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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  Better Safe Than Sorry - 2008 Chevrolet Suburban
  By Scott - August 1 - 7:04 pm

  Figured it time to upgrade from our 1994 Burb w/ 208k miles. Has been a true workhorse and reliable at that. Waited for second year of new model and were completely satisfied with our LTZ, professional reviews spot on. The only option we didnt get was retractable steps. The engineering is solid, materials first rate and quality no longer an issue. As for the mpg, I work in a trauma center (ER) and suffice to say those in larger, late model vehilces with all the latest safety features predictably do much better. When one considers the cargo (family), the mpg becomes, at least of us, a distant secondary concern! Better safe, than sorry.

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  Great car, all the options, smooth ride - 2008 Chevrolet Equinox
  By stuart - August 1 - 2:34 pm

  I bought the LTZ black metallic after lots of research. Had the Escape for 4 years and never got used to the rough ride. RAV4 seemed just as rough on the test drive. Considered the Santa Fe, but it didnt have the cool look and features even though storage is a little better. Agree with others about bad cup holders, no room to access driver side recline lever, and limited storage. My gas mileage is about 17-18 mostly in town driving. Sunroof, fog lights, remote start and XM are fun to have, and the roomy back seat is great for adults. The wasted space btwn front seats is annoying and I wish I had more places to stuff things. My first black car and it has been great in California

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  Needs interior improvement - 2008 Chevrolet Colorado
  By taztoy - August 1 - 9:27 am

  Just put 2000 miles on it over fourth of July weekend. Very comfortable. Plenty of leg room for a tall person and plenty of back seat room for car seats. Great pickup for what it is. When I need to haul something heavy I use my 3/4ton diesel.

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  Great value in a fun little car. - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
  By Maxx02360 - August 1 - 3:26 am

  After a month of driving, I am really impressed with this little car. It handles well and is very responsive. I have the LT with heated leather seats, remote start, climate control, power sun-roof, 6 CD in dash stereo, DVD player, etc... Totally loaded. A 2004 leftover, I paid less than half of what I spent on my last car. I admit that the deal I was able to make had a lot to do with me buying this car. But, this car is a real sleeper. This is not a car the will impress your neighbors, unless they got to drive it. Anyway, Ive already got the impressive car in the drive way. (Our other vehicle is a Yukon Denali XL.)

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  Oil Consuming 2007 Suburban LT - 2007 Chevrolet Suburban
  By disgruntled owner - July 31 - 5:33 pm

  17K, add engine oil light came on. Noted to be 2 qts low. Thought this was odd since too new for this to occur. 22K, light came on again. Dealer stated "not uncommon to burn thru a quart or 2 in the break in period. Funny. Light has come on at least 8 times. Burned thru 12+ qts in the past 10K. Dealer has done pressure test, die test (although they never finalized procedure as they claimed they did), checked valve springs for knicks (according to TSB). No oil coming out of tailpipe and no leaks what so ever. Dealer keeps telling me to put on more miles. No resolution to date. Im done! Have seen others with same problem on the web. Do not recommend this vehicle & MPG stinks

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  Love the car BUT - 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Driver - July 31 - 3:56 pm

  I really love the design and the interior of my Equinox. Cargo space could be bigger. I get OK gas mileage but its a 6 cyl so its not as good as the 4 cyl mileage advertised. Problem with it is the computer system. At first the remote start wouldnt work. At the moment its in the shop for "Air Bag Service" light on, been in shop for 3 days while they hook computer up with GM to find out what the problem is. Ordered a cargo cover which should have been with the car, took two months to get it. Other than minor but time consuming problems I like it. First car Ive ever had though that has been in the shop so much

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  So far so good - 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe
  By Steve - July 31 - 2:40 pm

  Just picked up a nice used Z71 in Bermuda Blue at a Chevy dealer. It was a good time to buy in New England since values have could down a lot do to gas prices and the economy. Had two Nissan Pathfinders so making my way back to owning a Chevy again and I hope Im not disappointed. The truck fits our needs since I can take it on my hunting trips and on the beach surf fishing. It drives very well with good power and lots of nice options. Should be able to pull my dads Robalo 2440 with the 3:42 rear axel and 335lb of torque. The interior could use better moldings and the rear seat is not easy to fold. The sound system is impressive and OnStar & XM are nice options if you want them.

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  Happy with my ride - 2007 Chevrolet Equinox
  By blackie - July 31 - 1:23 pm

  Great vehicle for the money. Ours is fully loaded and we love it. Lots of room and good mileage.

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  Lovin the Cobalt - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Debbie - July 31 - 4:10 am

  Ive had this car about 3 weeks and love it. I chose this car over the Focus. it has almost the same ride, but the Cobalt has move room and a sporty look to it. It looks like most cars which are way more expensive. My tires are sqeaking like crickets with every bump, due to a wheelcover design which I believe should have been figured out before it was placed on the market. i love the car, but call me sqeaky. Supposedly this is a technical issue w/ Chevy which could lead to a recall. Until then, I have to wait to get this problem resolved. If you own this car, turn off the radio, and roll the windows down, and take a listen, this could your problem too.

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  Problems Chevy Fixed - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By HHR SURF CITY - July 30 - 9:45 pm

  My HHR has had a few problems that I see other buyers have so I thought I would share them. The wet floor board when it rains is caused from a defective installation of a deflector shield under the hood. Mine just all the sudden started leaking & when I took it to Chevy they told me it was a recall & mine just fell off the car. Experienced the cant get the car out of park & cant get the key out of the ignition both of these are caused from the electronic key needing to be re-programed. Mine is equipped with the volume feature that automatically turns the radio up and down with road noise.I would be driving at 70 miles an hour & it would turn it down all the down. They fixed it. How?