after it over heated--$600ish. The car remote decided to stop working this past winter. I also had to replace one of the tires this winter. I dont drive it excessively & have never taken it out of state. Farthest I have traveled away from home is 2 hrs 3 times. Its a good family car, but Im usually the only one traveling around in it. It does guzzle gas--16-20 mpg city. Good car if you have a family.

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  My first Vette, bought one year older than average! - 2011 Chevrolet Corvette
  By gladiator55 - April 3 - 11:30 pm

  Wanted an LT3, but got an LT1 with A/T, performance exhaust (noisy just when pushed) and chrome wheels (less demanding than the alloys on my 2002 BMW 530) and saved $7000. Missed some extras, but I think can live without them.

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  Nice vehicle--phoney gas mileage ratings - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By cmomm - April 1 - 12:20 am

  Only have 400 mi on Nox but drives well, good enough speed for a 4 cyl AWD SUV (no racecar)---nice seats, interior in general but poor rear visibility-must use mirrors and carefully watch the lane changes and backups-have a 2000 LeSabre Limited with 86K that gets good mph in town 20-21 and better over the road 28-31-maybe Nox will do better after 3-5K miles on it-bunch of hype to put the 4cyl in and give a phony mileage rating to sell cars but everbody lies today---however, I need the AWD for the winters in PA and rear space is handy to carry things - bought it since I am an old WW2 vet and have a 56" replica of my ship to take to reunions, etc. which would not fit in car-price fair overal

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  Transmission issues on 2007 Impala SS - 2007 Chevrolet Impala
  By ronnies - March 31 - 11:20 am

  I have never owned anything outside of Chevrolet for over 30 years. Although I am 56, I still enjoy the performance aspects of a vehicle, but love the room of a sedan. I thought the 2007 Impala SS would be perfect. Although I loved the car when operating correctly, it left me dissapointed more than it should. The first issue was getting locked in park (this happened twice) because of a wire breaking in the console. Secondly, the steering shaft had to be replaced because of a "clunk" when stopping and starting. The straw that broke the camels back for me with this car, was an issue I had with the trasmission. You could take off, and it felt like a manual with the clutch slipping.

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  Glad it was a rental-poor! - 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
  By rman961 - March 27 - 3:05 pm

  We rented this car to go on a 700 mile trip. The car is beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, it is made with mostly plastic. The seats could be more comfortable, and the cloth has no good quality whatsoever. Leg room is poor in the rear. The trunk is extremely small and you can barely fit a mid sized cooler in it! Im so glad we didnt buy this car. Go with the Fusion!

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  great car - 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
  By vtfarmboy - March 26 - 10:57 pm

  I purchased this car used with about 20,000+ miles four years ago. I have been driving it daily ever since and other than a new set of tires had no problems what so ever. well almost. The gas tank sending unit was not working when i bought it. The dealer told me to set up a apointment to get it fixed i just never did it. That is not the cars fault. It drives nice and is comfortable for my commute. I live 45 miles from my work and it is quite good on gas. I average anywhere between 28 and 34 mpg with a V6 not bad if you ask me. It aint pretty, it isnt Hot but if you are looking for good dependable every day transportation that wont bleed you dry its just what you need!